Investors in France tap luxury goods and more

Article Excerpt

The French economy continues to recover from disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but high interest rates and strained government finances continue to dampen consumer and government spending and growth. On the positive side, tourists are returning in a big way, helped along by large sporting events such as the Rugby World Cup and the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Meantime, France is home to several of the top luxury goods companies in the world. The ETF we look at here holds many of of these outstanding businesses. ISHARES MSCI FRANCE ETF $37.64 (New York symbol EWQ; TSI Network ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $879.8 million) tracks the performance of the largest publicly listed French companies. The ETF holds a well-diversified portfolio of 63 stocks. Industrials account for 25% of its assets, while Consumer Cyclicals (19%), Consumer Defensive (11%), Healthcare (10%), Financials (10%), and Energy (8%) are other key segments. The fund’s largest 10 holdings make up 57% of its assets. They are LVMH (Luxury Goods, 11.5%), TotalEnergies (Energy,…