Low-cost ETF for exposure to non-North American firms

Article Excerpt

VANGUARD FTSE DEVELOPED ALL CAP EX NORTH AMERICA ETF $35.16 (Toronto symbol VIU; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $4.7 billion) tracks the FTSE Developed All Cap ex-North America Index. The index includes large, medium, and smaller companies listed in developed markets. Financial Services make up 19% of the portfolio, followed by Industrials (18%), Healthcare (12%), Technology (11%), and Consumer Discretionary (11%). The geographical distribution of the portfolio assets is mostly to Japan (24% of the assets), the U.K. (14%), Switzerland (9%), France (9%), Germany (8%), Australia (8%), South Korea (5%), and the Netherlands (4%). The portfolio holds 3,748 stocks; the top 10 make up only 12% of its assets. Top holdings include Novo Nordisk (Denmark, Healthcare; 1.7%), ASML (Netherlands, Technology, 1.5%), Nestle (Switzerland, Consumer Staples; 1.2%) The ETF started up in December 2015 and charges an MER of just 0.23%. It has a large asset base, with an average of $1.5 million in units trading daily. The fund pays a fluctuating quarterly dividend; the cash…