These dividend ETFs offer steady income

Article Excerpt

Dividend-paying companies have done well over the longer term, although the recent performance of this group lagged the main market indexes. That’s because higher interest rates on fixed-income investments made their dividends less attractive to income investors. Still, high-quality dividend-paying companies—given their prospects for capital gains as well as dividends—should remain a key part of the portfolios of income-seeking investors. The Supplement on page 10, and the box on page 4, provide more information on the key factors to consider when selecting a dividend ETF. ISHARES CORE MSCI CANADIAN QUALITY DIVIDEND INCOME ETF $31.11 (Toronto symbol XDIV; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Conservative; Market cap: $1.7 billion) tracks the MSCI Canada High Dividend Yield Index. The index includes Canadian companies with growing or steady dividends, solid balance sheets, and less volatile earnings. Stock weights are capped at 10% of the portfolio on the rebalancing dates. The main segment allocations are Financials (48% of assets), Energy (28%), Utilities (12%), Consumer Goods (6%), and Communications (5%). The ETF currently holds…