Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: I’m thinking of investing in the Shares S&P/TSX Capped Financials Index Fund. What do you think of this fund?

Article Excerpt

iShares S&P/TSX Capped Financials Index Fund, $20.99, symbol XFN on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 38.9 million; Market cap: $816.5 million; ca.ishares.com), aims to mirror the performance of the S&P/TSX Capped Financials Index, which is made up of the largest-capitalization financial-sector stocks on the Toronto exchange. The fund currently holds 26 stocks. The weight of any one company is capped at 25% of the index’s market capitalization, regardless of how big the stock is in relation to the index. The fund’s MER is 0.55%. It yields 3.2%. The fund’s top holdings are Royal Bank of Canada at 18.6%; TD Bank, 18.4%; Bank of Nova Scotia, 15.5%; Bank of Montreal, 10.2%; CIBC, 8.0%; Manulife Financial, 6.2%; Sun Life Financial, 4.0%; National Bank, 3.1%; Power Corporation, 2.1%; and Fairfax Financial Holdings, 2.1%. In general, we think most investors are better off investing in individual companies as part of a balanced, diversified portfolio, rather than in funds that focus on narrow market sectors. Adding an arbitrary…