Topic: How To Invest

Q: I currently have 9% of my portfolio in RioCan REIT, and I would like the real estate portion to be about 12% of the overall portfolio. I am therefore considering “going global” with the remaining 3% to 4%. What is your opinion of Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

A: Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF, $55.65, symbol VNQI on Nasdaq (Units outstanding: 7.8 million; Market cap: $436.6 million; www.vanguard.com), invests in the 460 stocks in the S&P Global ex-U.S. Property Index. This index represents real estate investment trusts (REITs) in more than 30 countries outside the U.S. Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF holds about 55.3% of its assets in the Pacific region, including Japan, Hong Kong and China; 20.1% in Europe; and 19.7% in emerging markets. The ETF has a 0.35% MER and a 5.5% yield. The fund’s top holdings are Mitsubishi Estate Co. Ltd., Westfield Group, Sun Hung Kai Properties, Unibail-Rodamco SE, Cheung Kong Holdings, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Sumitomo Realty & Development Co., Link REIT, China Overseas Land & Investment, and Land Securities Group plc. We don’t see any widespread undetected value in the global real estate market, but the ETF is okay to hold if you want international real estate exposure. exposure…