Published:
September 15, 2008
The
correct answer is
(B.) SPDR International
Industrial Sector (IPN)
While many newly launched funds
are carving into ultra-narrow
industry subsets with only a couple
of dozen members, this new offering
from State Street returns to the
broad-based roots of the ETF
industry. Providing access to most
of the world's biggest industrial
players, this fund mirrors the S&P
BMI World ex-U.S. Industrial Sector
Index -- made up of industrial stocks trading in
developed markets outside the U.S.
There are plenty of companies that
fall under this wide umbrella, and
the index currently has 1,234
holdings. Over the past five years,
the index it tracks has already
delivered an impressive annualized
return of +23%, for a cumulative
return of +180%. What is causing
such stellar returns?
Most likely, you've heard glowing
reports about the massive
infrastructure and construction
spending taking place overseas,
particularly in the world's emerging
markets. Countries throughout South America,
Europe and Pacific Asia have
earmarked hundreds of billions of
dollars for everything from public
transportation to water treatment
facilities to support the growing
needs of their citizens. This
buildup is powering strong growth in
the global industrials sector.
Though signs of a cooling global
economy could dampen demand for
industrial stocks in the short run,
the longer-term picture remains
promising. This one-shot exposure to
hundreds of powerful industrial
companies with compelling valuations
is why
The ETF Authority
editor Nathan Slaughter profiled IPN recently as a possible addition
to his "Sector Trading" Portfolio.
Nathan's portfolio includes a select
group of funds that he has picked to
outperform the broader market thanks
to their focus on strong-performing
sectors. To learn more about Nathan's
two other portfolios, and to learn more about
The ETF Authority, please
visit this link.
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