Trend: Some single country ETFs have produced impressive gains in the last few years.
ETF Expert Gary Gordon likes the ETF for Chile (ECH) because it diversifies across sectors. Excerpts from his blog post are below.
Link: ETF Expert: Chile (ECH): A Single-Country Fund That Diversifies Across Sectors
Single-Country ETFs have been huge winners over the last 3-5 years. Those who braved the Korean waters with the iShares Korea Fund (EWY) witnessed $20,000 in November 2002 become $60,000 by November 2007.
In spite of Asia's prominence in the news, there were big gains in the Americas as well. A $20,000 investment in the iShares Mexico Fund (EWW) 5 years ago is worth roughly $90,000 today.
There are a few problems with these assessments, though. For one thing, they conveniently begin at the start of our global bull market 5 years earlier (i.e., October 2002).
The other issue involves the lack of diversification in many single-country ETFs.
The question then becomes... why should we invest in a single-country ETF at all? Answer: When a single-country fund is diversified across different economic segments and no company has more than a 15% weight, an aggressive investor may wish to pursue a narrower focus.
The new iShares Chile Fund (ECH) fits my criteria nicely. The top weighted company does hit the higher end of my limit with a 15% weight. Nevertheless, you have Utilities, Industrials, Materials, and Consumer Staples well-represented in the sector breakdown.
Worried about the global credit crunch? Financials only account for 9% of the index. Concerned about the country's prospects going forward? Learn more in Warming Up to Chile.
The fund is not particularly cheap, with a 0.74% expense ratio. Yet if you are troubled by Chile's minuscule weighting in the iShares Latin America Index (ILF), or if you want an investment that is more tied to infrastructure, then the iShares Chile Fund (ECH) may fit your investor profile.
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