iShares Offers 5 New ETFs

First Published Date: June 8, 2013 ADawnJournal.com

iShares recently launched 5 new ETFs giving investors different taste from different segments from the emerging and international markets. These 5 ETFs are:

XUS – iShares S&P 500 Index ETF

XEF – iShares MSCI EAFE IMI Index ETF

XEC – iShares MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index ETF

XCD – iShares S&P Global Consumer Discretionary Index Fund (CAD-Hedged)

XGI – iShares S&P Global Industrials Index Fund (CAD-Hedged)

Today, I will discuss XEF – iShares MSCI EAFE IMI Index ETF and XEC – iShares MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index ETF, as there are very similar ETFs that exist from iShares and Vanguard Canada.

XEF – iShares MSCI EAFE IMI Index ETF MER 0.30% – XEF tracks (net of expenses) the performance of the MSCI EAFE IMI Index. The MSCI EAFE Investable Index is a measure of the broad international stock market that includes about 2500 small, mid, and large cap companies around the globe excluding North America.

Another ETF XIN – iShares MSCI EAFE Index ETF CAD-Hedged MER 0.50% exists from iShares which is somewhat similar to XEF. However, unlike XEF, XIN tracks the MSCI EAFE Index. The MSCI EAFE Index captures 85% of total market capitalization representing about 915 mid and large cap companies around the globe excluding North America. The MSCI EAFE IMI Index goes much deeper to captures 99% of total market capitalization representing about 2500 small, mid, and large cap companies around the globe, excluding North America.

Vanguard offers very similar ETF (like XIN) VEF – FTSE Developed ex North America Index ETF CAD-hedged MER 0.43%. The FTSE Developed ex North America Hedged CAD Index represents about 1340 mid and large cap companies around the globe excluding North America.

XEC – iShares MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index ETF MER 0.35% – This new MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index fund holds about 1800 emerging market companies without currency hedging. Another ETF XEM – MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund MER 0.82% exists from iShares which is somewhat similar to XEF. It holds about 831 companies. Another ETF from Vanguard VEE – FTSE Emerging Markets Index ETF MER 0.54% offers exposure to the emerging markets. It holds about 790 emerging market stocks. One major difference VEE has from its peers is that it does not have any stocks from South Korea as FTSE Emerging Markets Index does not consider South Korea as an emerging market. So if you would like to have Samsung or any other South Korean companies, VEE is not for you.

As you can see, these two new international and emerging markets ETFs XEF and XEC from iShares offer wide exposure in the international and emerging markets without currency hedging at unbelievably lower cost. I have not seen anyone before beating rock-bottom-MER guru Vanguard, and iShares was able to do so with these two new MERs. This is good for Canadian investors.

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