EFT's

[DOGS THAT BARK]

Have a few of these eft's myself but in viewing last column 3 year return on EFT's would say most eft's would not be in the --"buy and forget" catagory.Just eyeballing would say 75% of etfs have been losers over last 3 years.

http://finance.yahoo.com/etf/browser/mkt?c=0&k=8&f=0&o=d&cs=1&ce=1017

 

[selkirk]

DTB no one should buy and forget and I shudder when I hear someone say buy and hold for the next 10 years ++++.

the etf list does have some leveraged etfs 2X, 3X, these are meant for a day, or week, month or two at most. and for most investors a complete avoid.

the other have narrow markets they follow a sector or country that are dominated by a few securities.

thanks
selkirk

 

[selkirk]

I remember at one time looked at Finland, Nokia was 60% of the index.

In Canada an average investor could buy XIU, for the TSX stock market, and XBB for the cdn. bond index, these can be tweaked XSB short term bond fund is probably better, and claymore has a US junk bond fund where divs are treated better than the ishare product, but still xiu and xbb 60/40 would have got you 8-10% on average the last ten years.

thanks
selkirk

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

I remember at one time looked at Finland, Nokia was 60% of the index.

In Canada an average investor could buy XIU, for the TSX stock market, and XBB for the cdn. bond index, these can be tweaked XSB short term bond fund is probably better, and claymore has a US junk bond fund where divs are treated better than the ishare product, but still xiu and xbb 60/40 would have got you 8-10% on average the last ten years.

thanks
selkirk

I'd take 8-10% for rest of life --and be happy as a lark.

I went with a few eft's starting 3rd quarter of 09 when when I reduced stock positions dramatically.

Largest position-
TIP has returned 3.87% since 8-31-09
--which is on track for 5% annual return--and satisfied with that if it holds. Still enjoy trading stocks and portfilio has same stocks just smaller share amounts. Still over weight in natural resources--but everything I like just seems to be related somehow. Still have lots of China stocks most related to chinese consumption and not exports. Strange times on emerging market stocks--you can have stock report amazing earnings one day--and price movement next day will reflect general market vs individual stock.

 

[selkirk]

yes many stock move in the same direction, the markets are very volatile, there base metal stocks that can run up 5-10% in a couple of days and then fall back that amount or more, same as energy.

what took weeks, or days, now takes a day or two, or even hours.

my biggest surprise is that during a sharp sell off usually defensive util stocks would hold up well, and yes sometimes even go up.

trp, enb fts.
made a presentaion about fts on toronto to my shareclub this month...that it would be a good stock to hold and yes even a long term holding...

below 25 22-25, then over 27..anyways the prevous day fell almost 2% so maybe in a day or two can buy it....are people in bc and Newfoundland (growing economies) not going to pay their gas bill.

if things go on sale will buy, though slowly.

thanks
selkirk