Latest news with #financialSector
Globe and Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
These ETFs Provide Easy Exposure to Growing International Markets
Investors have ample reason to be concerned about the future of U.S. investment vehicles—mid-May's news of Moody's downgrade of the nation's credit rating and the resultant market shake-up and the lingering threat of dramatic tariff increases chief among them. Unsurprisingly, then, many investors may be likely to increase their exposure to international markets to avoid this turbulence. For investors most accustomed to targeting U.S. securities, picking international stocks can be difficult. Fortunately, many exchange-traded funds (ETFs) make it possible to gain easy access to markets worldwide. The funds below target baskets of stocks from areas already experiencing growth or with strong potential to do so in the future. Poland's Burgeoning Industry May Help to Fuel ETF Gains [content-module:CompanyOverview|NYSEARCA:EPOL] Fresh off encouraging signs in April's industry and labor markets, Poland appears poised to break away from stagnation elsewhere in Central Europe. Its industrial production improved in April, increasing by 1.2% year-over-year (YOY) while analysts predicted a modest decline. The iShares MSCI Poland ETF (NYSEARCA: EPOL) is an ETF that may be able to capitalize on this potential. EPOL is a rare fund focused exclusively on Polish equities. Keep in mind, though, that the fund is skewed toward financial names, with about 46% of the portfolio dedicated to this sector. The ETF is also concentrated, with just 33 holdings and the largest position representing more than 15% of invested assets. Still, the strategy has paid off nicely in 2025, as the fund has returned more than 44% year-to-date (YTD). With an expense ratio of 0.60%, EPOL is priced in line with many other international funds; investors should expect to spend a bit more on these specialized ETFs compared with many U.S.-focused alternatives. Narrow Focus on Austrian Stocks, With an Emphasis on Banks [content-module:CompanyOverview|NYSEARCA:EWO] The iShares MSCI Austria Capped ETF (NYSEARCA: EWO) capitalizes on companies listed in Austria's national stock exchange. Based on the MSCI Austria IMI 25/50 Index, the exposure to individual names is theoretically capped. Given EWO's narrow portfolio of only around 20 positions, a small number of stocks still represent a large portion of assets invested. Like EPOL, nearly half of EWO's portfolio is dedicated to financials. Fortunately, the most prominent positions in EWO's basket, the major banks Erste Group and BAWAG, together accounting for more than a third of the portfolio, have thrived this year, helping to catapult EWO's returns skyward. However, for investors seeking a more diversified approach, a broader European ETF may be the better option. EWO has achieved YTD returns of nearly 36% and has an expense ratio of 0.50%. Greek Economic Recovery Can Continue to Drive Big Returns [content-module:CompanyOverview|NYSEARCA:GREK] Greece's economy has made an impressive recovery following a crisis in the late 2000s. Investors anticipating this trend to continue might consider the Global X MSCI Greece ETF (NYSEARCA: GREK). GREK is currently the only ETF available in the United States that exclusively focuses on Greek stocks. Still, like the funds above, it is narrowly focused on a basket of just 31 names, with the three most extensive holdings collectively representing close to 40% of assets. Similar to the funds above, financial names are better represented in GREK's portfolio than stocks from other sectors. A full 51% of the portfolio is dedicated to banks and related stocks. Again, though, this has paid off with impressive returns of almost 40% so far this year. GREK's expense ratio of 0.57% is also reasonable, particularly given that this fund is alone in its targeting of Greek stocks. Small-Cap Focus on the Brazilian Equities Market [content-module:CompanyOverview|NASDAQ:EWZS] The iShares MSCI Brazil Small-Cap ETF (NASDAQ: EWZS) has a somewhat different focus from the funds above in that it targets the small-cap segment of the Brazilian equities space. This may be a play for investors looking for exposure to Brazilian stocks in the consumer discretionary and financials sectors, as together these two groups account for more than a third of the portfolio. EWZS is also more diversified than the funds above, with over 70 positions and the largest holdings occupying under 6% of the portfolio. Together, this basket of stocks has achieved YTD returns of almost 34% for an expense ratio of 0.60%. Before you make your next trade, you'll want to hear this. MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. Our team has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and none of the big name stocks were on the list.
Bloomberg
22-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Egypt Makes Second Rate Cut in a Row Before Summer of Reforms
Egypt cut interest rates for the second time in as many months, seeking to boost economic growth before a likely fresh round of fiscal reforms this summer spurs renewed caution. The central bank reduced the benchmark deposit rate by 100 basis points to 24%, the Monetary Policy Committee said Thursday in a statement. The lending rate was lowered by the same amount to 25%.
Bloomberg
16-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
EU Prepares Sanctions on Third-Party Banks Supporting Russia
The European Union is working on a new sanctions package that will target the Russian financial sector in the latest effort by Ukraine's allies to place pressure on President Vladimir Putin to negotiate a peace deal to end the war. The bloc is also preparing to target third-party banks that are supporting Moscow's war effort, according to a person familiar with the details, who did not want to be named discussing matters that are not public.
Bloomberg
16-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
EU Prepares New Sanctions to Squeeze Russia's Financial Sector
The European Union is working on a new sanctions package that will target the Russian financial sector in the latest effort by Ukraine's allies to place pressure on President Vladimir Putin to negotiate a peace deal to end the war. 'We want peace and we have to increase the pressure on President Putin until he is ready for peace,' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Tirana Friday. 'And this is why we're working on a new package of sanctions.'
Fast Company
09-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Investors pull back from global equities amid U.S.-China trade concerns
Global equity funds attracted the smallest weekly inflows in four weeks in the week through May 7, amid concerns about the impact of tariffs on the global economy and as investors awaited anticipated U.S.-China trade talks for more clues. According to LSEG Lipper data, investors bought just $856 million worth of global equity funds during the week, when compared with their $6.13 billion worth of net purchases in the previous week. European equity funds witnessed robust demand for a fourth successive week with investors ploughing in a net $12.81 billion into these equity funds. Asian funds also saw a net $3.32 billion worth of inflows while in the U.S., there were outflows for a fourth consecutive week, to the tune of $16.22 billion, on a net basis. Sectoral funds, meanwhile, saw net selling for a ninth successive week, grossing approximately $2.6 billion for the week. The financial sector with $1.19 billion and the metals and mining sector with $478 million in net sales, led sectoral outflows. Global bond funds, however, gained popularity during the week as these funds saw weekly inflows totalling a net $11.4 billion, the highest in nine weeks. Dollar-denominated bond funds witnessed a revival in demand with investors allocating a net $4.33 billion to these funds, the biggest amount in eight weeks. Global short-term and high yield funds also witnessed a significant $1.91 billion and $1.29 billion worth of net purchases, respectively. Global money market funds saw a hefty $66.3 billion worth of weekly inflows, the biggest since February 5. At the same time, gold and precious metal commodity funds experienced their second weekly outflow in 13 weeks, to the tune of $655 million. Data covering 29,582 emerging market funds showed, equity funds received approximately $1.48 billion while bond funds gained a net $1.56 billion, a second successive weekly inflow in each segment.
