The allure of "ex" ETFs, or those funds with names that imply
a particular sector or country is intentionally excluded, is easy
to explain. All an investor that is looking to dodge financials
or Japan needs to do is to find an ETF that is ex-financials or
ex-Japan.
Exclusionary practices used by select ETFs have proven
rewarding for investors. Consider a comparison of the WisdomTree
Dividend ex-Financials Fund (NYSE:
DTN
) and the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (NYSE:
VIG
).
Clearly, the WisdomTree Dividend ex-Financials Fund excludes
financial services stocks from its lineup. In defense of the
Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF, that fund's weight to
financials is relatively small at 6 percent, but even that small
difference contributes to a performance gap between the two
funds. In the past three months, as bank stocks have been
battered, DTN has outperformed VIG by about 70 basis points.
That is just one example, but there are other compelling "ex"
ETFs to consider.
WisdomTree Asia-Pacific ex-Japan Fund (NYSE:
AXJL
)
Taking a pass on Japanese stocks has been sound advice. In the
past year, the iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund (NYSE:
EWJ
) has slid 10.5 percent. The exclusion of Japan from AXJL's
lineup has helped the ETF drop less than 8.8 percent over the
same time.
AXJL amounts to a good news/bad news story. The good news is
it is an Asia-focused ETF that offers no exposure to Japan. The
bad news is Asia's equity markets have been punished at the hands
of the European sovereign debt crisis and investors moving away
from riskier assets. Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore account
for about half of AXJL's weight, but the other half has a
distinct emerging markets flare. That is clearly working against
the ETF in the current environment.
WisdomTree International Dividend ex-Financials Fund
(NYSE:
DOO
)
The Moody's Investors Service downgrades of 15 major global banks
reminds investors that many large-cap financial services stocks
remain controversial and beholden to substantial headline risk.
As DTN does with U.S. stocks, DOO helps investors avoid bank
stocks while gaining international exposure.
It is a plus that DOO is not heavily allocated to bank stocks,
but the fund's country exposure is problematic. The ETF features
18 countries in its lineup, but 48 percent of that weight goes to
Eurozone nations. That helps explain why DOO has only slightly
outperformed the Vanguard MSCI Europe ETF (NYSE:
VGK
) in the past 90 days.
iShares MSCI ACWI ex US Consumer Staples Sector Index
Fund (NYSE:
AXSL
)
Considering the flight to consumer staples stocks forced by the
market's risk off tenor, the iShares MSCI ACWI ex US Consumer
Staples Sector Index Fund is a fine example of an ETF that flies
under the radar. Investors have preferred more popular staples
funds such as the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (NYSE:
XLP
), a notion highlighted by the fact that AXSL is almost
two-years-old but has just $3.1 million in AUM.
Small size aside, AXSL's time to shine may be now. XLP
has been rocked by earnings warnings from a pair
of its constituents this week
. Those warnings have come courtesy of Procter & Gamble
(NYSE:
PG
) and Philip Morris (NYSE:
PM
), which combine for 23 percent of XLP's weight.
Neither of those stocks is found in AXSL, but the iShares fund
does have one negative: It is thinly traded with average daily
volume of less than 500 shares per day.
For more on "ex" ETFs, click
here
.
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