Stylish Phones Keep Up Telecommunications ETF

September 18, 2007 at 11:06 am by Tom Lydon

The iShares S&P Global Telecommunications (IXP) exchange traded fund (ETF) has weathered volatile market storms better than many other ETFs, thanks to its trendy phones. It hasn’t dropped below its long-term trend line all year and is up 15.9% year-to-date.

It’s largest holding, AT&T (T) at 16.7%, has had an excellent year thanks to its partnership with Apple (AAPL) on the launch of its popular iPhone. The iPhone is about to debut in the U.K., but this time Apple will partner with O2, a subsidiary of Spain’s Telefonica, according to Daniel Del’Re for TheStreet.com. Telefonica is the third largest holding in IXP at 8.3%. If the iPhone’s success here in the U.S. is any indication of performance, Telefonica and IXP could see an increase correlated to the U.K launch.

IXP’s third largest holding, Verizon (VZ) at 8.2%, also has had an impressive year. The company says it has sold more than 3.4 million Chocolate by LG phones since its launch last summer, according to Steve Goldstein for MarketWatch.