iShares, the exchange traded fund unit of BlackRock, has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to launch three new emerging market ETFs, including a fund tracking dividend payers.
For investors who can stomach more risk, there are exchange traded funds that invest in emerging markets and seek to provide a dividend stream on the side. [Emerging Market Dividend ETFs]
The new ETFs proposed from BlackRock are the iShares MSCI Vietnam Investable Market Index Fund, the iShares Emerging Market Dividend Fund and the iShares MSCI Frontier Emerging Markets Select Index Fund , Benzinga reports. [Emerging Markets ETFs Submerged in Risk-off Trend]
The ETF structure will allow investors to gain exposure to the growth in frontier market countries without the risk of putting a lot of capital into one sector or country. This will help quell the geopolitical risk factor that is associated with emerging market investing. [Emerging Asia ETFs]
The risks of frontier market investing include political and economic instability that occurs in these nations. Dividend payouts and overseas tax distributions should also be considered. [Vietnam ETF Down On Year]
Dividend ETFs have been a popular investment theme this year due to the low yield economic conditions. Investors have been seeking out any possible yield for return on their capital and dividends have been more rewarding than the 10-year Treasury note. Emerging market dividends have offered investors a way to gain yield while getting international exposure for better portfolio diversification. [Emerging Market Dividend ETFs]
Key factors that investors should acknowledge before investing in a frontier market ETF are the possible return on investment, the volatility of the pool of stocks and the cost or expense ratio, which takes away from principle.
Tisha Guerrero contributed to this article.