Market upheaval sent investors running for the hills, but a few traders are sticking around. For the more risk-tolerant individual, there are some exchange traded funds that provide targeted growth opportunities.
Michael Bowman, portfolio manager at Wickham Investment Counsel, suggests looking into casinos, buyback stocks and spin-off names, writes Tim Shufelt for The Globe and Mail.
For example, the Market Vectors Gaming ETF (NYSEArca: BJK) tracks casinos and resorts that derive at least half their revenue from gaming. U.S. companies make up a majority of the ETF’s holdings, but BJK also includes significant exposure to Macau, the gambling hub of Southeast Asia. [Gaming ETF Cools Ahead of Lunar New Year Revelry]
The PowerShares Dynamic Buyback Achievers Portfolio (NYSEArca: PKW) includes a portfolio of stocks that have reduced outstanding shares by at least 5% over the past year. Share buybacks have been a popular way for companies to utilize extra cash reserves to add value to their share price. [Float Shrink ETF Capitalizes on Market Shrinkage]
The Guggenheim Spin-Off ETF (NYSEArca: CSD) tracks companies that have “spun off” from a parent company within the past 30 days, but no older than six months. “Numerous academic studies suggest that most spinoff companies have experienced significant capital appreciation,” Bowman said. [ETFs for Your Inner Icahn]
Deborah Frame, vice president of investments at Cougar Global Investments, also suggests taking a look at small-cap companies. For instance, the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (NYSEArca: IJR) provides a exposure to the “continuing recovery of the U.S. economy,” Frame said.
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