The iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (NYSEArca: EWU) is the largest ETF to track the United Kingdom, which includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. EWU is up 11.3% over the past year but has declined 5.5% year-to-date.
The First Trust United Kingdom AlphaDEX Fund (NYSEArca: FKU) provides a smart-beta play on U.K. stocks as the underlying index selects components based on factors like book value to price, cash flow to price and return on assets. FKU has gained 24.1% over the past year.
Additionally, if the British pound sterling depreciates, investors can gain exposure and hedge against the weaker currency with ETF options like WisdomTree United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund (NYSEArca: DXPS) and db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund (NYSEArca: DBUK), which are down 4.8% and down 1.5% year-to-date, respectively.
For more information on the U.K., visit our United Kingdom category.
Max Chen contributed to this article.