International markets are starting to see some momentum. Reuters noted that the S&P Global Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index indicated the United Kingdom’s economy remains on track to exit recession upon the publication of the next official growth data. On Thursday, stocks in the British market rallied in response.
In France, MarketWatch noted that consumer prices increased 2.3% year over year in March. The country’s March inflation numbers are notably lower than February’s, which saw a 3.0% increase.
Traders and investors eager to diversify their portfolios may want to consider allocating investment into international markets. The ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG) can provide wide exposure to a number of countries around the globe.
The fund operates with a net expense ratio of 0.50%. Its underlying index uses the “Dogs of the Dow” strategy to screen its parent index, the S-Network Developed International Equity 1000 Index, and select international securities with a high dividend yield.
IDOG aims to provide investment across all 10 sectors of the market. To do so, IDOG’s index searches each of those subsets for the five securities with the highest dividend yields. These securities are equally weighted, giving investors diversified exposure to global players in each sector.
Global Exposure
While IDOG provides asset allocation to companies around the globe, some countries hold greater weight than others. The ETF’s top two countries are the United Kingdom and France, together representing nearly 25% of assets held. With the economies of both the United Kingdom and France gaining steam, IDOG can provide investors with momentum while maintaining an investment presence in numerous countries around the world.
The fund is seeing strong returns in both the near term and long term. It recorded a one-month return of 2.99% and is up 12.76% over the last 12 months. Over the last three months, IDOG has seen more than $20 million in net flows, contributing to an AUM of $269.4 million.
ALPS currently has 19 ETFs listed in the United States. These funds collectively represent more than $4.6 billion in assets under management.
VettaFi LLC (“VettaFi”) is the index provider for IDOG, for which it receives an index licensing fee. However, IDOG is not issued, sponsored, endorsed, or sold by VettaFi, and VettaFi has no obligation or liability in connection with the issuance, administration, marketing, or trading of IDOG.
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