Related: Translating Intangible Assets into an Outperforming ETF Strategy
Furthermore, Compass Mineral International also has an “enviable portfolio of cost-advantaged assets.” Specifically, the firm can deliver de-icing salt at a low cost given its Goderich rock salt mine in Ontario. The company’s operations at the Great Salt Lake in Utah also avoids the costs incurred through chemical process due to its naturally occurring brine sources.
To capitalize on this cost-advantage attribute, investors can take a look at the VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (NYSEArca: MOAT), which implements Morningstar’s wide moat methodology. MOAT is up 11.6% year-to-date, compared to the 11.0% gain for the S&P 500. MOAT includes a 2.3% weight in Starbucks, 2.5% in Compass Minerals International and 2.5% in Express Scripts.
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