What do you understand by the Term ETF?

An ETF is an abbreviation of Exchange Traded Fund”. It is that type of investment that is based on the stock market. An ETF is considered to be an investment plan that can be traded on many of the stock exchanges around the world as shares. Generally, an ETF works for the  replication of a standard element within the stock exchange, such as the Standard & Poor 500 index.

exchange_traded_funds

There is a probability that an Exchange Traded Fund might also try to replicate a specific market, such as the technology market or the automotive market. On the contrary, it is possible that an ETF might try to model itself after a specific commodity such as oil or silver.

Universal Elements of an ETF

In different parts of the world the specific makeup of the ETF and the intricacies of the way that one works are defined differently. Despite of all the facts there are some universal elements of an ETF.

Firstly, an Exchange Traded Fund must posses a listing on the stock market exchange and it must be having an efficiency to trade on a ongoing basis. There is another way to recognize an ETF and that is by the way that its value is assigned. The value of an ETF has a direct relation to the value of the assets of which it is comprised.

Advantages of ETF

Some particular advantages are offered by the qualities of an ETF which, to some investors, make them more attractive as compared to traditional open-ended investments. Due to the reason that an ETF works on a diversified structure, the cost of the fund is low and so is its turnover. ETF_UMA_graph

The shares by which an Exchange Traded Fund is made are sold freely in the open market. However, generally only large investors purchase ETF shares. Although before investors cash ETF shares for the turnover, they are generally held for a long time, in order to increase their worth some aggressive hedge funds also make use of ETFs.

Most popular Exchange Traded Funds

Below is the list of some of the most popular Exchange Traded Funds along with their index symbol:

  • Standard & Poor’s 500 Index Depository Receipts (SPY:AMEX)
  • DIAMONDS Trust (DIA:AMEX)
  • iShares S & P 500 (IVV:AMEX)
  • Standard & Poor’s MidCap 400 SPDRs (MDY:AMEX)
  • iShares Russell 2000 (IWM:AMEX)
  • iShares MSCI EAFE (EFA:AMEX)
  • Total Stock Market VIPERs (VTI:AMEX)
  • iShares SmallCap 600 (IJR:AMEX)
  • Consumer Services Select Sector SPDR (XLV:AMEX)

First consider if this is the best type of investment for your financial profile, if you are interested in investing in an ETF. You should consider consulting with a financial services professional. You may want to consider some of the above funds if you decide that investing in an ETF is the right move for you.

You might also like

Basics of Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) As the corporate world is moving at faster pace, exchange traded funds are gaining a lot of popularity...
Investing Basics Before investing you should consider the following basics. These basics will help you make a better investment...
Types of Gold Fund Those Investors who are willing to make gold part of their portfolio then there are different ways in...
How to Invest in Euro’s European nations’ common currency is euro. In Forex, trading currencies fluctuate in value same like...

People who liked this Post also read

  • Forex Trading Made Easy By Electronically Traded Funds
    Electronically traded funds have provided new dimensions to the foreign exchange market. They have created an additional layer for diversification. They can be used for both in the long term and the short term. They have introduced an additional layer of ...
  • Design a Trading Plan
    It is very important to you to design a trading plan and follow it strictly to achieve a long lasting career in forex trading. An effective trading plan offers a number of benefits to forex traders. Trading plan reduces the risk of losses and increasing y...
  • Understanding Carry Trade
    Carry trade is a trading system that enables you to make profit when price remains unchanged for a longer period of time. This trading system is remarkably profitable and needs less efforts from the forex trader unlike other trading systems....
  • A Guide to the Dangers of Trading the News
    Trading the news is the best opportunity to make a considerable amount of profit. However, trading the news has its own risks that you should be aware of to make most of trading the news. These risks include wider spreads during important news events, sli...
  • How to Create a Forex Trading Plan
    If you want to design a solid trading plan that will ensure you maximum chances of success in all possible cases then first try to know yourself. Knowing yourself will help you to determine what strategies and systems are compatible with your trading prof...

This post was written by:

- who has written 208 posts on PipStory.


Contact the author

Posted on 03 December 2009

One Response to “What do you understand by the Term ETF?”

  1. MIBLUE says:

    I have good trading with forex using coaching and free alerts from: http://www.getforexalerts.com


Leave a Reply