I've been a stock market investor for more than 20 years, but I'm much more comfortable evaluating U.S. stocks than international ones -- even though there are some excellent investment opportunities outside of the major U.S. stock markets. It can be difficult to assess things like geopolitical risk, regulatory risks of foreign countries, foreign exchange risk, and more.
However, just because I don't want to buy individual international stocks doesn't mean I don't want any exposure. There are some great international stock exchange-traded funds (ETFs) you can buy, and there are two in particular that are on my radar right now.
I tend to gravitate toward value stocks and dividend growth investments in my portfolio, so an ETF like the iShares International Select Dividend ETF (NYSEMKT: IDV) seems like a natural fit. The fund focuses on developed markets, with lots of exposure to the U.K., Italy, Spain, France, and Canada, to name the largest geographical areas.
As of Aug. 26, the ETF has 123 different stocks, and it's a weighted index fund, meaning that larger companies make up more of the portfolio. Just to name a few holdings, British American Tobacco, BHP Group, and Mercedes-Benz are among the largest in the portfolio.
The iShares International Select Dividend ETF has a 0.51% expense ratio, which is certainly on the higher end for an index fund. But as a general rule, the more specialized an index fund is, the more you should expect to pay in investment expenses. Income investors may love this ETF -- it has a 6.2% dividend yield as of this writing, and plenty of upside potential over the years to come.
Lots of opportunities in emerging markets
The Vanguard Emerging Markets Index Fund ETF (NYSEMKT: VWO) is an incredibly efficient way to get exposure to stocks in emerging markets, with a rock-bottom expense ratio of just 0.08%.
This is an extremely diverse ETF with over 5,900 stocks. Almost three-fourths of the fund's holdings are based in China, India, or Taiwan, and several of the top holdings in the weighted index are well known to U.S. investors, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Tencent Holdings, and Alibaba.
Right now, emerging market stocks look like an excellent value. The average earnings growth rate of stocks owned by the ETF is 16% annualized over the past five years, and the average valuation is just 15 times earnings.
It's also worth noting that while emerging markets are often thought of as speculative investments for growth-oriented investors, that's not entirely accurate. For one thing, the Vanguard Emerging Markets ETF has a substantial 3.1% dividend yield. Plus, you might be surprised to learn that the ETF has a beta of 0.9 -- anything less than 1 indicates that an investment tends to be less volatile than the S&P 500.
Two great but very different choices
For some investors, one of these could be the obvious choice. If your priority is steady income, the iShares International Dividend ETF is likely the best fit for you, and if you're more of a deep value seeker, the Vanguard Emerging Markets ETF could be the better option.
To be clear, I don't think investors who are looking for international stock exposure will go wrong with either ETF; I'm considering both for my own portfolio. So, if you want to add some international stocks without having to choose individual companies, these are two solid choices that are worth a closer look.
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Matt Frankel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Vanguard International Equity Index Funds-Vanguard Ftse Emerging Markets ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
I Don't Want to Buy International Stocks -- but These 2 ETFs Could Be a Great Way to Get Exposure was originally published by The Motley Fool