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International stocks now yield about twice as much as U.S. domestic stocks, says S&P's international equity strategist Alec Young, and should be in high demand during 2011 as investors weigh the effects of fiscal austerity programs in Europe such as the one recently announced in the United Kingdom and tighter monetary policy in China and other emerging markets.One asset class that Standard & Poor's Equity Research believes offers both attractive yields as well as potential for further growth is international dividend stocks.
"The fundamental outlook for international stocks is generally positive," Young says, adding "yield is going to be a key part of total return."
As of late 2010, there are about two dozen exchange traded funds (ETFs) focused on international dividend-paying companies, each with its own characteristics. They offer exposure to markets on a global, international (ex-U.S.), or regional basis, including some divided by market capitalization as well. New-York-based WisdomTree is the most prolific issuer of international dividend ETFs, with 13.
It is worth remembering that dividend ETFs, both foreign and domestic, are structured slightly differently than most other equity ETFs.
Rather than being weighted according to market cap, international dividend ETFs track indices that are weighted according to either their yield or the cash actually paid in dividends.
Several of these ETFs also screen for qualities such as dividend growth or consistency. These ETFs may have higher portfolio turnover than those tracking more static indices.
With so many choices available, Young recommends ETFs invested primarily in equities based in developed markets including Europe, Canada, and Australia.
"You're going to get a smoother ride," he said, with these ETFs than with funds invested in emerging markets.
One fund Young likes is State Street's SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF, which launched in February, 2008 and has about $327 million in assets. The fund had a yield of 3.97% as of November 23, according to State Street. It aims to replicate the performance of the 100 highest-yield stocks traded on the world's major exchanges.
On a sector basis, the fund owns mostly industrials companies, which represented about 26% of assets, followed by financials, with 22%. On a country basis, its largest holding was Spain, at about 19%, followed by France (11%), and Australia (10%).
