Foreign Utility Funds:
There are NO mutual funds that invest exclusively in foreign utilities.
However there are a few domestic utility mutual funds that have a high percentage of portfolio exposure to foreign utilities. So if you want to invest in utilities abroad, this may be an option.
The following are some of those mutual funds:
1.Eaton Vance Utilities/ Dividend Builder A (EVTMX) - Has plenty of foreign exposure. A few months ago had some 40% on foreign utilities.
2.MFS Utilities Fund/I (MMUFX) - Had some 31% of portfolio in foreign utilities
3.AllianceBern Utility Income Adv (AUIYX) - Has some exposure to foreign utilities
Other mutual funds for review:
4. Franklin Custodian Fds:Utilities Series/Adv - FRUAX
5. Jennison Utility Fund - PRUZX
6. FBR Gas Utility Index Fund - GASFX
7. ProFunds:Utilities Ultrasector/Inv - UTPIX
8. American Century Utilities Inv - BULIX
Another option is to invest via ETFs. There are two ETFs in the market that concentrate on utilities in other countries. They are :
1. iShares S&P Global Utilities Index Fund - JXI
This utility ETF has an asset base of $175 M and an yield of 9.27%. The expense ratio is 0.48%. Portfolio has some 68 stocks and the German utility giant EON AG is the largest holding.
The ETF has US utilities as well.Last year the fund returned just over 22% and the 5 year average annual return is over 26%.
More info. on this ETF can be found here:
http://www.ishares.com/product_info/fund/returns/JXI.htm
This ETF is a STRONG BUY now.The ETF has fallen from over $72 to the current price of $62+.
2. WisdomTree International Utilities Sector Fund - DBU
This one has assets of over $32 M. The big European countries of Spain,France, Germany, Italy and UK form the majority in the portfolio.
Links:
http://adruniverse.blogspot.com/2008/01/global-sector-mutual-funds-part-i.h
tml
A list of such stocks can be found here:
http://www.topforeignstocks.com/Hi-Yield-Portfolio-Utilities.htm
The above site has Canadian utility stocks listed in NYSE,
ADRs of European Utilities, Brazilian utilities etc.
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