Larry Berman CFA, CMT, CTAiShares CNX Nifty IndiaXID.TOWAITMay 04, 2015

Probably one of the larger ones out there. MER is a bit up there at 99 bps. 

He'd rather approach the EMs as a whole, rather than just an individual country -- there's a high propensity for volatility and returns are dispersed. Look at ZEM.

Likes the idea of India, as more than half its population is under the age of 30. If they ever get their infrastructure efforts in gear, then they can grow their economy a whole lot faster than NA. The opportunity is definitely there. 

First thing to look at are the holdings. XID is "an index of an index", which is the iShares India 50. With ZID, you get the actual companies. Next thing to look at are the fees. MER of XID is 1%, for ZID it's 0.72%. So on his quick perusal, ZID is the better of the two -- it's cheaper, and you get better diversification.

Tons of ETFs in emerging markets, and one of the areas you should be focused on. If he could have a fourth Top Pick, this area is an exceptional place to be looking. EM's currencies and stock markets will do well with a weaker USD (a goal of the US administration).

Excellent product, that will continue to hold. Very good performance of Indian economy. Would recommend a small portion to balance portfolio. Large tech advances in the Indian economy. Excellent compliment to North American equities. 

India has been an amazing growth story, attracting enormous interest. India ETFs in Canada and US tend to be more expensive. Legacy product from iShares, but expensive.

He has very little EM exposure. But compared to developed markets, EMs have gotten very cheap on valuation and price. Likes EMs, and India is one of the leaders in that space. This ETF has performed well, up 21% in past year.

Note that you can buy a similar ETF, INDA, in USD for a cheaper MER.

Good product to get exposure to India stock markets. Helps get emerging markets performance as well. Relatively safe product. Would recommend buying. 

India surpassing China as most populous country. 
English speaking with Western influence.
Rebellion against China - will see investment from West.
Good for international exposure. 

VEE vs. XID VEE covers EM. XID: India has a young working population who speak English. India fits well into global commerce. If they build their infrastructure, India will do well. Problem is, everyone knows India's long-term story and already have high expectations. India has been underperforming the past year, so he wants to see India cheaper and offer better performance before stepping in. Wait. Look at SCIF for India small-caps For EM, focus on Asian EMs, so go with GMF-N instead of VEE.

XID vs VEE (India vs. EM) VEE is Asia-ex Japan. It contains some major India stocks, plus Korea and China. With XID, you're making a country call. Do you know something about India that the world does not? He is not a country allocator. Take a look at Forstrong ETFs (https://www.forstrong.com/) who actively manage and you need that if you're so country-specific.

XID-T vs. ZID-T. A Difference in Tax Treatment? With a Canadian based ETF holding US ETFs subject to US withholding tax you can get double withholdings. He suggests asking the ETF provider what the tax consequences are for holding their funds in your Canadian account.

(A Top Pick May 2/16. Up 38%.) A great way to get access to the growing middle class in India.