New exchange-traded funds may be just the ticket for jittery investors. These ETFs invest in stocks that shimmy the least. The one we like best is PowerShares S&P 500 Low Volatility Portfolio (symbol SPLV). Standard & Poor’s takes the 100 least-volatile stocks in the S&P 500 index over the previous 12 months, weights them by volatility (the less volatile a stock, the bigger its position in the specialized index) and rebalances the holdings quarterly. Note that S&P bases volatility on standard deviation, not beta.
The ETF charges just 0.25% a year and uses the simplest methodology. Since its May 2011 launch, it has garnered $1.7 billion in assets and is by far the most liquid and easily traded of the new class of ETFs. True to its low-volatility nature, its returns lagged early in 2012. Through April 5, the ETF gained 3.9%, compared with 11.8% for the S&P 500. Top holdings include utility Southern Company, Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola.
Competing funds include the Russell 1000 Low Volatility ETF (LVOL) and iShares MSCI USA Minimum Volatility Index Fund (USMV). There are low-volatility ETF options for both developed and emerging markets as well.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Some actively run mutual funds tend to gravitate toward low-volatility stocks. Our favorite is Vanguard Dividend Growth (VDIGX), a member of the Kiplinger 25. It also lagged the market early in 2012, with a year-to-date gain of 6.9%. But its long-term record is superb.
ORDER NOW: Buy Kiplinger’s Mutual Funds 2012 special issue for in-depth guidance on the only investments you need.
-
Risk Is On Again, Dow Jumps 381 Points: Stock Market TodayThe stock market started the week strong on signs the government shutdown could soon be over.
-
Does My Car Insurance Cover Rental Cars?Is it safe to decline the extra coverage car rental companies offer you when booking? Here's what you need to know.
-
Risk Is On Again, Dow Jumps 381 Points: Stock Market Today
The stock market started the week strong on signs the government shutdown could soon be over.
-
Stocks Bounce But End With Big Weekly Losses: Stock Market TodayThe stock market rout continued on Friday, but a late-day burst of buying power brought the main indexes off their session lows.
-
Risk Is Off Again, Dow Falls 397 Points: Stock Market TodayMarket participants are weighing still-solid earnings against both expectations and an increasingly opaque economic picture.
-
Stocks Rally as Investors Buy the Dip: Stock Market TodayMost sectors are "go" only a day after talk of bubbles, extended valuations and narrow breadth undermined any kind of exuberance.
-
Stocks Retreat as Bubble Worries Ramp Up: Stock Market TodayValuation concerns took hold on Wall Street today, sending Palantir and its fellow tech stocks lower.
-
Amazon Surge Sends S&P 500, Nasdaq Higher to Start November: Stock Market TodayAmazon inked a $38 billion cloud deal with OpenAI, which sent the stock to the top of the Dow Jones on Monday.
-
3 Major Changes Investors Must Prepare for in 2026A possible stock market bubble. Trump accounts. Tokenized stocks. These are just three developments investors need to be aware of in the coming months.
-
Stocks Close Out Strong Month With Solid Amazon Earnings: Stock Market TodayAmazon lifted its spending forecast as its artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives create "a massive opportunity."
