Top Picks 2007: Goodall goes global with an ETF

Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Picks Report.

MSCI EAFE Value (NYSE: EFV), an exchange-traded fund, is the top speculative selection for 2007 from Leonard Goodall, editor of No-Load Portfolios.

"More aggressive investors should give international exposure to their portfolios, and this exchange-traded fund tracks the value sector of Morgan Stanley's Europe, Australia, and Far East benchmark. Every investor today, from very conservative to very aggressive, should have an international component in their portfolio.

"This fund will enable the investor to profit from worldwide growth patterns, but the fact that it emphasizes the value stocks in the index means that it should also provide some protection against market downturns.

"Because the fund is new, it has no long-term record, but it has a one-year return of 29.9%. Investors should not buy this fund to "chase performance," nor should they expect that return in the future. Rather they would do well to add ETFs to their holdings if they want to build a balanced, well-diversified portfolio."

To see Leonard's favorite conservative ETF for 2007, click here.