Top Picks 2007: Chartwell charts ETF path to China

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.

ishares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 (NYSE: FXI ), an exchange-traded fund, is the top speculative pick for 2007 from ETF expert Carl Delfeld, editor of the Chartwell ETF Advisor.

"The FTSE/Xinhua China 25 index was launched in October 2004 and has risen 55.7% year to date. The biggest sector weightings are financial services 35%, telecom 22%, energy 20%, and industrial materials 12%. China Mobile is the biggest holding at around 11% of assets; PetroChina and China Life Insurance are other strong contributors.

"While no fan of state-owned companies, I do see the argument that the Chinese government is likely to protect its 'crown jewels' and that, with the 2008 Olympics approaching, attention on China will increase commensurately. My advice for speculative investors is to buy this exchange-traded fund and maintain a 10% trailing stop loss."

To see Carl's favorite conservative idea for 2007, click here.