This post is part of a 12-article feature on the best bets for investing in China. To see all the other recommendations in this special report, click here.

"When reviewing a list of top-performing ETFs over the past few months, it's not hard to discern a pattern; if a fund has China somewhere in the name, odds are good that it has screamed to the top of the charts," says Paul Tracy.

In The ETF Authority, he adds, "It seems the China growth story is now back on track." Here, he looks at the Templeton Dragon Fund (NYSE: TDF), run by Mark Mobius, a "protege of the legendary Sir John Templeton."

Continue reading Templeton Dragon (TDF): Investing with Mark Mobius

Templeton Dragon (TDF): Investing with Mark Mobius originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 10 May 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"There are signs that the credit logjam that's frozen markets around the world in recent weeks may be breaking," states global expert Keith Fitz-Gerald. In his Money Map Reporter, he suggests that investors begin scaling in to new positions in Templeton Emerging Markets Fund (NYSE: EMF).

The advisor explains, "Assuming historical relationships remain true, Asian markets, followed by South American and European markets -- in that order -- have the most to gain coming out of this crisis.

"The other thing that history shows is that deep corrections tend to turn out to have been spectacular buying opportunities in retrospect, particularly when the credit markets that drive them relax. This is usually about six months prior to recognized recoveries.

"Templeton Emerging Markets Fund is trading at a 12% discount to net asset value and offers a 16.9% yield. Fully 58.2% of its assets are concentrated in and around the Asian region, which is running the highest cash reserves as a percentage of GDP on the planet.

"We plan to scale into a position in Templeton Emerging Markets Fund over the next few months. This not only keeps our overall risk down, but it helps us average in cost effectively."

Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers a daily look at the latest market commentary and favorite stock picks and investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.

Time for Templeton? Step into Emerging Markets (EMF) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"iShares MSCI Emerging Markets (ASE: EEM) is a bet on on a short-term bottom in emerging markets," says international expert Nick Vardy in The Global Bull Market Alert.

"This recommendation is based on the belief that the initiatives of policy makers across the globe will trigger a sustained, short-term bounce between now and the end of the year.

"First, the policy responses to the global economic crisis have been both massive and coordinated. These efforts combined will ease the shortage of dollars that has ravaged emerging markets.

"Second, emerging market equities are as cheap as they have ever been. The benchmark MSCI Emerging Markets index is trading at a P/E in the single digits, down from 18.5 a year ago.

Continue reading Oversold bounce due for Emerging Markets (EEM)

Oversold bounce due for Emerging Markets (EEM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.

"The India Fund (NYSE: IFN) is our top speculative idea for 2008," says Carla Pasternak, editor of High Yield Investing. "As investors fret that a downturn in the US housing sector could cool global growth, the world's second-fastest growing major economy after China is forging ahead.

"India's economy is expanding at a rapid +9% clip, nearly double the latest growth rate put in by the US economy. It's no wonder India's benchmark Bombay Sensex Index is up 44% this year.

"And the future looks equally strong. Thanks in part to US firms outsourcing their customer service and data-processing jobs, India is seeing the rise of a new middle class. Estimated at some 300 million of the billion-plus population, India's middle class is mushrooming at a rate of about 20% a year.

"A growing consumer class with an insatiable appetite for everything from houses to TV sets, and the money to buy them -- the world's fastest-growing democracy appears to be in the early stages of a major bull market.

Continue reading Best Stocks for 2008: High yield and growth at India Fund (IFN)

Best Stocks for 2008: High yield and growth at India Fund (IFN) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.

"My favorite conservative idea for 2008 is Templeton Emerging Markets Fund (NYSE: EMF), a closed-end fund that holds the vast majority of its stocks in emerging market economies," says Carla Pasternak, editor of High Yield Investing.

"About a third of its stock holdings are in Brazil and China, two of the countries popularly known as the 'BRIC' economies (the other two are Russia and India). Led by one of the legends of emerging market investing,
Mark Mobius, EMF also goes off the beaten track to find stocks in Turkey, South Korea and Thailand.

"About a third of the portfolio stocks are in the energy sector, with another 20% in the industrials materials group such as iron ore. With energy prices and industrial commodities soaring this past year, EMF has been in the right
place at the right time.

"The same can be said of the entire emerging market sector. And since the world stock market bottom in mid-August, emerging market funds have been hot, hot, hot. These funds attracted $23 billion in capital in all of 2006, but since the last week of August have drawn more than $24 billion.

"Short term, the sage advice of Peter Lynch may ring in your ears -- Beware the hottest stock in the hottest sector.
Still, EMF shares haven't kept up with the asset growth of the fund's portfolio holdings, and the fund is trading today at an attractive discount of 10% to its net worth.

"In other words, you can scoop up a dollar's worth of stock for just 90 cents. Long-term investors willing to withstand a possible short-term pullback in the fund may want to invest at this time."

Best Stocks for 2008: Income expert votes for Templeton Emerging (EMF) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 22 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

Prudent Global Income Fund (PSAFX) is the favorite conservative idea for 2007 from Martin Weiss. The editor of Safe Money Report explains, "The dollar started falling sharply late last year, stabilized a bit this past summer, and is now getting shredded again.

"The main reasons are that we are running gigantic trade deficits month after month after month, and that we owe more to foreign creditors than at any time in history. In addition, our economy is sliding -- while others around the globe are powering ahead.

"This is a big deal in the currency world. International portfolio managers are constantly shifting funds to economies with stronger growth and higher interest rates. If U.S. rates come down a bit -- or even remains flat -- while rates overseas climb, these investors could pull out of the dollar in droves.

Continue reading Top Picks 2007: Weiss offers "Prudent" play on global income

Top Picks 2007: Weiss offers "Prudent" play on global income originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 30 Dec 2006 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.