Friday February 22, 2008
"We've tracked the water industry for a while and it's crystal clear it is an area we want to dive into," says Toby Smith in ChangeWave Investing. Here, he looks at a water-focused ETF.
"Water is often taken for granted, but that is changing. A combination of global economic growth and years of neglect are leading to a tidal wave of demand for water infrastructure and various technologies.
"It's forecasted that by 2025, almost two-thirds of the global population will live in countries where water will be a scarce commodity. Climate change could exacerbate the problem. Clearly, water issues cross all boundaries.
The water industry combines the best attributes of a good defensive strategy coupled with numerous 'offensive' plays. From a growth perspective, spending on water projects at all levels is on the upswing due to years of infrastructure neglect and under-investment.
"One great way for all investors to participate is by investing in an ETF with a water focus, such as PowerShares Water Resources (NYSE: PHO).
"The beauty of this water ETF is that it gives us exposure to each of the companies that were highest rated in our survey (comprising approximately one-third of the PHO holdings).
"PHO also has a well-balanced portfolio, with no single stock representing more that 4% of the total. IN our view, it's clear that the water industry will see above-average growth well into the future."
