This international balanced fund is spearheaded by lead-manager Joseph DeSantis, a 20-year veteran of global investing whose team manages over $25 billion in assets.
"The foundation of the fund is stable, dividend-paying stocks, heavily weighted with utilities, telecom and consumer staples firms found in developed foreign markets.
"The remainder is sunk primarily in a portfolio of high-quality, intermediate-maturity bonds issued and backed by sovereign governments including Mexico, Brazil, Canada and New Zealand. These securities are denominated in local currencies and should continue to benefit from a weak dollar.
"To juice yields even more, the fund also writes (sells) call options on international stock indices. While this strategy can limit upside potential in a rising market, it does bring in buckets of additional cash.
"The portfolio is currently churning out steady monthly distributions of $0.146 per share, for a total payment of $1.75 per year. At the current price, that equates to a yield of 10%.
"However, shareholders have enjoyed some capital appreciation as well, with EBI posting a tidy gain of +19% in 2006 and +12% last year -- handily outpacing most other international balanced funds. And, finally, after trading at a premium last year, the fund is now available at a discounted price.
"DeSantis and his team of seasoned analysts have stayed a step ahead of their peer group, dodging the beleaguered financial sector, ducking into high-quality foreign debt, and profiting handsomely from a declining U.S. dollar.
"I like EBI's focus on high-yielding telecom and utility stocks, and its options strategy should do well in a choppy, sideways-moving market. The fund is unlikely to be a runaway chart-topper, but its defensive characteristics should appeal to more conservative investors, particularly in times of market uncertainty.
"Overall, this flexible portfolio is a good fit for investors willing to exchange a portion of their capital appreciation for a generous, dependable monthly income stream."
Ken Kam follows 70,000+ stock pickers who run virtual portfolios on Marketocracy; he looks for stocks bought by the 'best' while being sold by the 'rest'. Here's his two latest ideas.
"We've recently seen a nice assortment of stock splits," says Neil Macneale, whose 2-for-1 portfolio only include stocks announcing splits. Here's his latest buy: Graham Corp. (NYSE: GHM).
In The China Trader, editor Keith Fitz-Gerald looks at two plays in Chinese online gaming, noting, "Each has spectacular numbers in recent months and stellar growth prospects."
"Despite the expected pullback in oil, we're as bullish as ever," notes Larry Edelson, editor of Real Wealth. Here, he looks at Canadian pipeline operator, Enbridge (NYSE: ENB).
Although not yet formally recommending the ETF, fund expert Doug Fabian takes a look at the a new ETF invested in dividend-paying Middle Eastern stocks in his Making Money Alert .
Mark Skousen's latest book, “EconoPower: How a New Generation of Economists is Transforming the World” (Wiley & Sons), is available for $16.47 (plus shipping) from Amazon.com (retail price is $24.95).
Included is a discussion of the new field of behavioral finance, with economists as Richard Thaler, Robert Shiller, and Jeremy Siegel.
Global ETF expert Carl Delfeld of Chartwell Advisors is hosting a investment tour from January 26th to February 2nd, 2009. The luxury tour visits Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand plus 3 days on the Orient Express. For information, call 877-202-4939.
Sy Harding, editor of Street Smart Report, has just published Beat the Market the Easy Way -- an in-depth review of seasonal market patterns and their application to long-term timing.
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