Daily ETF Watch: New Country-Dividend ETFs

Horizons is looking to make international dividend bets with its latest proposed offerings.

Horizons ETF Trust filed updated regulatory paperwork on its proposed trio of country-specific dividend ETFs to include fees and tickers, suggesting their launches are imminent. The funds are: the Horizons China High Dividend Yield ETF (HCHD), the Horizons Korea KOSPI 200 ETF (HKOR) and the Horizons Canada S&P/TSX 60 ETF (HCAN).

Dividend plays continue to be a major theme in 2014 as they have been in the past few years. The Federal Reserve’s newly minted Chair Janet Yellen has promised to keep short-term rates at ultra-low levels in 2014 and beyond, even as the central bank continues to taper its economic stimulus, keeping investors’ focus on alternative-income plays such as dividend-rich stocks.

Ex-U.S. high-dividend-yield ETFs, the segment that the new Horizons funds will occupy, currently have $2.5 billion in assets, according to data compiled by ETF.com.

• HCHD, the China-focused ETF, will track the Hang Seng High Dividend Yield Index, which comprises 50 constituent securities listed on the stock exchange of Hong Kong with the highest net dividend yield. It has an expense ratio of 0.55 percent, or $55 for every $10,000 invested.
• HKOR, the South Korea-focused ETF, will track the KOSPI 200 Index, a free-float-adjusted, market-capitalization-weighted index comprising 200 blue chip companies listed on the Korea Stock Market. It has an expense ratio of 0.38 percent, or $38 for every $10,000 invested.
• HCAN, the Canada-focused ETF, will track the S&P/TSX 60 Index, which comprises 60 of the largest and most liquid securities listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and selected by S&P Dow Jones Indices. It, too, has an expense ratio of 0.38 percent, or $38 for every $10,000 invested.

Filings

United States Commodity Funds has unveiled a new site whereby investors can initially get 2013 Schedule K-1 tax forms for a number of its funds. Among those are:

• United States Oil Fund (USO | A-99)
• United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG | A-78)
• United States 12 Month Oil Fund (USL | A-91)
• United States Commodity Index Fund (USCI | A-47)

The firm plans to make the tax form available for all of its remaining funds by March 7.