Two new exchange traded funds from iShares Canada will give Canadian investors exposure to international investing opportunities, the company announced on Wednesday.

The iShares ETF business, a division of Barclays Global Investors Canada Ltd, is launching two new funds: the iShares CDN MSCI World Index Fund (XWD) and the iShares CDN MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund (XEM).

Both new funds began trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Wednesday.

“Investors are looking for better ways to gain exposure to international opportunities,” said Heather Pelant, head of iShares, BGI Canada. “These funds stand above and apart from others because they enable investors to access foreign markets while avoiding the currency and estate tax considerations usually associated with U.S.-listed ETFs.”

The iShares CDN MSCI World Index Fund (XWD) has a management expense ratio of 0.45%. The fund provides long-term capital growth by replicating, as closely as possible, the performance of the MSCI World Index, net of expenses. The MSCI World Index provides exposure to more than 1,500 stocks from 23 developed markets around the globe.

The iShares CDN MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund (XEM) provides long-term capital growth by replicating, as closely as possible, the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets index, net of expenses. It has a management expense ratio of 0.82%.

IE