Any ETF recommendations for essentials?

FreeRepublic ^ | 03/28/2011 | Oshkalaboomboom

[Oshkalaboomboom]

I'm looking to diversify my portfolio into something relatively safe. I'm thinking that no matter how bad things get people are still going to need to eat. Most will still want to brush their teeth, wash their clothes and put gas in their cars or mopeds depending on how bad things get. Any low-cost mutual funds or ETFs that specialize in companies that provide bulletproof essential services? I have some Vanguard Index funds now and wouldn't mind moving some out while the market is still relatively high. Thanks.

[Darteaus94025]

Gold ETF: GLD
Agricultural ETF: MOO

[thackney]

Perhaps ammo suppliers?

[freespirited]

See if you like XLP or VDC. The latter is a vanguard etf.

I like silver, SLV.

[ChiefJayStrongbow]

I’ve gone big into Canadian based energy companies (Canada is running budget surplusses ... and better yet, Ken Salazar, Odumbo, Lisa Jackson, and company can’t regulate Canadian lands). Do your research and good luck.

[bubman]

whatever you do stay in this market for April...Good things will happen. secular bull run still running. april historically always good for the mkt

http://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-buying-stocks-2011-3

[Georgia Girl 2]

The problem is you can’t put ETF’s in your stomach or your safe. The Saudi’s have just bought up most the US wheat futures for 2012 so that means they have the right to physically take them away.

As for gold and silver in your hand is the only form of PM you should hold. ETF’s in PM have no accounting and there is a good chance none of them actually have the metal to back what they say they have. Hence the name paper silver, paper gold. This kind of like musical chairs.

[Frantzie]

If you are buying metals funds buy ones that actually hold bullion. A lot of people do not trust SLV (JP Morgan - yuck), IAU or GLD.

Look at CEF, GTU, PHYS, PSLV. All in less corrupt Canada too.

RJI (Jim Rogers intl commodity index), Power Shares DB Commodity (DBC), DBA (Agricultural), DBP-Precious Metals, DBS-Silver. DBB-Base Metals. Power Shares is Deutsche Bank and the Germans/German Banks are less corrupt than American banks or Americans.

[Frantzie]

+1

[Grampa Dave]

The link below is a good place to start:

http://wallstcheatsheet.com/trading/commodities-etfs-the-top-exchange-traded-funds-for-your-commodity-investing-list.html

We own GLD, SLV and are in out of OIL.

Other ETF’s which have been good for us since the melt down and appear to be still good: IPE, HIX, and QAI.

We got out of all mutual funds about 4 years ago. The process started with the realization that many were owned and controlled by liberals, who invested our hard earned $’s to support liberal companies like the Ny Slimes and USliesToday.

We now own only two mutual funds which are not liberal controlled/owned and did better than most in the meltdown. Their managers/owners saw the down fall of fredie and fanny and the housing market and other problems.

Those two mutual funds are: FPACX and PRPFX.

With mutual funds, you need to have and update stop loss orders. When Pelosi and Reid took over, we owned 20 ETS and had done very well. Fortunately, we had stop loss orders on all of them before the first May after P&R hit. The stop loss orders saved our butts.

I’m currently considering RJI or GCC for investments when our CDS expire or get called.

[RightGeek]

good question - will be interested in the answers you get

[JoeFromSidney]

You might be better advised to buy some of those commodities now, rather than buy the stocks of companies that sell them. You can't eat stock certificates. Nor can you eat silver or gold. Only after you've hedged against disaster should you think about investing.

[woodbutcher1963]

Or you could just buy common stock in Colgate/Palmolive or Kelloggs.

[Matchett-PI]

bttt

[Sarajevo]

My personal experience with ETF’s was that many (especially FAS/FAZ) are day trading vehicles.

[Borderline]

One that is pretty spot on to your description is DBA - PowerShares DB Agricultural fund. Top 10 Holdings in DBA net percentage assets are:

COCOA FUTURE Mar11 11.79%
SUGAR #11(WORLD) JUL11 11.36%
COFFEE ‘’C’’ FUTURE Mar11 11.34%
LIVE CATTLE FUTR FEB11 10.15%
SOYBEAN FUTURE Nov11 8.31%
CORN FUTURE Dec11 7.49%
WHEAT FUTURE(KCB) JUL11 6.15%
LEAN HOGS FUTURE FEB11 5.49%
CORN FUTURE MAR11 4.64%
SOYBEAN FUTURE JAN 11 4.48%

Kind of gives you an idea of what this ETF is all about. If you believe that agriculture production has been really lucky so far and not taken a double whammy where production fell off. Or that we might see a big increase in energy or fertilizer costs, then this might be a good choice.