Vanguard has launched three new exchange-traded funds tied to three of the company's international index funds.
The exchange-traded funds-Vanguard calls them
VIPERs-track Morgan Stanley Capital International's Europe Index,
Pacific Index and Emerging Markets Select Index.
The shares are respectively called the Vanguard
European VIPERs, the Vanguard Pacific VIPERs and the Vanguard Emerging
Markets VIPERs. They have expense ratios ranging from 0.18% to
0.30%, according to the company.
The MSCI Europe Index is composed of stocks from 16
European countries. The Pacific Index follows stocks of companies in
Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. The Emerging
Markets Select Index consists of stocks that can be bought free of
restrictions in 18 emerging markets in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin
America.
"With the new Pacific and European VIPERs, investors
will have-for the first time-the opportunity to invest in both of the
developed international market regions through ETFs targeting broad
benchmarks," says Gus Sauter, Vanguard's chief investment officer.