iShares Global Financial ETF(AMEX:IXG)

IXG is a high-beta play on global financials, due in large part to the fund's heavier concentration versus our benchmark. Despite the fact that IXG holds many of the same stocks in its top 10 as our benchmark, its far smaller basket means that large-cap banks and insurance companies are held in greater weights. As one might expect, IXG carries an elevated beta and tilts hard toward large-caps. IXG can be traded fairly with some care. Daily volume is robust and spreads are manageable. The fund's liquid basket is good news for larger investors seeking to trade in bulk. IXG is also an incredibly Efficient fund. It recovers almost all of its already-reasonable fee, tracking its index almost perfectly. Overall, IXG is a cost-effective and reasonably liquid way to access global financials, at the expense of some added concentration.