State Street Corp (NYSE: STT) has announced that its investment management arm State Street Global Advisors has launched the SPDR® S&P® International Dividend ETF (AMEX: DWX) and it began trading today.
The SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF aims to track the S&P International Dividend Opportunities Index. This index includes 100 liquid and exchange-listed stocks from around the world that offer high dividend yields.
Here are some of the qualifications:
- stocks included in this index must have a minimum total market capitalization of $1.5 billion,
- a three-month average daily value traded greater than $10 million,
- at least 300,000 shares for each of the preceding six months,
- positive 5-year earnings growth,
- profitability measured by positive earnings per share over the latest 12-month period.
This one is going to need some extra PR to get the word out if it wants to be a successful ETF. Unfortunately, its volume was to the point that it was almost Nil.
Jon C. Ogg
February 19, 2008