Six ETFs For The New Season Of "Locked Up Abroad"

The ETF Professor admits it: He hates reality television. That's just his opinion and he even understands why people enjoy it, but as someone who is half Italian, the Professor finds the “Jersey Shore” crew offensive. As for the Kardashians, well don't get the Professor started about them. However, the Professor is hooked on one reality show: Nat Geo's “Locked Up Aboard.” Are all the episodes nearly the same? To a certain extent, yes, but if you're into trading, surely you realize how important controlling fear and greed are, so in many ways, the jams the show's subjects find themselves in should resonate with traders because they got there because they were greedy. The new season starts tonight at 10 PM Eastern time and the Professor's DVR is set. In the meantime, if ever there was a TV show to attach a list of ETFs to, it's “Locked Up Abroad” and here's that list. iShares MSCI All Peru Capped Index Fund EPU: This one is kind of a memorial to the first episode of “Locked Abroad” that the Professor saw where an American chap got busted trying to transport narcotics out of Peru. Peru may once again prove to be a winning investment thesis, helping EPU snap out of its doldrums, and while this ETF is one investors need to be cautious with in the near-term, even better advice is don't go to jail in Peru. Seriously. Global X FTSE Colombia 20 ETF GXG and the Market Vectors Colombia ETF COLX: Just to be clear, gone are the days when Colombia was known primarily for one export, that being of an illegal variety. And to be even more clear, Colombia is and should be known for much more than that, economically speaking, these days. While it seems like almost every episode of “Locked Up Abroad” mentions Colombia in some way, usually bad, don't let that color your opinion of this booming emerging market. iShares MSCI Thailand Investable Market Index Fund THD: Thailand has been the focal point of several past episodes of “Locked Up Abroad” and while THD could be a winner again later this year, it's having its struggles in the here and now. Still, THD is a better investment than going to jail in Thailand, where drug trafficking is an offense punishable by death. IShares MSCI Mexico Investable Market Index Fund EWW and the Global X Mexico Small-Cap ETF MEXS: Try to watch two or three episodes of “Locked Up Abroad” without Mexico being mentioned. It's nearly impossible.