The Big Picture for the Week of August 21, 2011

One of my favorite SNL skits is the more cowbell bit from about ten years ago. While the entire skit is gold, one line that cracks me up is when Bruce Dickinson, yes the Bruce Dickinson, tells Gene to really explore the space.

With that in mind I thought it would be an interesting thought exercise to build core and really explore portfolio at the sector level.

Tech Sector:
PowerShares Dynamic Technology Portfolio PTF
Mail Ru Group GDR (MLRUY) a Russian Internet company, not available at many brokers

Financials:
Canadian and Scandinavian Bank ETF (I made this one up)
JSE Limited (JSEJF) the stock exchange of South Africa



Energy:
Energy Sector SPDR (XLE)
MOL Oil & Gas (MGYOY) big oil in Hungary

Healthcare:
iShares DJ US Healthcare ETF (IYH)
Bumrungrad Hospital (BUGDF) a medical tourism stock

Staples:
Staples Sector SPDR (XLP)
NZ Farming Systems Uruguay

Discretionary:
First Trust Consumer Discretionary AlphaDEX Fund (FXD)
Gol Linhas Air (GOL) an airline in Brazil

Industrials:
SPDR S&P International Industrial Sector ETF (IPN)
PT United Tractor (PUTKY) Indonesian company, similar to Caterpillar

Materials:
PowerShares Dynamic Basic Materials Portfolio (PYZ)
New Britain Palm Oil (NBPOF) plantations in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands

Utilities:
Utilities Sector SPDR (XLU)
RusHydro (RSHYY) Russian hydroelectric company, pinksheets.com shows no volume Google does

Telecom:
S&P Telecom Sector ETF (XTL) does not own ma-bell telecom
Nortel Networks Netas Teleko it is an equipment manufacturer, there is no US symbol but most brokerages should be able to trade it.

I have no disclosures so if you add one plus one and get 11 that is your own issue. There are a lot of odd little companies out there and while they are not going to be realistic additions to too many portfolios but it makes for an interesting discussion and might get people to look a little further under the hood of any specialized ETFs they might own.

Animal check; one grizzly bear, more buffalo and elk than can be counted, a wolf (upon close up of Joellyn's picture the wolf had something in its mouth), a couple of other things but no moose yet. To the reader who said go on the Beartooth Highway, thank you! That turned out to be a great tip.