The surf is up for Exchange Traded Funds: these Web sites offer a wealth of information on Exchange Traded Funds

The World Wide Web has truly democratized information. However, trying to find specific information on the Internet is like trying to get a glass of water from a fire hose. Overwhelming! Today the trick has become, "How do I find what I need to know in the least possible time." Searching for investment research online is no different. If you know where to look, your PC can bring vast quantities of relevant data within your grasp and save you a great deal of time. Hopefully, this month's column can help you accomplish both.

Investment information and the internet are an especially great partnership because both are dynamic and necessitate real time access and updates. If you are looking for an excellent general reference guide for investors, I heartily recommend The Online Investor's Companion: 50 Essential Web Sites (2002, Rob Carrick, John Wiley and Sons). Much of the information sourced for The New Investment Frontier: A Guide to Exchange Traded Funds for Canadians came from some excellent Web Sites as well. Below, listed in alphabetical order, are some of my favourite ETF-related addresses, along with a brief description.

Index Providers

www.barra.com. Detailed information about the S&P/Barra family of indices. www.indexes.dowjones.com. Composition information, intra-day updates and historical data on the Dow Jones series of averages and indexes.

www.msci.com. Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) indices are international benchmarks widely used by global portfolio managers.

www.russell.com/us/indexes. The Frank Russell family of broad-market and equity style indexes.

www.spglobal.com. Standard & Poor's global indices coverage including methodology, news and index changes.

General Information

www.indexfunds.com. Comprehensive site covering indexing and facts and data for every available ETF.

www.morningstar.com. Includes an ETF center with news, commentary and research.

Products

www.iunits.com. Canadian ETF family managed by Barclays Global Investors Canada Limited.

www.ishares.com. Information on over 75 U.S.-listed ETEs offered by Barclays Global Investors.

www.holdrs.com. HOLDR are securities that represent an investor's ownership in the common stock or ADRs of specified companies in a particular industry, sector or group (Merrill Lynch product).

www.spdrindex.com. Data on select Sector SPDRs (Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts), which unbundle the S&P 500 stock index into nine economic sectors.

www.streettracks.com. Provides information on State Street Global Advisors' (SSgA) lineup of ETFs.

www.tdetf.com. TD Asset Management presently offers four Canadian- based ETFs.

Stock Exchanges

www.amex.com. The American Stock Exchange's Web site provides information on all AMEX-listed ETFs, plus quotes and graphing tools.

www.tse.com Toronto Stock Exchange Web site: currently home to all Canadian-listed ETFs. A proposed ETF section is coming soon.

There are obviously more useful ETF Web sites that I have omitted due to space. For a more comprehensive list, go to www.iunits.com and look under "For Advisors." If you run across a new site or find a refurbished one that merits attention, please send me an email: [email protected]. Happy surfing!

Howard Atkinson, CFA, CIMA, is author (with D. Green) of The New Investment Frontier: A Guide to Exchange Traded Funds for Canadians. He is also the National iUnits Marketing Manager at Barclays Global Investors Canada, Ltd. Phone 416-594-4404.

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