Terry ShaunessyBMO US High Dividend Covered Call ETFZWH.TODON'T BUYJul 22, 2014
Covered Calls tend to seduce investors because of the high yields that are there, but if you look at them they also have very high fees. He tends to dissuade people from using ETF’s that have an active component or leverage using a covered call strategy. There are all sorts of balls in the air. You are taking the risk of US banks and of the option writer as well as the volatility in the market. There is also a tax issue.
A good quality holding. Depends what you are holding out of an investment. Provides more income with the covered calls. In a high growth market, you do underperform. Good for income investors.
The yield is in the 5.5%-6% range. A covered call strategy that is pretty sustainable. A group of good quality high dividend paying companies with covered call for yield enhancement. If you are bullish, you could miss out on some returns but in a sideways to down market, a prudent choice.
There is space for these ETFs for yield seekers. One of the challenges in 2020 was that dividend paying stocks did terrible relative to technology that does not pay dividends. Still likes them for conservative investors.
They are both high dividend covered call ETFs. They have underperformed compared to tech and growth stocks. If you want good dividend paying stocks, it is a fine investment for buy and hold. They only write the options on half the positions to enhance yield.
ZWE-T vs. ZWH-T. With covered calls, when you are in a slightly up or down or sideways market, the call brings in a premium and dampens the volatility. But when it is in a very strong uptrend, the covered write lops off the top of the uptrend. The upside is capped. In a sharp declined followed by a snap-back rally, the same thing applies. You should have both for covered write portfolios to increase diversification if you are going to have them.
At market bottoms you don’t want ETFs with covered calls like ZWH-T because you are giving away some of the upside. You want ZDY-T or the currency hedged version of that. CYH-T is a benchmark for world dividends. It is a Canadian dollar currency hedged ETF. TDIV-Q is a technology dividend play.
High dividend covered call strategy. These ETFs are the way to go. They have slightly lower beta and you get a much better yield. You don’t want to own these after a big sell-off.
Looking for a dividend-growth ETF in a TFSA. Depending on your age, you can put your riskier assets into a TFSA (except Bitcoin). ZWH pays a 5% yield with lots of growth.
Covered Calls tend to seduce investors because of the high yields that are there, but if you look at them they also have very high fees. He tends to dissuade people from using ETF’s that have an active component or leverage using a covered call strategy. There are all sorts of balls in the air. You are taking the risk of US banks and of the option writer as well as the volatility in the market. There is also a tax issue.