LEADING GERMAN BONDS ETFS

Thinking of investing in Germany? You may want to integrate the following German bonds into your portfolio.

ProShares German Sovereign/Sub-Sovereign ETF

The derivative tracks the performance of Markit iBoxx EUR Germany Sovereign & Sub-Sovereign Liquid Index before expenses and fees. The benchmark index is comprised of German sovereign or sub-sovereign bonds with a rating of BB or higher. The fund invests around 58% of its assets in German bonds, while the remainder is allocated to corporate bonds issued by German private firms.

With an expense ratio of 0.45%, the modified duration is 5.8 years. Due to lower risk of default, GGOV records a 0.5% weighted average yield to maturity. The fund has also gained a -2.45% average annual return as of September 2015, as well as 7.44% average annual standard deviation over the past three years.

SPDR Barclays Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF

This fund aims to provide investment results correlated to the Barclays 1-3 Year Global Treasury ex-US Capped Index’s performance before expenses and fees. The said index is composed of government bonds released by developed nations. It invests 13% in Japanese bonds, 8.6% in Austrian bonds, and 8.5% in Canadian bonds, as well as 5% in German bonds.

This ETF allocates more than 97% of its portfolio to investment-grade sovereign bonds, which lasts for about 1.9 years. Having a 0.7% average yield, the fund has yielded -0.56% average annual return since its introduction in 2009. The BWZ, due to low duration and high credit ratings, has a 0.35% expense ratio.

Vanguard Total International Bond ETF

Also called BNDX, the instrument trails the Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Float Adjusted RIC Capped Index. The index, made up of investment grade bonds not denominated in the US dollar, also incorporates the bonds issued by the German government. Unlike other funds, this ETF employs hedging strategies to protect against currency risk.

The fund invests approximately 80% of its portfolio in international government bonds, and the remaining 20% in private fixed-income securities and minor cash holdings. With 0.18% expense ratio, one of the lowest ratios, BNDX has 20.9% allocation in Japan, 10.9% in France, and 8.5% in the United Kingdom. It also has a 3.78% annual average return.