Exchange-traded funds offer a convenient way to invest in sectors or niches that interest you. If you expect demand for consumer staples to keep growing as our population grows, the First Trust Consumer Staples AlphaDEX ETF
The basics
ETFs often sport lower expense ratios than their mutual fund cousins. The Consumer Staples ETF's expense ratio -- its annual fee -- is 0.7%. That's a bit higher than many ETFs, but still much lower than the typical stock mutual fund.
This ETF has performed reasonably well, having beaten the S&P 500 over the past three years, on average. The fund is still young, though. As with most investments, of course, we can't expect outstanding performances in every quarter or year. Investors with conviction need to wait for their holdings to deliver.
What's in it?
Several of this ETF's components made strong contributions to its performance over the past year. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Other companies didn't add as much to the ETF's returns last year, but could have an effect in the years to come. Food distribution giant Sysco
Walgreen
The big picture
Demand for consumer staples isn't going away anytime soon. (That's why they're staples.) A well-chosen ETF can grant you instant diversification across any industry or group of companies -- and make investing in and profiting from it that much easier.
Learn about the best dividend ETFs. And if you're looking for some great investments beyond ETFs, consider these 10 stocks for your retirement portfolio.