Roads, Bridges Beget Solid Returns

As people in countries from Canada to China benefit from trillions of dollars spent on new roads, communications and water systems, carve out your share with exchange traded funds.

The SPDR FTSE/Macquarie Global Infrastructure 100 ETF(GII Quote) and the iShares S&P Global Infrastructure Index(IGF Quote) play into so-called infrastructure spending, which is "still in the very early stages," says James Clary, an analyst for the Kensington Global Infrastructure Fund(KGIAX Quote). "Going forward, infrastructure is going to be a vital part of how countries will be able to make themselves competitive."

The Macquarie and iShares funds have declined 25% and 30%, respectively, so far this year, which may make them ideal for entry, given that analysts view infrastructure spending a long-term trend. The S&P 500, in comparison, has dropped about 24 percent. Top holdings include Dominion Resources(D Quote), Duke Energy(DUK Quote), El Paso(EP Quote), Exelon(EXC Quote) and TransCanada(TRP Quote). ...