S&P International Holding Limited 1695

While most investors pile into the same tired S&P 500 funds, a handful of international ETFs are quietly paying yields that U.S. benchmarks cannot touch, and the differences between them could make or break your income strategy.

International small-cap stocks may continue to be discounted relative to their more popular U.S. peers, and these three ETFs can help investors capitalize.

The First Trust S&P International Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NASDAQ:FID) gives U.S. investors access to a group of non-American companies with the rarest trait in equity income: managed, stable, or rising dividends stretching back at least ten consecutive years. FID tracks the S&P International Dividend Aristocrats Index, screening for payout discipline outside the United States, and the question for income holders is whether the underlying dividends are as durable as the aristocrat label suggest

Earlier in December 2025, Helvetia Baloise Holding Ltd (SWX:HELN) was added to several major S&P indices, including the S&P Global 1200, S&P EUROPE 350, S&P EUROPE 350 Financials, and S&P EUROPE 350 Insurance, as well as the S&P International 700. This index inclusion materially raises the company’s profile with global investors and index-tracking funds, potentially broadening its shareholder base and deepening liquidity over time. We’ll now examine how Helvetia Baloise’s entry into major...