Topic: How To Invest

ISHARES MSCI BRAZIL INDEX FUND $77.55 – New York Exchange symbol EWZ

ISHARES MSCI BRAZIL INDEX FUND $77.55 (New York Exchange symbol EWZ; buy or sell through brokers), is an exchange-traded fund that is designed to track the Brazilian stock market.

The fund’s top holdings are Petrobras preferred shares (energy), 10.3%; Cia Vale do Rio Doce (mining) preferred, 9.8%; Itau Unibanco Multiplo SA (banking), 9.2%; Petrobras common, 8.2%; Cia Vale do Rio Doce common, 7.2%; Banco Bradesco preferred (banking), 5.1%; Cia de Bebidas das Americas preferred (beer and other beverages), 3.5%; Itausa-Investimentos Itau (conglomerate), 3.1%; OGX Petroleo e Gas Patricipa (energy), 2.6%; and BM&F Bovespa (Brazilian stock exchange), 2.6%.

The ETF’s industry breakdown is as follows: Materials, 25.4%; Financials, 25.0%; Energy, 21.9%; Consumer Staples, 9.1%; Utilities, 5.3%; Consumer Discretionary, 4.8%; Industrials, 3.4%; Telecommunication Services, 2.6%; and Information Technology, 1.7%. The fund has an expense ratio of 0.61%.

iShares MSCI Brazil Index Fund’s concentration in certain stocks, such as Petrobras and Cia Vale do Rio Doce, adds risk, as does its focus on the Resource sector. However, both stocks are among the highest-quality Brazilian companies available for investors, and both serve growing markets. Brazil’s economy is forecast to grow at a rate of 4.1% in 2011.

iShares MSCI Brazil is a buy for safety-conscious investors willing to accept some risk.

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