Topic: How To Invest

ISHARES MSCI JAPAN INDEX FUND $10.17 – New York Exchange symbol EWJ

ISHARES MSCI JAPAN INDEX FUND $10.17 (New York Exchange symbol EWJ; buy or sell through brokers; us.ishares.com) is an exchange traded fund that tries to match the return of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Japan index.

The ETF’s top holdings include Toyota, 6.1%; Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, 3.1%; Honda Motor, 2.7%; Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, 2.4%; Mizuho Financial Group, 2.2%; Canon, 1.8%; Takeda Pharmaceutical, 1.8%; Softbank Corp., 1.5%; Fanuc Corp., 1.3%; and Japan Tobacco Inc., 1.2%.

The fund’s industry breakdown is as follows: Consumer Discretionary, 20.7%; Financials, 20.1%; Industrials, 20.0%; Information Technology, 10.8%; Health Care, 6.9%; Materials, 6.6%; Consumer Staples, 6.3%; Telecommunication Services, 4.4%; Utilities, 2.6%; and Energy, 1.6%.

iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund was launched on March 12, 1996. Its expense ratio is 0.51%.

Japan’s exports will rise as the value of the Japanese yen continues to fall. The Bank of Japan, under pressure from the country’s new prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has pumped more money into Japan’s sluggish economy.

The lower yen is a big plus for Japan’s manufacturers because it makes the country’s exports more attractive to foreign buyers. Prime Minister Abe has also introduced a $117-billion stimulus package to boost the domestic economy.

iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund is a buy.

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