Topic: How To Invest

ISHARES MSCI JAPAN INDEX FUND $11.93 – New York Exchange symbol EWJ

ISHARES MSCI JAPAN INDEX FUND $11.93 (New York Exchange symbol EWJ; buy or sell through brokers; us.ishares.com) is an ETF that tries to match the return of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Japan index.

The fund’s top holdings include Toyota, 5.8%; Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, 2.8%; Softbank Corp., 2.4%; Honda Motor, 2.0%; Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, 1.9%; Mizuho Financial Group, 1.6%; Japan Tobacco, 1.4%; Hitachi, 1.4%; Canon, 1.4%; and Takeda Pharmaceutical, 1.3%.

The fund’s industry breakdown includes: Consumer Discretionary, 20.5%; Financials, 20.1%; Industrials, 19.9%; Information Technology, 10.9%; Consumer Staples, 6.8%; Health Care, 6.2%; Materials, 5.7%; Telecommunication Services, 5.6%; Utilities, 2.4%; and Energy, 1.3%.

iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund was launched on March 12, 1996. Its expense ratio is 0.50%. The fund continues to benefit from a lower yen. Under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s so-called “Abenomics” strategy, the Bank of Japan is pumping more money into the country’s economy, which is why the yen is down to a seven-month low. As a result, many Japanese manufacturers are exporting more goods. The government raised the sales tax to 8% from 5% on April 1, 2014. However, its ongoing $182- billion stimulus package is helping offset the resulting fall in consumer spending.

iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund is a buy.

Comments

Tell Us What YOU Think

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Please be respectful with your comments and help us keep this an area that everyone can enjoy. If you believe a comment is abusive or otherwise violates our Terms of Use, please click here to report it to the administrator.