Here’s a look at the Brazil ETF’s two biggest holdings

Article Excerpt

Vale SA and Petrobras are the two largest holdings in the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, with a combined weight of over 30%. These companies are also among the largest companies in Brazil and rank among the top 150 on the Forbes Global 2000 list. Vale is the world’s largest producer of iron ore and a key supplier to the global steel industry. Iron ore makes up about 85% of the company’s earnings; and a base-metals division that produces nickel and copper contributes another 15%. Over the latest 12 months, the company generated $58.9 billion of revenue and $18.7 billion of profit. Vale’s financial results and share price are largely dependent on movements in the price of iron ore. The strong performance of the commodity’s price since early 2020 has provided record profits and cash flows for the company. However, Vale is still recovering from the tragic collapse of tailings dams at Samarco in 2015 and Brumadinho in 2019—by the end of 2020 Vale…