Japan continues to overcome its challenges

Article Excerpt

The Japanese economy ranks third in the world and hosts some of the most-profitable global corporations. The economy is, however, facing a declining and rapidly aging population. (See box next page.) Still, an older population also presents opportunities, and Japanese companies are already coming up with innovative and technology-driven aids for the elderly. That technological drive helps Japan remain a leading exporter of high-profit products. Here is one ETF that provides exposure to the top Japanese public companies. JP MORGAN BETABUILDERS JAPAN ETF $57.58 (New York symbol BBJP; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $12.8 billion) tracks the performance of the largest publicly listed Japanese companies. Industrial companies account for 24% of its assets, while Financial Services (18%), Consumer Cyclical (17%), Technology (17%), Healthcare (8%), and Basic Materials (6%) are other key segments. The ETF holds a large portfolio of 224 stocks; the top 10 holdings make up 26% of its assets. They include Toyota (Consumer Cyclical, 5.4%), Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (Financials, 3.2%), Sony (Technology, 2.5%), Hitachi…