Japan keeps overcoming its challenges

Article Excerpt

The Japanese economy ranks among the top 5 in the world and hosts some of the most profitable global corporations. The economy is, however, hamstrung by a declining and rapidly aging population. Still, an older population also present opportunities, and Japanese companies are already coming up with innovative and technology-driven aids. Here is one ETF that provides exposure to the top Japanese public companies. JP MORGAN BETABUILDERS JAPAN ETF $22.40 (New York symbol BBJP; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $3.9 billion) tracks the performance of the largest publicly listed Japanese companies. Industrial companies account for 19.6% of the fund’s assets, while Consumer Cyclical (17.6%), Technology (13.9%), Financial Services (11.6%), Consumer Defensive (8.6%) and Health care (8.2%) are other key segments. The ETF holds a large portfolio of 383 stocks; the top 10 make up only 18.0% of overall assets. Top holdings include Toyota (consumer cyclical, 4.5%), Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (financials, 1.9%), Softbank (communication, 1.7%), Takeda Pharmaceutical (healthcare, 1.7%), Sony (technology, 6.0%), and Honda (consumer cyclical,…