ISHARES MSCI EMERGING MARKETS INDEX FUND $46.07 - New York symbol EEM

ISHARES MSCI EMERGING MARKETS INDEX FUND $46.07 (New York symbol EEM; buy or sell through brokers), is an exchange-traded fund that aims to track the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The fund’s geographic breakdown includes: China, 18%; Brazil, 15.9%; South Korea, 13%; Taiwan, 10.4%; South Africa, 7.8%: India, 7.1%; Russia, 6.4%; Mexico, 4.4%; Malaysia, 2.8%; and Indonesia, 2.6%. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund’s top holdings are Petrobras (Brazil: energy), 3.4%; Samsung Electronics (South Korea: electronics), 2.1%; China Mobile (China: wireless), 1.6%; Vale SA (Brazil: mining), 1.6%; Gazprom (Russia: gas utility), 1.5%; Banco Itau (Brazil: banking), 1.5%; Taiwan Semiconductor (Taiwan: computer chips), 1.5%; America Movil (Brazil: wireless), 1.5%; and Infosys Technologies (India: software), 1.3%. The fund’s industry breakdown is as follows: Financials, 25.3%; Energy, 14.0%; Materials, 14.0%; Information Technology, 12.5%; Telecommunication Services, 8.2%; Industrials, 7.2%; Consumer Staples, 6.9%; Consumer Discretionary, 6.9%; Utilities, 3.5%; and Health Care, 0.9%. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund was launched on April 7, 2003. The exchange-traded fund has an expense ratio of 0.72%. The fund’s wide diversification among emerging markets tones down its risk, but emerging markets are still far more volatile and vulnerable to downturns than markets in the developed world. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund is a buy for aggressive investors.