ishares
ISHARES MSCI AUSTRALIA ETF $18.19 (New York symbol EWA; buy or sell through brokers) is an ETF that holds the 71 largest Australian stocks.
The fund’s top holdings include Commonwealth Bank of Australia, 11.3%; Westpac Banking Corp., 8.6%; National Australia Bank, 7.2%; BHP Billiton, 7.2%; Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, 6.9%; Wesfarmers, 4.1%; and CSL Ltd., 3.9%.
The iShares MSCI Australia ETF was launched on March 12, 1996. It has a 0.48% expense ratio.
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The fund’s top holdings include Commonwealth Bank of Australia, 11.3%; Westpac Banking Corp., 8.6%; National Australia Bank, 7.2%; BHP Billiton, 7.2%; Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, 6.9%; Wesfarmers, 4.1%; and CSL Ltd., 3.9%.
The iShares MSCI Australia ETF was launched on March 12, 1996. It has a 0.48% expense ratio.
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ISHARES MSCI CHILE INVESTABLE MARKET INDEX FUND $34.71 (New York symbol ECH; buy or sell through brokers) is an ETF that aims to track the MSCI Chile Investable Market Index, which consists of stocks that mainly trade on the Santiago Stock Exchange.
The fund’s top holdings are Enersis SA (electricity), 10.5%; Empresas Copec SA (conglomerate), 8.6%; Empresa Nacional de Electricidad (electricity), 7.8%; Empresas CMPC (pulp and paper), 6.4%; S.A.C.I. Falabella (retail), 6.3%; Banco Santander Chile (banking), 6.0%; Banco de Chile, 5.0%; Colbun SA (utility), 4.4%; Cencosud SA (retailer), 4.2%; and LATAM Airlines, 3.4%.
The ETF’s industry breakdown consists of Utilities, 30.7%; Financials, 19.3%; Materials, 12.3%; Consumer Staples, 9.4%; Energy, 8.4%; Consumer Discretionary, 7.8%; Industrials, 6.8%; Telecommunications, 2.6%; and Information Technology, 2.0%.
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The fund’s top holdings are Enersis SA (electricity), 10.5%; Empresas Copec SA (conglomerate), 8.6%; Empresa Nacional de Electricidad (electricity), 7.8%; Empresas CMPC (pulp and paper), 6.4%; S.A.C.I. Falabella (retail), 6.3%; Banco Santander Chile (banking), 6.0%; Banco de Chile, 5.0%; Colbun SA (utility), 4.4%; Cencosud SA (retailer), 4.2%; and LATAM Airlines, 3.4%.
The ETF’s industry breakdown consists of Utilities, 30.7%; Financials, 19.3%; Materials, 12.3%; Consumer Staples, 9.4%; Energy, 8.4%; Consumer Discretionary, 7.8%; Industrials, 6.8%; Telecommunications, 2.6%; and Information Technology, 2.0%.
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ISHARES MSCI GERMANY FUND $26.05 (New York symbol EWG; buy or sell through brokers) tracks the stocks in the MSCI Germany Index. This index aims to replicate 85% of the market capitalization of the German stock market. The remaining 15% is unavailable for investment, partly due to limitations on foreign ownership.
The ETF’s top holdings are Bayer (diversified chemicals), 10.1%; Daimler (autos), 7.1%; Siemens (engineering conglomerate), 7.1%; BASF (chemicals), 6.7%; Allianz (insurance), 6.5%; SAP (software), 6.0%; Deutsche Telekom, 4.9%; Deutsche Bank AG, 3.7%; Linde AG (industrial gases), 2.9%; Munich Reinsurance, 2.9%; Volkswagen AG, 2.8%; BMW AG, 2.8%; Fresenius (health care), 2.4%; and Deutsche Post, 2.4%.
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ISHARES MSCI SOUTH KOREA INDEX FUND $47.66 (New York symbol EWY; buy or sell through brokers) aims to track the MSCI Korea Index.
The ETF’s top holdings are Samsung Electronics, 19.1%; Hyundai Motor, 3.8%; SK Hynix Semiconductor, 3.7%; Shinhan Financial, 3.0%; KB Financial, 2.4%; Hyundai Mobis (auto parts), 2.4%; Naver (Internet), 2.4%; Korea Electric Power, 2.2%; Kia Motors, 2.2%; Posco (steel), 2.2%; Korea Electric Power, 2.2%; KT&G Corp. (tobacco), 2.0%; and AmorePacific Corp. (cosmetics), 2.0%;
The iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund was launched on May 9, 2000. Its expense ratio is 0.62%.
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The ETF’s top holdings are Samsung Electronics, 19.1%; Hyundai Motor, 3.8%; SK Hynix Semiconductor, 3.7%; Shinhan Financial, 3.0%; KB Financial, 2.4%; Hyundai Mobis (auto parts), 2.4%; Naver (Internet), 2.4%; Korea Electric Power, 2.2%; Kia Motors, 2.2%; Posco (steel), 2.2%; Korea Electric Power, 2.2%; KT&G Corp. (tobacco), 2.0%; and AmorePacific Corp. (cosmetics), 2.0%;
The iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund was launched on May 9, 2000. Its expense ratio is 0.62%.
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ISHARES MSCI EMERGING MARKETS INDEX FUND $33.05 (New York symbol EEM; buy or sell through brokers) aims to track the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.
The fund’s geographic breakdown includes China, 23.0%; South Korea, 14.7%; Taiwan, 12.3%; India, 8.4%; South Africa, 8.1%; Brazil, 6.9%; Mexico, 4.8%; Russia, 3.9%; Malaysia, 3.1%; Indonesia, 2.4%; Thailand, 2.2%; and Poland, 1.6%.
Its top holdings are Samsung Electronics (South Korea), 3.0%; Taiwan Semiconductor (computer chips), 2.8%; Tencent Holdings (China: Internet), 2.5%; China Mobile, 2.1%; China Construction Bank, 1.7%; Naspers (South Africa: media and Internet), 1.5%; Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, 1.3%; Bank of China, 1.1%; and Hon Hai Precision Industry (Taiwan), 1.1%.
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The fund’s geographic breakdown includes China, 23.0%; South Korea, 14.7%; Taiwan, 12.3%; India, 8.4%; South Africa, 8.1%; Brazil, 6.9%; Mexico, 4.8%; Russia, 3.9%; Malaysia, 3.1%; Indonesia, 2.4%; Thailand, 2.2%; and Poland, 1.6%.
Its top holdings are Samsung Electronics (South Korea), 3.0%; Taiwan Semiconductor (computer chips), 2.8%; Tencent Holdings (China: Internet), 2.5%; China Mobile, 2.1%; China Construction Bank, 1.7%; Naspers (South Africa: media and Internet), 1.5%; Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, 1.3%; Bank of China, 1.1%; and Hon Hai Precision Industry (Taiwan), 1.1%.
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We think conservative investors could hold up to 10% of their portfolios in foreign stocks. One way to do that is to buy carefully chosen exchange traded funds (ETFs) that have an overseas focus. The best ETFs offer very low management fees and well-diversified, tax-efficient portfolios of highquality stocks. Here’s a look at five international ETFs:...
ISHARES MSCI EMERGING MARKETS EASTERN EUROPE INDEX FUND (formerly New York symbol ESR) has been closed by BlackRock, which manages the iShares funds. Investors were sent a final distribution of the fund’s net asset value, $16.17 per unit, on August 28, 2015. The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Eastern Europe Index Fund had two-thirds of its assets invested in Russia, including stocks of major Russian firms, such as gas utility Gazprom, oil producer Lukoil and retailer Magnit PJSC. Investor interest in the fund waned after Russia’s currency, the ruble, dropped to nearrecord lows against the U.S. dollar. The ruble’s fall comes in the wake of falling prices for oil and other commodities and Western sanctions after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine....
We have changed our recommendations on these four ETFs from buy to hold: ISHARES MSCI BRAZIL INDEX FUND $23.94 (New York symbol EWZ) is an ETF that’s designed to track the Brazilian stock market. ISHARES CHINA LARGE-CAP ETF $34.67 (New York symbol FXI) is an exchange traded fund that aims to track the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) China 50 Index, which is made up of the 50 largest, most liquid Chinese stocks....
The Bank of Canada cut its key interest rate to 0.50% from 0.75% in July 2015. The move came after the bank dropped its 2015 growth forecast for the Canadian economy to 1.1% from 2.0%. The cut partly reflects falling prices for oil and other commodities. Even so, the long-term outlook is for higher interest rates. That’s because heavy deficit spending and the expansion of the money supply in the past few years make higher inflation more likely. We continue to advise against investing in bonds right now. That’s because today’s low interest rates make bonds unattractive, and rising rates would push down their future value....
ISHARES CDN REIT SECTOR INDEX FUND $15.79 (Toronto symbol XRE; buy or sell through brokers; ca.ishares.com) holds the 15 Canadian real estate investment trusts in the S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index.
iShares CDN REIT’s expenses are 0.60% of its assets. The fund yields 5.1%.
The ETF’s largest holding is RioCan REIT at 20.1%, followed by H&R REIT (14.6%), Smart REIT (7.9%), Canadian Apartment Properties REIT (7.9%), Canadian REIT (7.3%), Allied Properties REIT (6.7%), Cominar REIT (6.5%), Dream Office REIT (6.1%), Boardwalk REIT (5.3%), Granite REIT (4.5%), Artis REIT (4.3%), Dream Global REIT (2.5%), Crombie REIT (2.3%), Pure Industrial REIT (2.1%) and Northern Property REIT (1.6%).
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iShares CDN REIT’s expenses are 0.60% of its assets. The fund yields 5.1%.
The ETF’s largest holding is RioCan REIT at 20.1%, followed by H&R REIT (14.6%), Smart REIT (7.9%), Canadian Apartment Properties REIT (7.9%), Canadian REIT (7.3%), Allied Properties REIT (6.7%), Cominar REIT (6.5%), Dream Office REIT (6.1%), Boardwalk REIT (5.3%), Granite REIT (4.5%), Artis REIT (4.3%), Dream Global REIT (2.5%), Crombie REIT (2.3%), Pure Industrial REIT (2.1%) and Northern Property REIT (1.6%).
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