Japan sets you up for gains

Article Excerpt

ISHARES MSCI JAPAN INDEX FUND, $71.43, is a buy. The ETF (New York symbol EWJ; buy or sell through brokers; us.ishares.com) aims to mirror the return of the Morgan Stanley Capital International Japan Index. Top holdings are Toyota, 4.8%; Sony Corp., 3.9%; Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, 3.7%; Hitachi (conglomerate), 3.1%; Nintendo (video games), 2.3%; Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, 2.3%; Keyence (sensors), 2.1%; and Recruit Holdings (human resources), 1.9%. The ETF’s MER is reasonable at 0.50%. Japan’s outlook for 2025 is positive as the country continues to stimulate its domestic economy and report record numbers of tourists. Meantime, the fund is near record highs. Tempering its prospects are the possibility of tariffs from the U.S., with which Japan enjoys a significant trade surplus, and a further slowdown in the economy of China, which is Japan’s largest trading partner. iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund is a buy. buy…