This ETF hands you the best of Italian firms

Article Excerpt

The Italian economy ranks among the biggest in the world but has offered investors very little growth for the past decade. High unemployment—especially among the country’s youth—as well as regional income disparities and high government debt are key problems. Still the country is home to some exceptional companies, such as Ferrari (see page 106), that flourish despite the difficult overall economic situation. Here is one ETF buy that provides you with exposure to the top public companies in Italy. ISHARES MSCI ITALY ETF $26.98 (New York symbol EWI; TSI Network ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $233.4 million) offers investors exposure to Italy’s top publicly listed companies. Financial firms account for 24.5% of its assets, while Utilities (21.2%), Energy (17.2%), Consumer Cyclicals (15.0%), Industrials (14.3%) and Telecommunications (3.5%) are other key segments. The ETF holds a portfolio of 24 stocks; the top 10 make up a high 70% of its assets. Those top stocks include Enel SpA (utilities; 18.1%), Eni SpA (energy, 11.3%), Intesa Sanpaolo (financials, 10.1%), UniCredit (financials,…