Netherlands: Home to top-quality companies

Article Excerpt

Some investors overlook the Netherlands given its small size and small population. Still, other investors recognize it as one of the world’s top 20 economies and among the world’s top 10 exporters. The Dutch economy recovered well from the COVID-19 pandemic. And while the economy will likely grow only slowly in 2023 and into 2024—due to high interest rates and persistent inflation—the long-term outlook is bright. The country’s stock market is home to some world-leading companies, including ASML (which we highlight in the box on page 66). ISHARES MSCI NETHERLANDS ETF $41.78 (New York symbol EWN; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $280.1 million) tracks the performance of the largest publicly listed Dutch companies. Technology stocks account for 33% of its assets while Consumer Defensive (16%), Financial Services (14%), Communication Services (12%), Industrials (11%), Basic Materials (5%), and Healthcare (7%) are other key segments. The ETF holds a portfolio of 65 stocks; the top 10 holdings make up a high 65% of its assets. They are ASML Holdings…