Taiwan is a global leader in a vital industry

Article Excerpt

Taiwan faces diplomatic isolation, an aging population, and ever-increasing export competition from China and other Asian countries. Meanwhile, though, it offers investors a highly developed free-market economy led by its globally recognized expertise in computer chip and electronics manufacturing. Here’s an ETF that provides you with exposure to the top companies listed in Taiwan. ISHARES MSCI TAIWAN ETF $56.86 (New York symbol EWT; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $7.3 billion) tracks the performance of the largest publicly listed Taiwanese companies. Information Technology accounts for 51% of its assets. Financials (16%), Materials (7%), Consumer Discretionary (4%), and Industrials (3%) are other key segments. The ETF holds a portfolio of 89 stocks; the top 10 holdings make up 43.3% of its assets. They are Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (Computer chips, 20.3%), MediaTek (Information technology, 5.3%), Hon Hai Precision (Information technology, 5.2%), United Micro Electronics Corp (Information technology, 2.4%), Delta Electronics (Information technology, 2.4%), Nan Ya Plastic Corp (Materials, 1.6%), Chunghwa Telecom (Communications, 1.6%), Formosa Plastics…