Tap into Australian gains

Article Excerpt

ISHARES AUSTRALIA INDEX FUND $26.45 (New York symbol EWA; buy or sell through brokers) is an ETF that holds the 72 largest Australian stocks. Its MER is 0.48%. The fund’s top holdings include Commonwealth Bank of Australia, 11.1%; BHP Billiton, 10.5%; Westpac Banking Corp., 9.6%; Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, 8.3%; National Australia Bank, 7.3%; Wesfarmers, 4.3%; Woolworths, 4.2%; CSL Ltd., 2.9%; Rio Tinto, 2.3%; Woodside Petroleum, 2.3%; Telstra Group, 1.9%, Westfield Group, 1.9%; and Macquarie Group, 1.4%. Australia benefits from its stable banking and political systems. It is also rich in natural resources, and close to key Asian markets with vast potential, including India and China. iShares MSCI Australia Index Fund is a buy. buy…