Key stats
About iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund
Expense ratio
0.50%
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Inception date
Mar 12, 1996
EWJ provides broad exposure to the Japanese equity market. It was the first Japan-focused ETF to launch in 1996 and quickly became the bellwether for US-based investors wanting Japanese market exposure. The fund excludes the bottom 15% of Japanese companies by market cap, which tilts it slightly larger than our broad benchmark. Otherwise, EWJ is well aligned with the Japanese stock market. While its headline expense ratio stands out as high versus segment peers, actual holding costs as measured by tracking data are more competitive. The fund is a titan when it comes to both on-screen and block liquidity. Ease of trading and massive AUM make EWJ a staple in the segment and combined with marketlike exposure earn the nod for Analyst Pick.
Classification
Returns
| 1 month | 3 months | Year to date | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price performance | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NAV total return | — | — | — | — | — | — |
What's in the fund
Exposure type
Finance
Producer Manufacturing
Electronic Technology
Consumer Durables
Stocks98.68%
Finance18.11%
Producer Manufacturing12.70%
Electronic Technology12.27%
Consumer Durables11.46%
Health Technology8.65%
Technology Services5.70%
Process Industries4.97%
Communications4.62%
Retail Trade4.04%
Consumer Non-Durables4.03%
Distribution Services3.81%
Transportation2.60%
Commercial Services1.21%
Utilities1.11%
Non-Energy Minerals1.10%
Consumer Services1.02%
Energy Minerals0.89%
Industrial Services0.38%
Bonds, Cash & Other1.32%
Miscellaneous1.03%
Cash0.23%
Mutual fund0.06%
Stock breakdown by region
Asia100.00%
North America0.00%
Latin America0.00%
Europe0.00%
Africa0.00%
Middle East0.00%
Oceania0.00%
Top 10 holdings
Dividends
Dividend payout history