iShares MSCI Japan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWJ) Offers Single-Country Japan Exposure Through 167 Holdings

Sonal Goyal

27 October 2026 05:28 PM AEDT

iShares MSCI Japan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWJ) Offers Single-Country Japan Exposure Through 167 Holdings

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Key Highlights

iShares MSCI Japan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWJ) had net assets of about $23.58 billion and a NAV of $94.42 as of Oct 26, 2026.
The fund tracks the MSCI Japan Index (Net) with an expense ratio of 0.49%.
Its 30-day SEC yield was 1.17%, with semi-annual distributions.

The iShares MSCI Japan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWJ) provides exposure to Japanese equities. As of Oct 26, 2026, it had net assets of about $23.58 billion and a NAV of $94.42 per share.

Index and Investment Approach

The fund tracks the MSCI Japan Index (Net) and has been listed since Mar 12, 1996, making it among the oldest funds in this group. The expense ratio is 0.49%, and distributions are semi-annual: $0.500975 per share on Jun 18, 2026 and $3.061371 on Dec 19, 2025.

Portfolio Composition

Financials, autos and industrials feature at the top: Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (4.33%), Toyota Motor (3.62%), Recruit Holdings (3.11%), Hitachi (3.03%) and Sony Group (2.96%).

Yield and Distributions

The fund reported a 30-day SEC yield of 1.17% as of Sep 30, 2026 and a 12-month trailing yield of 3.60%. Distributions are paid semi-annual. The most recent distribution was $0.500975 per share, with an ex-date of Jun 15, 2026 and payment on Jun 18, 2026. iShares notes that distribution yield and trailing yield can vary from period to period for reasons such as tax treatment and changes in fund shares outstanding.

Portfolio Characteristics

As of Oct 23, 2026 the portfolio held 167 securities, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.77 and a price-to-book ratio of 2.01.

Concentration and Holdings Profile

167 securities were held as of Oct 23, 2026. The five largest positions listed on the fund page totalled about 17.05% of assets, leaving roughly 82.95% across the remaining holdings. That is a moderate level of concentration at the top of the portfolio. iShares notes that holdings are subject to change and that the weights shown are calculated from vendor prices, which may differ from the fund’s own valuation prices.

Fund Details at a Glance

The iShares MSCI Japan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWJ) is an index-based equity fund that began trading on Mar 12, 1996. Its benchmark is the MSCI Japan Index (Net), and it pays distributions semi-annual. As of Oct 26, 2026 it had 249.75 million shares outstanding and net assets of $23,580,388,720. An annual fee of 0.49% works out to $49 for every $10,000 held, before any brokerage commissions.

Risk Disclosures Noted by iShares

International investing involves risks including foreign currency, limited liquidity, less government regulation and the possibility of substantial volatility due to adverse political, economic or other developments, which are often heightened in emerging markets or concentrations of single countries. Shares of ETFs are bought and sold at market price rather than NAV and are not individually redeemed from the fund, and brokerage commissions will reduce returns. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

Costs and Trading Details

The expense ratio is 0.49%. The fund is listed on NYSE Arca with 249.75 million shares outstanding and net assets of $23,580,388,720 as of Oct 26, 2026. The closing price was $94.28 as of Oct 26, 2026, against a NAV of $94.42 on Oct 26, and the premium/discount was -0.14. The 30-day median bid/ask spread was 0.01% and 30-day average volume was 4,054,516 shares.

Closing View

iShares MSCI Japan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWJ) reported net assets of about $23.58 billion and 167 holdings, with its index, fees and distribution schedule as set out above. The semi-annual distribution schedule, 0.49% expense ratio and 0.01% median bid/ask spread are the main cost and income details reported for the fund.

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