iShares MSCI Japan ETF (IJP)

About iShares

iShares is the world’s leading family of ETFs with over 700 funds trading on 20 exchanges worldwide. iShares ETFs were first launched in Australia in October 2007.

iShares ETFs are brought to you by BlackRock, one of the world’s leading investment managers and itself an index-investing pioneer over many decades. As at 31 December, 2014, BlackRock’s assets under management (AUM) was US$4.652 trillion. Headquartered in New York City, the firm has approximately 12,200 employees in 30 countries and a major presence in key global markets, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa. This presence in every major capital market gives BlackRock vital insights into global financial markets and is a reason behind the company’s phenomenal growth in the past decade.

About iShares MSCI Japan ETF

What Are iShares ETFs?

iShares exchange traded funds (ETFs) blend the benefits of both managed funds and shares. They can offer efficient, low-cost diversification, combined with flexibility and liquidity.

iShares ETFs can be bought and sold on a stock exchange like shares. And, like managed index funds, they typically contain a diversified portfolio of securities designed to track specific indices. Some indices are narrow, tracking a single market sector with minimal holdings, while others are as broad as the entire market with hundreds of holdings. This means investors can use iShares ETFs to gain the exposure and diversification they want, quickly and simply.

ETFs are one of the fastest-growing investment products in the world. They can offer investors a simple and cost-effective way to achieve diversification in their investment portfolios.

Key Benefits of ETFs

Diversification

A single ETF trade provides instant exposure to a diversified portfolio of securities. This can be as broad as a few hundred shares in the case of an index like the MSCI Australia 200 Index, or as narrow as 20 holdings in the case of the S&P/ASX 20 Index. This diversification can help reduce concentration risk in portfolios.

Cost Efficiency

iShares ETFs can be a cost-effective way to gain exposure to a diversified portfolio of securities. They are generally less expensive than investing in actively managed funds and even some index funds. They can also be less costly than purchasing a large number of individual shares, as there are less trading costs.

Flexibility

Like shares, iShares ETFs provide investors with the flexibility to trade at any time during market hours. Priced throughout the trading day, iShares can be bought or sold like a share, through any broker, investment adviser or online trading platform. And, because ETFs trade like shares, they can be bought on margin and place limit and stop orders.

Transparency

With holdings published as often as daily, iShares ETFs are highly transparent, you always know exactly what you own. ETFs are also transparent around costs through upfront fee disclosure, so you know exactly what you are paying for.

Liquidity

ETFs can be as simple to buy and sell as individual shares. The listed nature of ETFs provides investors with the liquidity to react to changing market conditions quickly and simply.

Tax Efficiency

ETFs may prove tax efficient as a result of low levels of portfolio turnover. Also, trading in and out of ETFs does not increase portfolio turnover within the ETF, which can help keep them tax efficient.