iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF’s Process Pillar rating is Average, but a strong management team still helps this strategy retain its Morningstar Medalist Rating of Bronze. The portfolio maintains a sizable cost advantage over competitors, priced within the second-cheapest fee quintile among peers.  

 The strategy’s management team earns an Above Average People Pillar rating. The strategy merits an Average Process Pillar rating.  The strategy's parent organization earns the firm an Above Average Parent Pillar rating. People, Process and Parent Pillar ratings for this strategy are indirectly assigned by a Morningstar analyst rather than algorithmically derived. Please see the notes following each pillar section for more details. The details of assigning methods can be found in each pillar section.

Analyst Rating

iShares MSCI Japan ETF

Morningstar's evaluation of this security's process aims to determine the likelihood that it will outperform its Morningstar Category index on a risk-adjusted basis over the long term. iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF earns an Average Process Pillar rating. 
The investment strategy as stated in the fund's prospectus is:  The investment seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI Japan 100% Hedged to USD Index.  The fund generally will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities and other instruments of its underlying index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of the underlying index. The index is designed to measure the performance of the large- and mid-capitalization segments of the Japanese equity market with the currency risk inherent in the securities included in the underlying index hedged to the U.S. dollar on a monthly basis. 

 The portfolio is overweight in technology by 2.8 percentage points in terms of assets compared with the category average, and its healthcare allocation is similar to the category. The sectors with low exposure compared to category peers are basic materials and consumer defensive, with basic materials underweighting the average portfolio by 4.0 percentage points of assets and consumer defensive similar to the average. The portfolio is positioned across 95 holdings and is quite concentrated. More concretely, all of the portfolio's assets are housed within the top 10 holdings, as opposed to the typical peer's 21.3%. And in closing, in terms of portfolio turnover, on a year-over-year basis, 29% of the fund's holdings have turned over, whether through increasing, decreasing, or changing a position. 

 Note: The Process Pillar rating is indirectly assigned by an analyst. When an analyst covers a vehicle that follows a given strategy (as codified by Morningstar’s StrategyID data point) Morningstar maps the covered vehicle’s Process Pillar ratings to any other uncovered vehicles that follow the same strategy (that is, share the same StrategyID). This ensures that the analyst’s view is leveraged whenever available and promotes consistency when assigning Process Pillar ratings to vehicles that follow the same strategy.

Average

Process

BlackRock's industry-leading technology, global footprint, and extensive supporting cast earn an Above Average People Pillar rating. The team employs BlackRock's Aladdin platform to fulfill much of its portfolio management tasks, and global trading desks allow traders to conduct foreign transactions in a cost-effective way.

The iShares index equity team has endured some internal turnover at the top over the past few years. But index-tracking performance should remain tight, thanks to heavily automated processes, a large team of seasoned professionals, and several long-tenured managers who remain at the helm. Amy Whitelaw left the team in February 2023. Paul Whitehead replaced Alan Mason as a manager in January 2022, when Mason left to focus on the firm's customized institutional indexing capabilities. The broader index equity group, co-headed by Jennifer Hsui and Paul Whitehead, will continue to oversee iShares equity ETFs.

These managers interact with a wider team of traders and managers around the globe to execute the fund's day-to-day operations. The larger number of managers also limits the impact of personnel turnover when it does occur.

Note: The People Pillar rating and analysis are indirectly assigned by an analyst. When an analyst covers a vehicle that follows a given strategy (as codified by Morningstar’s StrategyID data point), Morningstar maps the covered vehicle’s People Pillar ratings to any other uncovered vehicles that follow the same strategy (that is, share the same StrategyID). This ensures that the analyst’s view is leveraged whenever available and promotes consistency when assigning People Pillar ratings to vehicles that follow the same strategy.

Above Average

People

BlackRock offers compelling options across asset classes and vehicles. It earns an Above Average rating for Parent. 
The firm’s approximately USD 8 trillion in assets under management, as of Sept. 30, 2022, gives it unparalleled scale and influence. It is a market-leading index fund provider globally, and its iShares exchange-traded fund franchise offers a low-cost lineup of core funds that investors can use to build a well-diversified portfolio for dirt cheap. The firm can be more adventurous in its ETF launches than some peers, so not everything it launches is appropriate for the masses. As a result, it is likely to have more ETF closures than peers that stick to the basic building blocks.  
The firm’s active fixed-income and multi-asset efforts also stand out as some of the best in the industry. Those benefit from BlackRock’s commitment to building a first-class risk management system via its Aladdin analytics software. The software is also available for sale to other firms and has proved to be a popular option for competitors, a testament to its usefulness. 
More recently, the firm has shifted its focus to ESG offerings and incorporating ESG across its investment lineup, leading to a political backlash in the United States.
BlackRock isn’t the best at everything it tries to do, but retail investors, financial advisors, and large institutions could all build robust portfolios using BlackRock’s products.

Parent

iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF

HEWJ tracks an index of large- and mid-cap Japanese stocks, while fully hedging out its exposure to the yen relative to the US dollar.

JPMorgan BetaBuilders Japan ETF

Xtrackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity ETF

WisdomTree Japan SmallCap Dividend Fund

WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund

WisdomTree Japan Hedged SmallCap Equity Fund

iShares MSCI Japan Value ETF

First Trust Japan AlphaDEX Fund

Franklin FTSE Japan Hedged ETF

Franklin FTSE Japan ETF

Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta Japan Equity ETF

iShares JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF

iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

Inflation slowed down in March but underlying inflationary pressures are still alive. The BoJ's pause at its next week's meeting is widely expected but markets will pay more attention to the BoJ's quarterly outlook report.

Cooler Inflation Ahead Of The Bank of Japan Meeting

Japan's equity benchmark, the Nikkei 225 Index, has been on a tear in 2024, eclipsing its previous high set back in 1989. As of early April, the index is hovering near 40,000. Solid economic growth, a revamp in the country's tax-free stock investment program and corporate governance reform have helped propel Japanese equities to record highs.

Can Japan's Stock Market Continue Its Record-Setting Run?

Invesco Currencyshares Japanese Yen Trust

ProShares Ultra Yen

ProShares UltraShort Yen

The Bank of Japan is set to normalise monetary policy when certain conditions are met, namely inflation, positive real cash earnings, and a recovery in domestic demand growth. We expect the window for normalisation to open from July for about a year before inflation begins to fall below 2%.

The Bank of Japan's New Path Ahead

Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF

GraniteShares Gold Shares

Invesco DB Precious Metals Fund

SPDR Gold Trust

Credit Suisse X-Links Gold Shares Covered Call ETN

SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust

Aberdeen Standard Precious Metals Basket Trust

iShares Gold Trust

iShares Gold Strategy ETF

iShares Gold Trust Micro

FT Cboe Vest Gold Target Income ETF

VanEck Merk Gold Trust

Sprott Physical Gold Trust

Sprott ESG Gold ETF

Aberdeen Standard Gold ETF Trust

The Bank of Japan's historic move to end the country's negative interest rate policy after nearly two decades triggered a jolt upward to new all-time highs for gold against the yen. The BoJ announced it will now hold short-term rates at a still-accommodative 0% to 0.1% and is getting rid of its yield curve control program and ETF purchases.

The End Of Japan's Negative Interest Rates: What It Means For Gold

Japan's private sector picked up growth momentum into the end of the first quarter, according to flash PMI data.

Japan Flash PMI Signals Accelerating Growth Momentum And Rising Inflation In March 2024

Kazuo Ueda becomes Governor of the Bank of Japan, continuing the loose monetary policies implemented by his predecessor. The BOJ raises short rates from -0.1% to 0.1%, becoming the last central bank to exit a Negative Interest Rate Policy.

End Of An Era - Bank of Japan Reverses Negative Interest Rate Policy

The Bank of Japan raised interest rates for the first time since 2007 and has eliminated the yield curve control framework. According to the central bank, the virtuous cycle between wages and prices was assessed to have come into sight, bringing the 2% inflation target within a sustainable and stable possibility by the end of fiscal year 2025.

Flash Insights: Bank of Japan - A 'Watchful' Adjustment

The Bank of Japan has now ended decades of unconventional and aggressive monetary easing. Strong wage negotiation results played a crucial role in today's move.

Bank of Japan Pivot Proves Underwhelming For Markets

Japanese stocks have been on the hottest ride over the past several months, with the Nikkei 225 Index now breaching the 40,000 milestone for the first time.

Japan Nikkei Tops 40,000: Currency-Hedged ETFs Win

Japan's private sector activity broadly stagnated in February according to flash PMI data, attributed to a combination of slowing services activity growth and an acceleration in manufacturing output contraction. A sharper decline in goods new orders, underpinned by sluggish demand conditions, also largely offset improved demand for services.

Flash PMI Signal Cooling Inflation And Stagnating Private Sector Activity In Japan

ProShares Ultra MSCI Japan

Matthews Japan Active ETF

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust

Japan ETFs have been surging over the past year on several factors and beating the S&P 500.

Japan ETFs Beating S&P 500: More Growth in the Cards?

iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan ETF

SmartETFs Asia Pacific Dividend Builder ETF

iShares Asia 50 ETF

Global X FTSE Southeast Asia ETF

JPMorgan BetaBuilders Developed Asia EX-Japan ETF

iShares Asia/Pacific Dividend ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

iShares MSCI Philippines ETF

iShares MSCI Pacific ex-Japan ETF

iShares MSCI Australia ETF

iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF

iShares MSCI Singapore ETF

iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF

iShares MSCI South Korea ETF

Franklin FTSE Australia ETF

Franklin FTSE Asia ex Japan ETF

Franklin FTSE South Korea ETF

Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF

First Trust Asia Pacific ex-Japan AlphaDEX Fund

SPDR S&P Emerging Asia Pacific ETF

Xtrackers International Real Estate ETF

iShares Core MSCI Pacific ETF

Direxion MSCI Daily South Korea Bull 3X Shares

iShares MSCI Thailand ETF

Global X MSCI Vietnam ETF

VanEck Vectors Vietnam ETF

Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF

While the China macro story of ongoing transition is a headwind to the rest of Asia, there is more to the region's economic health than this.

Asia-Pacific Is Not Just China

Japan's economic growth is projected to decelerate to 0.9% in 2024 and 0.8% in 2025. Government policies have helped the recovery of Japanese stocks and will continue to be a positive factor going forward.

The Rally In Japanese Stocks

Japan's Private Sector Returns To Growth At Start Of 2024, While Price Pressures Ease

The Bank of Japan stood pat on monetary policy today as widely expected. But the market is now paying attention to a more positive tone on the wage and inflation outlook, as well as an upgrade to the FY2024 inflation outlook which lays the groundwork for policy normalisation.

Bank of Japan Opens The Door To Ending Negative Rates, But Timing Uncertainty Remains

iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF has outperformed the S&P 500 index in the past two years. Japan's economy is expected to remain robust in 2024, with a resilient services sector. The Bank of Japan is unlikely to reverse its dovish monetary policy, providing good buying opportunities for HEWJ.

HEWJ: Not Expensive At All Despite Strong Outperformance

Japan's private sector growth ground to a halt in November according to the latest flash PMI data, which is based on about 85%-90% of total PMI survey responses each month. This was mainly attributed to a sharper fall in manufacturing output as service activity expanded at a slightly faster pace in the penultimate month of the year.

Japan Flash PMI Eases To 50.0 To Signal Stalling Private Sector Activity In November

The Japanese stock market is having itself a hot minute. The Nikkei 225 index, a benchmark for Japanese equities, is up nearly 30 percent so far this year.

Japan, Still The Outlier After All These Years

Things were looking tough for the BoJ as recently as this summer, when the country's core CPI bolted north of 4%, far beyond the 2% inflation target that major central banks view as ideal. The Bank of Japan is being reactive to an inflation threat that may very well be in the rearview mirror.

Declining PPIs Perpetuate Japan's TINA Trade

The debate over the future of Japan continues. Because of its small footprint, we often forget the oversized role Japan plays in the global economy.

Japan's Future Remains An Issue Of Debate

October's flash PMI data revealed that Japan's private sector economy concluded the eight-month growth streak that commenced in January 2023. This was attributed primarily to a sharper fall in manufacturing production, though services activity growth also slowed to the weakest in the year-to-date.

Japan's Flash PMI Points To Stalling Private Sector Economy At Start Of Fourth Quarter

iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF is a currency-hedged exchange-traded fund that tracks the performance of large and mid-sized Japanese companies, reducing exposure to currency fluctuations. The fund offers broad exposure to Japanese companies and customizable currency risk management. The expense ratio of HEWJ is 0.50%, and BlackRock has waived a portion of its management fees to attract investors.

HEWJ: Currency Hedged Or Not, It's Vulnerable Here

iShares MSCI Indonesia ETF

VanEck Vectors Indonesia Index ETF

The region is likely to see faster disinflation, but prospects for growth in coming years are dimming. Strong consumer spending has supported growth in Asia's three largest economies this year, but there are already signs that the region's recovery may be running out of steam.

Asia Continues To Fuel Global Growth, But Economic Momentum Is Slowing

CSOP FTSE China A50 ETF

Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF

Xtrackers Harvest CSI 500 China A-Shares Small Cap ETF

Xtrackers MSCI China A Inclusion Equity ETF

VanEck China Bond ETF

Global X China Biotech Innovation ETF

Global X MSCI China Communication Services ETF

Global X China Energy ETF

Global X MSCI China Health Care ETF

Global X China Industrials

Global X MSCI China Information Technology ETF

Global X China Materials ETF

Global X China Consumer ETF

Global X MSCI China Real Estate ETF

Global X MSCI China Consumer Staples ETF

Global X MSCI China Utilities ETF

Global X China Financials ETF

Loncar China Biopharma ETF

Xtrackers MSCI All China Equity ETF

VanEck Vectors ChinaAMC SME-ChiNext ETF

iShares MSCI China A ETF

Invesco China Technology ETF

WisdomTree China ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund

WisdomTree Chinese Yuan Strategy Fund

iShares MSCI China Small-Cap ETF

iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF

First Trust China AlphaDEX Fund

Franklin FTSE China ETF

Franklin FTSE Hong Kong ETF

iShares China Large-Cap ETF

ProShares UltraShort FTSE China 50

SPDR S&P China ETF

KraneShares MSCI All China Index ETF

KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A Share ETF

KraneShares Bloomberg China Bond Inclusion Index ETF

KraneShares CICC China 5G & Semiconductor Index ETF

KraneShares CICC China Leaders 100 Index ETF

Kraneshares MSCI China Environment Index ETF

KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF

KraneShares Hang Seng Tech Index ETF

KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF

KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF

iShares MSCI China ETF

Invesco Golden Dragon China ETF

Rayliant Quantamental China Equity ETF

Templeton Dragon Fund

Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bearish Fund

WisdomTree Bloomberg US Dollar Bullish Fund

Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund

ProShares Ultra FTSE China 50

Direxion Daily FTSE China Bear 3X Shares

Direxion Daily FTSE China Bull 3X Shares

ProShares Short FTSE China 50

The IMF, the World Bank, and the United Nations all rank China and Japan as the second and third largest economies on the planet. More of what is occurring in the markets should reflect what is happening in China and Japan which are strongly linked economically.

China Could Derail Japan's Fragile Recovery

It is disappointing that labour cash earnings were weaker than expected in Japan, but consumption held up relatively well. Meanwhile, due to the recent spike in market rates and high inflation, the Bank of Japan is expected to change its YCC policy and forward guidance at its October meeting.

Mixed Signals For Earnings And Spending In Japan, But The BoJ Is Likely To Move On

News for iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF ETF (HEWJ)