iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan ETF

AAXJ

Market cap $3.21B

Among APAC equity markets, Australia has a higher beta to oil prices while India, Indonesia and Thailand have lower betas. Domestic political uncertainties have been one main reason for the decoupling trend seen in Indonesia and Thailand.

Global equities ex-US were already leading US stocks in 2025 by a wide margin ahead of the trade deal announced this week between the US and Japan. Vanguard International Stock ETF rose sharply yesterday, and is now up 21.8% year to date.

The MSCI Asia Ex Japan Index includes two developed and eight emerging Asian markets, aligning closely with the MSCI AC Asia Index over the past decade. This ETF tracks the AC Asia Ex Japan Index invests in over 900 companies, with a management fee, offering broad exposure to Asian markets. Many Japanese equities trade well below book value, presenting potential undervaluation opportunities compared to the MSCI EM Index.

iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan ETF focuses on emerging markets like India, China, and South Korea, excluding Japan due to its developed market status. AAXJ has underperformed long-term, delivering only 16.3% five-year total return, but has recently outperformed the S&P 500. The ETF's top holding, Taiwan Semiconductor, faces risks from geopolitical tensions, while its financials and consumer discretionary sectors have driven recent gains.

The election victory has fueled a strong rally in US equities, but Trump's comeback is seen as a new risk factor elsewhere as Washington prepares to pivot to new edition of an “America First” policy. The latest surge in US shares has widened the lead for SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) year to date.

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.

World stocks that hold US shares are up 1.6% year to date while foreign equities ex-US are down 1.5% in 2024. The Japanese stock market was a strong competitor vis-à-vis US shares last year too.

The total nominal GDP of the ten ASEAN nations measured in US dollar terms amounted to USD 3.6 trillion in 2022, more than doubling compared with total GDP of USD 1.6 trillion in 2009. Singapore's GDP growth rate improved to a pace of 2.8% y/y in the fourth quarter of 2023 according to the advance estimate of GDP from the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI).