iShares MSCI Australia ETF

EWA

Market cap $1.53B

The Reserve Bank of Australia said future policy decisions will remain dependent on the flow of economic data.

It has been 225 days since President Trump's Inauguration on January 20th, and the S&P 500 entered today up 8% since the last close before the Inauguration. Speaking of the G7, the US has been the worst market among these seven developed nations since Inauguration Day in January. Along with being the second-best performing country ETF since Inauguration Day, Vietnamhas easily been the best performer since April 8th with a gain of 77.5%.

Australia's monthly inflation indicator jumped to its highest level in a year in July, affirming the Reserve Bank of Australia's cautious approach to cutting interest rates over recent months.

iShares MSCI Australia ETF has underperformed the EAFE Index due to heavy Materials sector exposure and ongoing industrial metals volatility. Valuation is a concern, with EWA trading at a premium P/E and a high PEG ratio despite modest long-term growth. Technical analysis shows EWA struggling below long-term resistance, with no clear bullish momentum and weak seasonal trends ahead.

Australian job advertisements fell in July, dragged down by the education and retail sectors, but that only partly offset the rise in the previous month and suggested the labour market is easing gradually.

Inflation continued to ease in the second quarter, raising bets that the Australian central bank will deliver a rate cut next month.

Australia's second-quarter inflation drops to lowest since March 2021, supporting case for rate cut

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.

EWA offers investors exposure to Australian equities, providing diversification away from US-centric risks and trade policy uncertainties. I previously identified Australia as a relatively safe non-US option amid concerns about US tariffs and foreign policy volatility. The fund's performance has been reasonable in hindsight, supporting the thesis of value in Australian markets.

As global markets spiral from fresh tariff hikes, some emerging markets defy the chaos—surviving and thriving.