iShares MSCI South Africa ETF

EZA

Market cap $798M

Gold is up nearly 50% over the past year, platinum group metals are tightening on mine supply constraints, and the world's energy transition is creating demand for minerals that sit overwhelmingly under African soil.

The iShares MSCI South Africa ETF offers high-beta exposure to metals and financials but is extremely concentrated and cyclical. EZA trades at a discounted 13.7x TTM P/E due to geopolitical risk, macro instability, and commodity cycle uncertainty. Dividend yield near 5% provides some cushioning but is insufficient if commodity prices or the rand weaken materially.

The iShares MSCI South Africa ETF remains a "Buy" as gold rebounds and valuation stays compelling at a 10-11x P/E. The ETF's 45% Materials weighting and top holdings in gold miners make gold price action critical for EZA's outlook. Despite a 24% recent drawdown, EZA sits at its 200-day moving average with a bullish long-term trend and potential double-bottom support.

EWY, GREK, EZA, EWP and EPOL surged in 2025 as international ETFs beat U.S. peers, due to cheaper valuations, policy stimulus and diversified market exposure.

It's been a turbulent past couple of weeks, but the S&P 500 is poised to finish the year with some historically decent gains intact.

The iShares MSCI South Africa ETF has delivered stellar returns of 60% in 2025, which is double the returns of EMs, and triple the returns of global stocks. EZA offers high dividend yields and exposure to income-oriented sectors such as materials and financials but suffers from high volatility and significant tracking error of its index. EZA's top holding-Naspers which has a hefty weight of 14%, doesn't necessarily have strong enough ties with South Africa.

Now in the home stretch of Q3, international stocks have had a banner year in 2025. Whereas the United States' S&P 500 is currently up 12.7% year to date, the MSCI All World Ex. US ETFs have gained well over 24% in that same span. Italy (EWI) is up over 45% on a year to date basis. That puts it on pace for the ETF's largest annual gain on record (it began trading in March 1996) if it holds.

I rate EZA a hold due to recent explosive growth; I recommend waiting for a 10% price drop before buying. EZA offers dynamic exposure to South Africa's finance and materials sectors, but is highly concentrated in top holdings and sectors, increasing risk. The fund benefits from strong local consumer growth and global commodity demand, but I see short-term downside in materials due to unsustainable commodity prices.

It's the year of foreign equities ETF diversification and performance. For many ETF issuers, their international or ex-U.S. ETF strategies have led their suites for performance amid rising domestic risks.

EZA has outperformed gold, global banks, and the S&P 500 since October 2023, driven by strong momentum and a bullish macro backdrop. The ETF offers a compelling valuation, with a P/E just above 10 and a PEG ratio under 1.0x, plus a high 5.81% dividend yield. EZA's portfolio is concentrated in Financials and Materials, making it sensitive to trends in global banking and gold prices.