(AIA) iShares Asia 50 - Ratings and Ratios

The iShares Asia 50 ETF (NASDAQ:AIA) seeks to track the S&P Asia 50 Index, allocating at least 80 % of its net assets to the index’s component securities or economically equivalent holdings, while the remaining 20 % may be placed in futures, options, swaps, cash, or cash equivalents. Because it is classified as a non-diversified fund, its holdings are concentrated in the 50 largest, most liquid stocks across the Pacific/Asia ex-Japan equity market.

Key quantitative drivers (as of the most recent public data, Q3 2024) include an expense ratio of 0.34 % and assets under management of roughly USD 7 billion, with the top five holdings-Tencent, Alibaba, Samsung Electronics, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC), and Sony-accounting for about 35 % of the portfolio. The sector breakdown is dominated by information technology (≈45 %), consumer discretionary (≈20 %), and financials (≈15 %). Recent performance has been sensitive to regional macro-factors: a 4 % YoY rise in China’s GDP growth forecasts, tightening monetary policy in Australia and Singapore, and ongoing supply-chain constraints in semiconductor manufacturing have collectively driven a 7 % YTD return versus a 5 % benchmark gain.

Given the ETF’s exposure to high-growth tech firms and the volatility stemming from geopolitical tensions, investors should monitor the base-rate probability of a 10 % correction in the Asian equity market (historically ≈12 % per year) and assess how that aligns with their risk tolerance.

For a deeper, data-driven analysis of AIA’s risk-adjusted returns and scenario modeling, you might find the tools on ValueRay worth exploring.