ETF Evaluator:
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF (EWS)
Follow This ETF
(as of Jul 31)
Best Performing in Focused Region Over the Last Year
| 216.0% | VanEck Russia Small-Cap ETF (RSXJ) |
| 188.5% | iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) |
| 175.8% | Franklin FTSE South Korea ETF (FLKR) |
| 137.0% | Matthews Korea Active ETF (MKOR) |
| 74.6% | iShares MSCI Peru ETF (EPU) |
Risk
Index
Risk
Index
ETF Details
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF Overview
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF (EWS) is a passively managed International Equity Focused Region exchange-traded fund (ETF). iShares launched the ETF in 1996.
The investment seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI Singapore 25/50 Index.
The fund generally will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of its underlying index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of its underlying index. The index is designed to measure the performance of the large- and mid-capitalization segments of the equity market in Singapore. The underlying index uses a capping methodology that limits the weight of any single “group entity” to a maximum of 25% of the underlying index weight. The fund is non-diversified.
About iShares MSCI Singapore ETF (EWS)
There are 4 members of the management team with an average tenure of 4.31 years: Jennifer Hsui (2012), Peter Sietsema (2025), Matt Waldron (2025) and Steven White (2025). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: MSCI ACWI Ex USA NR USD index with a weighting of 100% and MSCI Singapore 25/50 NR USD index with a weighting of 100%. iShares MSCI Singapore ETF has 22 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 79.7% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity ETF group. iShares MSCI Singapore ETF has 99.6% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 99.6% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). iShares MSCI Singapore ETF has 0.4% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $921 million in total assets, which is below the $1 billion average for the Focused Region category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
EWS Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The iShares MSCI Singapore ETF expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Focused Region category. iShares MSCI Singapore ETF has an expense ratio of 0.50%, which is 3% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. iShares MSCI Singapore ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 21%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 26% for the Focused Region category.
Recently, in the month of June 2026, iShares MSCI Singapore ETF returned 2.3%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Focused Region category had an average return of -2.1%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF has a trailing yield of 3.99%, which is below the 5.65% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income semi-annually and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 9.6%, 0.5 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 19.4% over the past year (grade of C), 22.4% over the past three years (grade of B) and 10.2% per year over the past five years (grade of B) and 7.8% per year over the past 10 years (grade of C).
For more ETF grades, analysis and screening tools to help your investment discovery, join AAII for a $2, full-access trial. Learn more here: https://invest.aaii.com/membership.
Otherwise, for more information about iShares MSCI Singapore ETF, including its riskiness, submit your email to unlock the rest of the article.
Gain access to exclusive AAII member-only content.
EWS Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 6/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| EWS Return (NAV) | 2.3% | 8.0% | 19.4% | 22.4% | 10.2% | 7.8% |
| EWS Return (Price) | 2.2% | 6.8% | 18.9% | 22.3% | 10.2% | 7.7% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 0.081% | 1.193% | 0.521% | 0.123% | 0.072% | 0.091% |
| Focused Region Avg | -2.1% | 5.8% | 27.1% | 86.8% | 8.6% | 8.7% |
| EWS Grade (NAV) | A | B | C | B | B | C |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 4.3% | 2.2% | -7.7% | -64.4% | 1.7% | -0.8% |
| EWS Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.7% | 1.8% | 1.9% | 1.8% |
EWS Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 6/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| EWS Return (NAV) | 9.6% | 31.6% | 22.5% | 5.3% | -9.2% | 5.2% | -8.2% | 13.9% | -11.0% | 33.8% | 1.1% |
| EWS Return (Price) | 9.6% | 31.3% | 22.1% | 6.2% | -9.8% | 5.6% | -8.5% | 14.5% | -11.3% | 34.8% | 0.7% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.001% | -0.007% | -0.019% | 0.182% | 0.070% | 0.064% | 0.037% | 4.7% | 3.0% | 3.0% | -37.2% |
| Focused Region Avg | 9.1% | 40.1% | 7.5% | 33.4% | -15.0% | 8.3% | 3.6% | 20.0% | -13.7% | 26.4% | 13.0% |
| EWS Grade (NAV) | B | D | A | D | B | C | D | D | B | B | D |
| +/- Category | 0.5% | -8.5% | 15.0% | -28.2% | 5.8% | -3.0% | -11.8% | -6.1% | 2.7% | 7.4% | -11.9% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.55 |
| R-Squared: | 39% |
| Standard Deviation: | 12.3% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.15 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Low |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.01 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 4.0% |
| Total Assets: | $ 922 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 922 Mil |
| Turnover: | 21.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.50% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | MSCI ACWI Ex USA NR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Semi-Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 4 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 13.5 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 4.3 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Hsui Jennifer (2012), Sietsema Peter (2025), Waldron Matt (2025), White Steven (2025) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 22 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 79.7% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 99.6% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 99.6% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.4% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | iShares |
| Phone Number: | 800-474-2737 |
| Website: | ca.ishares.com/home.htm |
| Inception Date: | March 12, 1996 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.50% (Rating: Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.52% |
