Although the euro has tumbled and the European Central Bank has enacted a massive quantitative easing regime, one that could be expanded in the coming months, 2015 has been a volatile year for exchange traded funds tracking European stocks.
Investors looking for lower beta single-country exposure to Eurozone economies have some credible options, including the iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF (NYSEArca: EWN), the lone U.S.-listed exchange traded fund dedicated to Dutch stocks. EWN and Dutch stocks have some perks that should not be glossed over.
The Netherlands is not nearly as controversial as the PIIGS and the Dutch economy and markets are not as expansive as their German and French counterparts. Those facts should not obfuscate Netherlands AEX stock index’s (AEX) leadership among European bourses and EWN’s 3.5% year-to-date gain.
EWN is home to 49 stocks, including some names familiar U.S. investors, such as Unilever (NYSE: UNV) and ING Groep (NYSE: ING). Why the ETF should matter for investors seeking single-country Europe exposure is simple: Favorable risk/reward. [Explosive Growth for Single-Country ETFs]
However, EWN is not currency hedged, which could expose investors to some currency risk if the euro continues faltering against the dollar.