EWC vs EWK

EWCAiShares MSCI Canada ETF

EWKCiShares MSCI Belgium ETF

In short

EWC A 1996 original: Canada's large and mid caps in one ticker, back when single-country funds were still a novelty. About 80 names, held through a capped MSCI index built so one giant can't swamp the basket.

EWK Belgium in one US-listed ticker, and it has been that way since 1996, when EWK launched with the original WEBS funds. Roughly 40 names, with index caps that keep the country's handful of giants from taking over the portfolio.

Stated mandate

EWC The fund seeks to track an index representing Canadian equities, providing exposure to large- and mid-sized companies in Canada.

EWK The Fund seeks to track the investment results of a broad-based index composed of Belgian equities.

Why people hold it

• EWC Running since 1996, which makes it one of the oldest US-listed ETFs still trading, and it is a multi-billion-dollar fund today.
• Tracks the MSCI Canada Custom Capped Index closely, one of the tighter index-following records in its single-country developed peer group.ishares.com
• Actively traded with among the easiest fills in its peer group, so the cost of getting in and out stays modest.
• The capped index trims outsized single-name weights, so roughly 80 holdings stay a basket rather than a wager on two or three giants.ishares.com

• EWK A 1996 original: EWK debuted in the WEBS batch that invented the single-country index fund, and it still runs under the iShares roof today.sciencedirect.com
• The 25/50 index rules cap any single issuer at 25% and keep all 5%-plus positions under 50% combined, so Belgium's few megacaps cannot swallow the fund.msci.com
• One trade for a market Americans otherwise reach stock by stock: the fund tracks a broad-based index of Belgian equities.ishares.com
• The 0.49% annual fee sits just under the median for developed single-country funds, so the niche exposure carries no niche premium.

Worth knowing

• EWC At 0.50%, the fee sits right at the median for single-country developed funds, and cheaper Canada exposure exists: BBCA runs 0.19%.
• One country, about 80 stocks: a concentrated slice of the world, with Canadian dollar moves riding along in your US-dollar return.ishares.com
• Distributions land once or twice a year rather than monthly or quarterly, so income arrives in lumps.

• EWK Thinly traded with a modest asset base, so spreads can run wider than on the big international index funds.
• About 40 stocks in one small European economy. The caps trim top-heaviness; they do not turn this into a diversified core holding.
• Country exposure is priced differently across the shelf: peers like FLKR and FLAU charge 0.09% for their own single-country mandates.

Full EWC profile⁠

Full EWK profile⁠