ETF Versus

EWG vs EWZ

iShares MSCI Germany ETF vs iShares MSCI Brazil ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

EWG

iShares MSCI Germany ETF (EWG) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to germany equity securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.49%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.69%. Launched in 1996, the fund has a 30-year track record.

AUM: $1.4B ER: 0.49% Yield: 1.69% Since: Mar 12, 1996
EWZ

iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (EWZ) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to brazil equity securities. It charges a high expense ratio of 0.59%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.30%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $9.3B ER: 0.59% Yield: 4.30% Since: Jul 10, 2000

Quick Verdict

EWG is significantly cheaper at 0.49% vs 0.59% expense ratio, saving you approximately $191 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, EWZ has significantly outperformed with a 46.8% return vs 7.8%. Income investors may prefer EWZ for its higher yield (4.3% vs 1.7%).

Key Metrics

Metric EWG EWZ
Expense Ratio 0.49% 0.59%
Dividend Yield 1.7% 4.3%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category Germany Equity Brazil Equity

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

55 70 85 100 115 130 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
EWG +15.9%
EWZ +14.3%

Performance Comparison

Period EWG EWZ Difference
1 Month -6.32% -0.70% -5.62%
3 Months -5.55% +19.16% -24.71%
6 Months -5.26% +26.51% -31.77%
YTD -5.55% +19.16% -24.71%
1 Year +7.80% +46.79% -38.99%
3 Years +40.90% +40.60% +0.30%
5 Years +15.88% +14.26% +1.62%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period EWG Fees EWZ Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $960 $1.151 $191
$10.000 20 years $4.052 $4.837 $785
$10.000 30 years $12.832 $15.249 $2.417
$50.000 10 years $4.799 $5.754 $955
$50.000 30 years $64.162 $76.247 $12.085
$100.000 30 years $128.324 $152.494 $24.171

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric EWG EWZ
Annualized Volatility 20.5% 28.5%
Max Drawdown -46.5% -46.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.03 0.08

Dividend Comparison

Metric EWG EWZ
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.68 $1.65
Dividend Yield 1.69% 4.30%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

EWG Top Holdings

NameWeight
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft!etr/SIE10.07%
SAP SE!etr/SAP9.63%
Allianz SE!etr/ALV8.63%
Deutsche Telekom AG!etr/DTE7.54%
Siemens Energy AG!etr/ENR7.24%
Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft in München!etr/MUV24.42%
Rheinmetall AG!etr/RHM4.11%
Infineon Technologies AG!etr/IFX3.16%
BASF SE!etr/BAS3.01%
Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft!etr/DBK2.92%

EWZ Top Holdings

NameWeight
Vale S.A.!bvmf/VALE310.33%
Nu Holdings Ltd.NU8.81%
Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A.!bvmf/ITUB48.27%
Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras!bvmf/PETR37.33%
B3 S.A. - Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão!bvmf/B3SA33.51%
Banco Bradesco S.A.!bvmf/BBDC43.28%
WEG S.A.!bvmf/WEGE33.09%
Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo - SABESP!bvmf/SBSP32.91%
Ambev S.A.!bvmf/ABEV32.72%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose EWG if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose EWZ if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose EWZ if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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