iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF is an exchange-traded fund from BlackRock's iShares range that invests in stocks in emerging markets. In the issuer's words, the fund aims to track an index made up of large and mid-sized companies in emerging countries, namely the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, and it trades on NYSE Arca under the ticker EEM.

The index brings together companies from many countries, such as China, Taiwan, India, South Korea, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Mexico. Because weights are determined by company size, Asian countries, and technology, financial and consumer companies in particular, hold a prominent place in the basket. The fund holds the index stocks in its portfolio either through local exchanges or via depositary receipts; for US investors, it provides exposure spread across dozens of countries through a single dollar-denominated trade. Turkey is also among the countries covered by the index.

For emerging market funds, the general direction of the dollar, US interest rates, commodity prices, the Chinese economy and geopolitical risks are decisive; fluctuations in local currencies are also reflected in returns. Gaps can form between EEM's market price and its net asset value (NAV), especially during hours when local markets are closed. The EEM page on Lzzo.com features the dollar-based price, its Turkish lira, euro and pound sterling equivalent, a historical chart, technical indicators, the data source and the update time.