Hello, Thanks for signing up for MarketBeat Daily Ratings—we’re excited to have you on board. Every weekday, you’ll get a curated summary of new “Buy” and “Sell” ratings from Wall Street’s top-rated analysts, the latest stock news, and bonus investing content—all delivered straight to your inbox. You’re just two quick steps away from completing your sign-up: 1. Make sure our emails go to your inboxGmail users:
Mobile: Tap the three dots (…) in the top right and select Move to Inbox or Move to Primary
Desktop: Click the folder icon at the top and select Move to Inbox or Primary Apple Mail users:
Tap our email address at the top (next to From: on mobile), then select Add to VIP Other providers:
Reply to this message and add newsletters@analystratings.net to your contacts 2. Confirm your subscriptionClick this link to confirm your subscription. This verifies your account and ensures you receive your newsletters without interruption instead of getting stuck in your spam filter. Confirm your subscription here. After you confirm, feel free to download our popular free report, "7 Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever" with this link. Thanks again for subscribing—we look forward to being part of your investing journey. 
Matthew Paulson
Founder and CEO, MarketBeat. P.S. If you didn’t mean to subscribe, no problem—you can unsubscribe here.
Further Reading from MarketBeat Media
These 3 Country ETFs Are Big Beneficiaries of the Iran CeasefireBy Dan Schmidt. Article Posted: 4/13/2026. 
Key Points
- The ceasefire in Iran has sent markets around the globe soaring once again.
- International stocks in energy-starved markets are likely to get the biggest boost in the coming weeks.
- Investors turning to international markets like Germany, South Korea, and Japan could reap the highest gains.
- Special Report: The Biggest IPO Ever: Claim Your Stake Today
The tenuous ceasefire in Iran has the S&P 500 roaring back to life, reversing a month-long decline that put consumers and investors on edge. But the jump in U.S. stocks may be masking the true beneficiaries: international markets that depend on energy imports to power their economies. If the ceasefire leads to a resumption of normal oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, investors could see outperformance in overseas markets. Germany, South Korea and Japan are positioned to benefit most — here’s why. Heavy Energy-Import Needs Made These Nations VulnerableMarkets across the globe, except the energy sector, took a hit when the United States launched strikes on Iran at the end of February, but the declines were not evenly distributed. While U.S. investors felt pain as the S&P 500 lost about 10% in less than a month, markets in Europe and Asia fared worse. The European STOXX 600 dropped roughly 12% over the same period, the Nikkei fell nearly 15%, and South Korea’s KOSPI plunged about 25% during the conflict.
For a moment…
Forget about Trump’s ties to Israel.
Forget about reports of Iran’s nuclear program.
Because my research has led me to believe we’re risking World War 3 with Iran for a completely different reason. Click here to find out what it is.
Europe and Asian markets were hit harder because they rely heavily on imported energy. While the U.S. is relatively insulated from the worst of the supply shock, many European and Asian economies lack the domestic capacity to blunt major disruptions. These regions have large industrial bases that depend on affordable energy imports, most of which originate in the Persian Gulf. For example, South Korea imports more than 95% of its oil and is one of the world’s largest importers of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Its economy is driven by exports of energy-intensive products such as cars, semiconductors and chemicals. Japan similarly imports more than 90% of its oil and is highly export-dependent. Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been stalled, but the prospect of reopening sent stock indices in Europe and Asia higher in early April. The situation remains fluid, and the ceasefire, according to the U.S. delegation, is admittedly fragile. Still, optimism is rising in these energy-starved markets, and a normalization of traffic would deliver outsized benefits to the hardest-hit sectors. If the Iran conflict is truly winding down, Germany, South Korea and Japan are likely to see the largest market upside. Rather than picking individual stocks, a practical way to play this theme is with country-specific ETFs that offer broad market exposure. Global X DAX Germany ETFThe Global X DAX Germany ETF (NASDAQ: DAX) is a solid option for exposure to German equities thanks to a low expense ratio and a composition similar to the iShares MSCI Germany ETF (NYSE: EWG). DAX manages just over $250 million in assets, versus EWG’s roughly $1.38 billion, but DAX’s lower costs help offset its smaller size: the fund charges a 0.20% expense ratio, less than half of EWG’s 0.50%. DAX still trades an average of more than 60,000 shares daily and has nearly 30% of its holdings in Germany’s industrial sector, including energy-intensive businesses such as automakers, petrochemical firms and defense contractors. 
A bullish cross in the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator suggested downward momentum may be reversing, and the fund has rallied nearly 10% from its March 27 low. The 50-day moving average is the next key level for DAX, and a sustained move above it could trigger another buying wave. Franklin FTSE South Korea ETFSouth Korean markets are heavily weighted toward technology, dominated by two semiconductor giants that together represent more than 40% of major cap-weighted indices. An investment in South Korea is effectively a bet on SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS: SSNLF). The most cost-efficient broad option is the Franklin FTSE South Korea ETF (NYSE: FLKR). FLKR charges a very low 0.09% expense ratio, which is attractively cheap for international exposure. Technology makes up more than 47% of its holdings, with industrials representing another roughly 15%. Investors rushed back into this ETF, and FLKR has already reclaimed its 50-day moving average. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) moved back into bullish territory, suggesting the semiconductor rally may be resuming. The iShares MSCI Japan ETFThe iShares MSCI Japan ETF (NYSE: EWJ) is the most expensive fund on our list (0.50% expense ratio), but its holdings are more concentrated in technology and industrials than the cheaper Franklin FTSE Japan ETF (NYSE: FLJP). Those sectors would likely benefit most from normalized oil flows, so EWJ could outperform if Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz. Nearly 20% of the fund’s weight is in banking stocks, while technology accounts for 18.8% and industrials 16.8%. It also offers the liquidity of a $19.8 billion AUM fund that trades more than 10 million shares on average each day. 
As with South Korea, technical signals suggest bullish momentum is returning to Japanese markets. EWJ found support at the 200-day moving average, and a bullish MACD crossover helped push the share price back above the 50-day MA. Those are encouraging signs for Japan, which has enjoyed a stock market renaissance in recent years. |
Post a Comment
0Comments