HEWJ ETF — iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF

iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF (HEWJ)

Updated October 16, 2026.

HEWJ is an ETF. its distribution rate is 1.09%, its trailing-12-month yield is 4.08%, its expense ratio is 0.49%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 41/100 (Caution). Total return is 422.1% over the past 12.7 years, 17.0 points behind SPY at 439.1%.

iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF is an ETF that tracks large- and mid-capitalization Japanese equities while hedging currency exposure back to the U.S. dollar on a monthly basis, designed to isolate equity performance from yen fluctuations. The fund distributes on a semi-annual basis with a modest current distribution rate and carries an expense ratio of 0.49%. It appeals to investors seeking Japanese equity exposure without currency risk, particularly those focused on domestic-currency returns.

HEWJ performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-16.

Total return is 422.1% over the past 12.7 years, 17.0 points behind SPY at 439.1%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 31.5%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 10.4%.

HEWJ key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

41 · Caution

Safety-Adjusted Yield

0.45%

Issuer

iShares

Asset type

ETF

Asset class

Equity

Inception date

01/31/2014

Expense ratio

0.49%

Distribution rate

1.09%

Distribution frequency

Semi-Annual

Trailing yield

4.08%

Last close

$63.91 (as of 2026-10-16)

AUM

$664,488,526

Average volume

17844.0

Dividend

$0.349

Ex-dividend date

07/02/2026

Payment date

07/08/2026

Beta

0.44

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (1.09%) uses calculation basis unavailable. Issuer rates can use a different denominator and date, including ex-date NAV. Trailing-12-month yield (4.08%) is the sum of split-adjusted cash distributions with ex-dates in the last 12 months, divided by the published price. It lags a recent raise or cut. Total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date) from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is the security's total return, not your personal gain/loss.

Yield and safety methodology · Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology

Sources and review

Primary sources: iShares; prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.

Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.

HEWJ risks and drawbacks

HEWJ's current distribution rate is moderate, not a high-yield payout — the strategy is dividend quality more than maximum income. Payments are semi-annual, so cash flow is lumpy versus a monthly fund. Total return has trailed SPY over the available window. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 10.4%.

Who may consider HEWJ — and who may not

It is a weaker fit for investors who need monthly cash flow (HEWJ pays semi-annual); investors hunting double-digit covered-call yields; investors whose main goal is matching SPY total return. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

More on HEWJ

• All tickers starting with H

Tagged: Hedged, International.

Frequently asked questions

More securities from iShares.