At a glance
AIA charges 0.5% a year, above the 0.41% average of the 5 funds most like it (the 3rd cheapest of 6). It has $5.22B in assets, the 5th largest of that group; it paid 1.63% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, semiannual. Over the past year it returned +33.9% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 3rd of those 6 funds; over three years it returned +38.0% a year. At its worst it fell 24.7% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 38.5% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 3 months and 24 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 67.2% of the fund, out of 57 in all.
The short version
iShares Asia 50 ETF (AIA) is a BlackRock index fund that tracks the S&P Asia 50 Capped Index: 50 large companies listed in Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore. It is unusually concentrated. As of June 30, 2026, Taiwan Semiconductor made up 24.1% and Samsung Electronics about 19%. Its 0.50% annual expense ratio is below AAXJ's 0.72%. It is well above the 0.07%–0.09% of large emerging-markets index funds.
Price history
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AIA +33.9% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIA official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +47.01% | — | +4.69% | +10.99% | — |
| S And P Developed ex U S Broad Market Index Net index, same period | — | +34.35% | — | +8.57% | +8.46% | — |
| S And P Asia 50 Capped Index Spliced index, same period | — | +46.56% | — | +5.24% | +11.64% | — |
| AIA price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +34.8% | +33.9% | +38.0% | +12.5% | +12.7% | +7.7% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, AIA returned +33.9%, 3rd of 6 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +12.5% and its 10-year +12.7%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 24.7% and regained its old high 3.4 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2008 (-46.3%); its best was 2009 (+60.9%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 60.9% (Dec 6, 2007 to Nov 20, 2008), recovered by Apr 4, 2011.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +34.8% | — |
| 2025 | +47.8% | +47.01% |
| 2024 | +20.3% | +20.42% |
| 2023 | +4.3% | +4.84% |
| 2022 | -24.1% | -24.07% |
| 2021 | -10.9% | -10.75% |
| 2020 | +33.8% | +34.03% |
| 2019 | +22.2% | +21.84% |
| 2018 | -14.2% | -13.94% |
| 2017 | +45.0% | +43.51% |
| 2016 | +12.0% | +11.82% |
| 2015 | -7.7% | — |
| 2014 | +0.3% | — |
| 2013 | +1.9% | — |
| 2012 | +25.5% | — |
| 2011 | -14.2% | — |
| 2010 | +19.6% | — |
| 2009 | +60.9% | — |
| 2008 | -46.3% | — |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 22.5% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 24.7%, back to its old high 3.4 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 35.7% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 38.5%, back to its old high 23.9 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.5100 | |
| 2025 | $2.4500 | +29.6% |
| 2024 | $1.8900 | +57.5% |
| 2023 | $1.2000 | -18.4% |
| 2022 | $1.4700 | +24.6% |
| 2021 | $1.1800 | +21.6% |
| 2020 | $0.9700 | -34.5% |
| 2019 | $1.4800 | +7.2% |
| 2018 | $1.3800 | +43.8% |
| 2017 | $0.9600 | -9.4% |
| 2016 | $1.0600 | -13.1% |
| 2015 | $1.2200 | +16.2% |
| 2014 | $1.0500 | +6.1% |
| 2013 | $0.9900 | +8.8% |
| 2012 | $0.9100 | -22.2% |
| 2011 | $1.1700 | +58.1% |
| 2010 | $0.7400 | +48.0% |
| 2009 | $0.5000 | -29.6% |
| 2008 | $0.7100 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 57 securities; the ten largest made up 67.23% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited | 24.09% | |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 17.20% | |
| SK hynix Inc. | 5.34% | |
| Tencent Holdings Limited | 4.38% | |
| MediaTek Inc. | 4.34% | |
| Alibaba Group Holding Limited | 3.50% | |
| DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC. | 2.40% | |
| CHINA CONSTRUCTION BANK CORPORATION | 2.03% | |
| SK Square Co., Ltd. | 1.99% | |
| AIA Group Limited | 1.95% | |
| HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD. | 1.93% | |
| DBS GROUP HOLDINGS LTD | 1.92% | |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 1.79% | |
| ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd. | 1.57% | |
| OVERSEA-CHINESE BANKING CORPORATION LIMITED | 1.47% |
By country
Taiwan 38.48%South Korea 30.76%Cayman Islands 13.04%China 8.48%Singapore 4.79%By asset type
Stocks 99.56%Preferred stock 0.18%Other 0.03%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors added a net $673.0M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +16.86%, +14.64%, +1.06%.
How it works
AIA follows the S&P Asia 50 Capped Index, which is built by S&P Dow Jones Indices. The index picks 50 leading blue-chip companies listed in four markets: Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. It weights them by float-adjusted market capitalization. That means bigger companies get bigger weights, counting only shares the public can trade. Chinese companies listed in Hong Kong are included, such as Tencent, Alibaba and China Construction Bank.
A few giants dominate these markets, so the index applies caps at each quarterly rebalance. No single issuer can exceed 22.5%. Companies above 4.5% each cannot add up to more than 45%. Prices move between rebalances, so weights can drift past the caps. As of June 30, 2026, Taiwan Semiconductor was 24.1% of the fund and the 10 largest positions totaled 67.2%. Taiwan (38.5%) and South Korea (30.8%) made up most of the portfolio.
BlackRock uses representative sampling. This means it may hold a sample of index stocks whose overall profile matches the index, rather than every name. At least 80% of assets must be in index components. The fund may use futures (tiny positions as of June 30, 2026) and hold cash. It may also lend out up to one-third of its assets. Portfolio turnover, the share of holdings replaced in a year, was 33%.
What it really costs
- AIA charges 0.5% a year, versus an average of 0.41% for the similar funds below (3rd of 6, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $51 in the first year and $628 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIA | $51 | $160 | $280 | $628 |
In a retirement portfolio
Its heavy weighting in a few Asian chipmakers and past losses of up to 60.9% point to a small, higher-risk slice of a portfolio rather than a core position.
Two chipmakers, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (24.1%) and Samsung Electronics (17.2%), made up a large share of AIA as of June 30, 2026, so the fund is a concentrated bet on Asian tech. In the 2008 financial crisis it lost 60.9% and took until April 2011 to recover; 2008 was its worst calendar year, down 46.3%. It fell 24.7% in the 2020 COVID crash and recovered in 3.4 months, but its 38.5% drop in 2022 took 23.9 months to win back. Retirees selling during such stretches lock in losses.
It yielded 1.63% over the past year as of October 27, 2026, paid twice a year. The 0.50% expense ratio (yearly fee) is above the 0.41% average of similar funds; the SEC's standard example puts costs at $628 over 10 years on $10,000. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors seeking focused exposure to Asia's largest chip and tech firms, led by Taiwan Semiconductor, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.
- Investors adding a small Asian slice to a broad portfolio who prefer AIA's 0.50% fee over AAXJ's 0.72%.
- Long-term holders who can wait out deep drops, like the 38.5% fall in 2022 that took 23.9 months to recover.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (0.07%) and iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (0.09%) charge far less.
- Those wanting wide diversification: AIA covers only four markets, and its top 10 holdings were 67.2% as of June 30, 2026.
- Income seekers: the trailing yield was 1.63% as of October 27, 2026, and it pays only twice a year.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIA this fund | — | 0.5% | $5.22B | +33.9% | +38.0% |
| AAXJ iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex-Japan ETF | 57% | 0.72% | $3.72B | +15.1% | +23.3% |
| IEMG iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 41% | 0.09% | $160.90B | +11.7% | +19.8% |
| EWT iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF | 35% | 0.59% | $11.76B | +67.5% | +42.5% |
| VWO Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF | 33% | 0.07% | $162.04B | +3.3% | +16.8% |
| EWY iShares MSCI South Korea ETF | 29% | 0.59% | $27.72B | +59.9% | +41.1% |
Questions investors ask
What stocks are in the AIA ETF?
AIA tracks an index of 50 large companies from Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore. As of June 30, 2026, the largest holdings were Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (24.1%), Samsung Electronics (17.2%, plus 1.8% in a second share class), SK hynix (5.3%), Tencent (4.4%), MediaTek (4.3%) and Alibaba (3.5%). The top 10 made up 67.2% of the fund. By country, Taiwan was 38.5% and South Korea 30.8%.
What's the difference between AIA and AAXJ?
AIA is cheaper and limited to 50 companies in four markets. The iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex-Japan ETF (AAXJ) follows an MSCI index of Asia excluding Japan. About 57% of their holdings overlap. AIA charges 0.50% a year, compared with 0.72% for AAXJ. Over the year to October 27, 2026, AIA returned 33.9% and AAXJ 15.1%. Much of AIA's lead came from its heavy weight in Taiwan Semiconductor and Samsung, and that concentration can also hurt in a downturn.
Does AIA pay dividends?
Yes. AIA pays dividends twice a year. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid $2.14 per share, a trailing yield of 1.63%. That is a modest yield, so the fund works more as a growth holding than an income source. Its companies earn and pay in local currencies, so a stronger US dollar can shrink the payouts once they are converted to dollars.
How has AIA performed over 10 years?
According to its prospectus, AIA returned 10.99% a year over the 10 years through December 31, 2025. Its index returned 11.64%. The path was uneven. The five-year figure was just 4.69% a year, after losses of 10.75% in 2021 and 24.07% in 2022, followed by a 47.01% gain in 2025. Measured through October 27, 2026, the 10-year annualized return was 12.7%.
Is AIA a risky ETF?
Yes, it is riskier than a broad stock fund. As of October 27, 2026, its one-year volatility, a measure of how widely returns swing, was 33.9%. Its beta was 1.87, meaning it tended to move almost twice as much as the overall market. It fell 60.9% from December 2007 to November 2008 and 38.5% in 2022. Key risks are its reliance on two chipmakers, currency swings against the US dollar, and political and economic events in Asia.