The Asian Times has published a nice article about using ETFs to short the Asian markets, and others.  It provides a well-written description of how ETFs can be used by almost any market participant regardless of timeframe and risk appetite.  Here’s what the author, Julian Delasantellis. says about ETFs that attempt to track Asian indexes.

Here, also, there are a huge number of ETF selections, from the iShares/MSCI Japan Index, EWJ, to ETFs that invest in all Asian stock markets except Japan, such as the iShares/MSCI Pacific ex-Japan, EPP.

Owning individual Chinese stocks are fine if, should you live in the Western Hemisphere, you don’t like to get a lot of sleep at night.

Owning an ETF comprised of a broad basket of Chinese stocks, such as the Power Shares Golden Dragon Halter USX China Fund, PGJ, might allow you some sleep at night.

Moving with the sun, you can do Thailand with the iShares/MSCI Thailand product, THD, Malaysia with the iShares Malaysia Index, EWM, and at least a half dozen India based ETFs. Israel’s booming high-tech centered economy can be played through with EIS, Turkey’s with TUR, South Africa’s with EZA. For a piece of what may be finance capitalism’s final great frontier, you might look at the S&P SPDR Emerging Middle East and Africa Fund, GAF.   Read More….