iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF (EWM) to Switch Index With New Concentration Limits

BlackRock's iShares has announced that the iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF (EWM) will switch its underlying benchmark from the MSCI Malaysia Index to the MSCI Malaysia 25/50 Index, effective around December 1, 2026. The new benchmark will continue tracking large- and mid-cap Malaysian equities while introducing concentration limits. Individual corporate groups will be capped at 25% of index weight, while groups exceeding 5% cannot collectively represent more than 50%. The index will remain free-float market-cap weighted and rebalance quarterly using an optimization process designed to minimize deviations from the broader MSCI Malaysia Index. As of August 31, 2026, the new benchmark had approximately 21 constituents, with significant exposure to the financial sector. The change introduces additional concentration controls while maintaining broad exposure to Malaysia's equity market.