Compare iShares MSCI South Africa ETF (EZA) vs Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLB) Price & Performance
Price performance (Past 24H)
Key statistics
Key statistics
iShares MSCI South Africa ETF vs Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund — how do they compare? iShares MSCI South Africa ETF trades at $63.5 (market cap $455.34M), while Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund trades at $49.45 (market cap $7.73B). The key difference: Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund is far larger — about 17× iShares MSCI South Africa ETF's market cap, and Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund is trading nearer its 52-week high, iShares MSCI South Africa ETF nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold iShares MSCI South Africa ETF for 70 Days and Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund for 70 Days on average.
| EZA | XLB | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $455.34M | $7.73B |
Volume | 148,692 | 13,681,146 |
Sector | Broad Market / Factor | — |
52-Week High | $81.60 | $53.67 |
52-Week Low | $60.43 | $42.23 |
Typical Hold Time | 70 Days | 70 Days |
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
EZA trades at $62.29, down 2.15% today, with a bearish technical signal driven by moving averages. The ETF's portfolio faces headwinds from global reflation impacting its heavy exposure to South African gold, banking, and platinum group metals. Key oscillators like the 6-day and 12-day relative strength index indicate oversold conditions, suggesting potential for a near-term bounce, but the average directional index signals a strong downtrend.
The outlook is cautious due to macroeconomic pressures on constituent companies, with risks from higher capital costs and commodity price volatility. Investment opportunity hinges on a reversal in global yield curves and commodity markets, but current sentiment remains negative amid sell-side dominance and lack of positive fundamental catalysts.
XLB, the Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF, trades at $48.98, down 1.51% on the day, with a bearish technical signal driven by moving averages and key indicators like ADX signaling strong selling pressure. The ETF's portfolio is heavily concentrated in chemicals (49% of assets), and recent news highlights sector volatility amid broader market challenges outside of tech. A dividend of $0.23 is scheduled for September 2026, but financial ratios are currently unavailable.
The outlook for XLB is cautious due to technical weakness and sector cyclicality, though long-term infrastructure and AI-related demand offer potential upside. Risks include economic sensitivity and high concentration, while investor sentiment remains mixed with some analysts seeing value in materials as an AI-resistant play.
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Investor sentiment on Pluang
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Investor sentiment on Pluang
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
About iShares MSCI South Africa ETF
EZA is a country-specific ETF that tracks the South African equity market. It provides exposure to large and mid-cap companies across key sectors like materials and financials, with top holdings such as AngloGold Ashanti and Naspers.
Read more on EZA →About Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund
In seeking to track the performance of the index, the fund employs a replication strategy. It generally invests substantially all, but at least 95%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index includes securities of companies from the following industries: chemicals; metals and mining; paper and forest products; containers and packaging; and construction materials. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on XLB →
