iShares MSCI Germany ETF launched in 1996 and has $1B in assets, tracking 56 large and mid-sized German companies. The fund has performed well on a trailing 1- year basis, and its industrials' exposure is poised to benefit from a lower interest rate environment. I currently rate EWG as a buy based on the significance of the German economy and the potential for outperformance on the back of a European recovery.
EWG offers an easy way to gain exposure to the German stock market. US investors using dollar-denominated ETFs like EWG are experiencing significant underperformance due to currency effects. The investment case for buying EWG is not compelling due to political uncertainty, slow economic growth and the lack of a currency hedge.