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These 3 Country ETFs Are Big Beneficiaries of the Iran CeasefireAuthored by Dan Schmidt. Originally Published: 4/13/2026. 
Key Points
- The ceasefire in Iran has sent markets around the globe soaring once again.
- International stocks in energy-starved markets are likely to get the biggest boost in the coming weeks.
- Investors turning to international markets like Germany, South Korea, and Japan could reap the highest gains.
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The tenuous ceasefire in Iran has the S&P 500 roaring back to life, reversing a month-long decline that had put consumers and investors on edge. However, the jump in U.S. stocks may have obscured the true beneficiaries: international markets that rely on energy imports to fuel their economies. If the ceasefire leads to a resumption of normal oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, investors could see outperformance in select foreign markets. Germany, South Korea, and Japan look particularly well positioned — here’s why. Heavy Energy Import Needs Made These Nations VulnerableMarkets around the world (except the energy sector) took a hit when the United States launched strikes on Iran at the end of February, but the declines were uneven. While U.S. investors felt some pain — the S&P 500 lost roughly 10% in less than a month — Europe and Asia fared worse. The European STOXX 600 fell about 12% over the same period, the Nikkei dropped nearly 15%, and South Korea’s KOSPI plunged roughly 25% during the conflict.
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European and Asian markets suffered larger losses because of their dependence on imported energy. The United States is relatively insulated from the worst of a supply shock, but many European and Asian economies lack the domestic capacity to blunt massive interruptions. These countries run major industrial economies that depend on comparatively inexpensive energy imports, mostly from the Persian Gulf. For example, South Korea imports more than 95% of its oil and is one of the world’s largest importers of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Its economy is driven by exports of energy-intensive products such as cars, semiconductors, and chemicals. Japan imports more than 90% of its oil and has a similarly export-dependent industrial base. Tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remains stalled, but prospects for reopening have sent stock indices in Europe and Asia higher in early April. The situation is still fluid, and the ceasefire — according to the U.S. delegation — is admittedly fragile. Still, optimism is abundant in these energy-starved markets, and normalization of traffic would deliver outsized benefits to the hardest-hit sectors. If the Iran conflict is indeed winding down, Germany, South Korea, and Japan are likely to see the greatest market upside. Rather than picking individual stocks, a practical way to play this theme is through country-specific ETFs that provide broad market exposure. Global X DAX Germany ETFThe Global X DAX Germany ETF (NASDAQ: DAX) is a strong option for exposure to German equities thanks to a low expense ratio and a composition similar to the iShares MSCI Germany ETF (NYSE: EWG). DAX has just over $250 million in assets under management (AUM), compared with EWG’s roughly $1.38 billion. What DAX lacks in scale it offsets with lower costs: a 0.20% expense ratio versus EWG’s 0.50%. DAX still trades an average of more than 60,000 shares daily and allocates nearly 30% of its holdings to Germany’s industrial sector, which includes energy-intensive companies such as automakers, petrochemical firms, and defense contractors. 
A bullish crossover in the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator suggests downward momentum may be reversing, and the fund has rallied nearly 10% from its March 27 low. The 50-day moving average is the next key level for DAX; a sustained move above it could trigger another buying wave. Franklin FTSE South Korea ETFSouth Korean markets are heavily tilted toward technology, driven largely by two semiconductor giants that together account for more than 40% of the major cap-weighted indices. An investment in South Korea is effectively an investment in SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS: SSNLF). The Franklin FTSE South Korea ETF (NYSE: FLKR) offers an affordable way to get that exposure. FLKR charges a very low 0.09% expense ratio — notable for an international fund. Technology makes up more than 47% of its holdings, with industrials representing about 15%. Investors have already moved back into this market: the ETF has reclaimed its 50-day moving average, and the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has pushed back into bullish territory. Taken together, these technical signals suggest the semiconductor-led rally may be restarting. The iShares MSCI Japan ETFThe iShares MSCI Japan ETF (NYSE: EWJ) is the priciest fund on this list (0.50% expense ratio), but its holdings are more concentrated in tech and industrials than those of the cheaper Franklin FTSE Japan ETF (NYSE: FLJP). Those sectors stand to benefit most from normalized oil flows, making EWJ a likely outperformer if traffic through the Strait reopens. Nearly 20% of the fund's assets are in banks, with tech at 18.8% and industrials at 16.8%. You also get the liquidity of a $19.8 billion AUM fund that trades more than 10 million shares on average each day. 
Like South Korea, technical indicators point to returning bullish momentum in Japan. EWJ found support at the 200-day moving average, and a bullish MACD crossover helped push the ETF back above the 50-day moving average. Those are encouraging signs for Japan, which has seen a broad stock market resurgence in recent years. |
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