EQ8 Dow Jones Malaysia Titans 25 ETF (0821EA) — Malaysia's First Shariah ETF

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Fund Overview

Asia's pioneering Shariah ETF — 18 years on Bursa

The EQ8 Dow Jones Islamic Market Malaysia Titans 25 ETF (stock code: 0821EA) holds a unique place in history — it was the first Shariah-compliant ETF listed in Asia, launched on 31 January 2008. In the 18 years since, it has become Malaysia's go-to instrument for investors seeking broad, low-cost exposure to the country's largest Shariah-compliant blue chips.

The fund tracks the Dow Jones Islamic Market Malaysia Titans 25 Index, maintained by S&P Dow Jones Indices. The index selects the 25 largest market-capitalisation Shariah-compliant stocks listed on Bursa Malaysia — representing the backbone of the Malaysian Shariah equity market across utilities, plantations, healthcare, telecommunications, and infrastructure.

⚡ What makes 0821EA different from 0824EA?

0821EA (Titans 25) is a size-weighted index of the 25 largest Shariah stocks — more concentrated, blue-chip focused, semi-annual distributions. 0824EA (EQ8MID) is a dividend-yield-weighted index targeting the highest dividend payers. The Titans 25 has more capital appreciation potential; the Malaysia Islamic Dividend ETF targets higher income yield. Both are Shariah-compliant Malaysian equities — they just select and weight differently.

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Live Price Chart

NAV / Unit Price

RM 0.8650

as at 31 Jan 2026

Fund Size (AUM)

RM 136.64M

MYR-denominated

Annual Fee (TER)

0.49%

per annum

⚠ NAV as at 31 Jan 2026 · Official fund factsheet · Always verify live price before trading

📊 Live Chart ↗ Bursa Malaysia ↗

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Fund Performance

Cumulative returns in MYR · As at 31 January 2026

Fund / Index	YTD	1 Month	3 Month	6 Month	1 Year	3 Year	5 Year	Since Inception**
EQ8MY25 (NAV)	+0.32%	+0.32%	-0.64%	+5.73%	+3.51%	+0.66%	-20.05%	+1.81%
DJ Malaysia Titans 25 Index	+0.29%	+0.29%	+0.61%	+6.57%	+2.92%	-0.76%	-22.56%	-5.69%

**Since 30 January 2008. Source: Novagni Analytics Advisory Sdn Bhd. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

📌 Context: Why the 5-year return is negative

The -20.05% five-year return reflects a challenging period for Malaysian blue-chip equities. The KLCI has underperformed regional peers since 2020. However, the fund has outperformed its own benchmark index over every time horizon shown — indicating good tracking and slight alpha from rebalancing. The since-inception return of +1.81% (vs index -5.69%) highlights the fund manager's execution quality over 18 years.

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Top 10 Holdings

Weightings as at 31 January 2026 — official fund factsheet. 25 total holdings.

#1 Holding

TENAGA

Tenaga Nasional Berhad

12.59%

#2 Holding

PRESS METAL

Press Metal Aluminium Hldgs

8.85%

#3 Holding

IHH

IHH Healthcare Berhad

8.75%

#4 Holding

GAMUDA

Gamuda Berhad

8.17%

#5 Holding

SD GUTHRIE

SD Guthrie Berhad

6.88%

#6 Holding

TELEKOM

Telekom Malaysia Berhad

6.03%

#7 Holding

PETGAS

Petronas Gas Berhad

5.62%

#8 Holding

IOICORP

IOI Corporation Berhad

4.06%

#9 Holding

KL KEPONG

Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd

3.64%

#10 Holding

CELCOMDIGI

CelcomDigi Berhad

3.50%

Holdings and weightings as at 31 January 2026 (official fund factsheet). 25 constituents total. Rebalanced periodically per S&P Dow Jones index methodology.

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Sector Breakdown

Bursa Malaysia sector classification · as at 31 January 2026

💡 What this sector mix means for investors

Utilities (18.23%) and Plantations (17.63%) dominate — both are defensive, income-generating sectors that provide stability. Healthcare (12.60%, led by IHH) adds growth potential. Telco & Media (12.38%) provides dividend yield. The absence of Financials is notable: conventional banks like Maybank don't qualify under Shariah screening. This makes 0821EA meaningfully different from the conventional KLCI.

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Income Distribution History

Semi-annual distributions · paid since 2008

2025 Distribution

1.50sen

Final only

6-Year Avg

1.76sen

Per year (2020–2025)

Frequency

Semi-Annual

Jun & Dec typically

Year	Interim (sen)	Final (sen)	Total (sen)
2025	—	1.50	1.50
2024	—	1.40	1.40
2023	—	1.70	1.70
2022	—	1.81	1.81
2021	—	2.37	2.37
2020	—	1.81	1.81

⚠️ Distributions are not guaranteed

The amount distributed each year depends on dividends and income earned by the underlying 25 companies. 2021's 2.37 sen reflects strong corporate earnings recovery post-COVID. The 2024–2025 reduction to 1.40–1.50 sen reflects softer corporate earnings in the portfolio. The fund may choose not to distribute in any given year.

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Fees & Costs

Total cost of owning this ETF

Fee Type	Rate	Note
Management Fee	0.400% p.a.	Annual management fee
Trustee Fee	0.050% p.a.	Paid to Deutsche Trustees Malaysia Berhad
Index License Fee	0.040% p.a.	Paid to S&P Dow Jones Indices
Total Annual Fees (TER)	0.49% p.a.	Silently deducted from NAV daily
Brokerage	Varies	~0.05–0.10% per trade (broker-dependent)

💡 How does 0.49% TER compare?

At 0.49% p.a., 0821EA is significantly cheaper than most Malaysian unit trusts (1.5–2.5% p.a.) and cheaper than many regional ETFs. On a RM 50,000 portfolio, the annual fee is just RM 245 — vs RM 750–1,250 for a typical unit trust. Calculate your exact fee savings →

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How to Buy 0821EA

5 simple steps — takes less than a week to set up

Open a CDS & Trading Account

You need a licensed Malaysian stockbroker. Good options: Rakuten Trade (low fees, fully online), moomoo, or Maybank IB. Account opening is free and takes 1–3 business days. A CDS (Central Depository System) account is opened automatically alongside the trading account.

Fund Your Account

Transfer MYR to your broker's account via online banking (FPX or bank transfer). Most brokers have no minimum deposit for ETF trading. The minimum purchase is 100 units on Bursa — at ~RM 1.02/unit, that's around RM 102 minimum plus brokerage.

Search for Stock Code 0821EA

In your broker's trading platform, search for 0821EA or EQ8MY25. Confirm you're looking at the ETF (not a warrant or other instrument). Check the live bid/ask spread before placing your order.

Place a Limit Order

Use a limit order (not market order) to control your purchase price. Set your limit close to the current ask price. ETF prices can deviate slightly from NAV intraday — avoid buying during the first 15 minutes after market open when spreads are widest.

Monitor & Collect Distributions

0821EA pays semi-annual cash distributions. These are credited to your bank account on record — you don't need to do anything. Monitor the fund via eq8.com.my for monthly factsheets and announcement updates on Bursa.

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0821EA vs Other Malaysian Shariah ETFs

How does Titans 25 compare to the other EQ8 Malaysia funds?

Feature	0821EA Titans 25	0824EA Malaysia Div	0839EA WAQF
Strategy	Top 25 by market cap	High dividend yield	Dividend + Waqf
Holdings	25	21	34
TER	0.49%	0.505%	0.74%
Distributions	Semi-Annual	Annual	Annual + Waqf
Fund Size	RM 136.64M	RM 23.86M	RM 1.43M
Index Provider	S&P Dow Jones	MSCI Inc.	FTSE Russell
Best for	Blue chip Malaysia exposure	Max dividend income	Social impact + income

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about EQ8 Malaysia Titans 25

Is 0821EA the same as investing in the KLCI? +

No — they are quite different. The FBM KLCI is Malaysia's benchmark index of the 30 largest companies by market cap, including conventional banks like Maybank, CIMB, and Public Bank. Since 0821EA is Shariah-screened, it excludes all conventional financial institutions, which make up a significant chunk of the KLCI. 0821EA also only holds 25 stocks vs 30 in the KLCI. The result is a meaningfully different portfolio — more weighted to utilities, plantations, and healthcare.

Why does 0821EA pay semi-annual distributions instead of quarterly or monthly? +

The underlying companies in the portfolio pay dividends at various points throughout the year. The fund manager collects these dividends and distributes them to unitholders twice a year — typically mid-year (June) and year-end (December). Semi-annual is the standard structure for Malaysian ETFs. If you need monthly income, a fixed deposit or sukuk might be a better fit alongside this ETF.

What happened to the fund's performance in 2020–2024? +

Malaysian equities broadly underperformed during 2020–2024 relative to regional and global peers. The KLCI was flat to negative over this period while US and ASEAN markets recovered more strongly. 0821EA reflects this — the -20.05% five-year return is a function of the Malaysian market environment, not fund mismanagement. The fund actually outperformed its own benchmark over the same period (+1.81% since inception vs -5.69% for the index), suggesting tight, disciplined tracking.

Can I hold 0821EA in my EPF Account 3? +

As of 2024, EPF's Account 3 (Flexible Account) allows withdrawals for approved investments. However, direct ETF purchases are not currently in EPF's approved investment panel — EPF's approved unit trust route is through specific licensed fund management companies. You would need to use EPF savings that have been withdrawn to a regular brokerage account. Check with EPF and your broker for the latest approved schemes.

Is 0821EA suitable for a retirement portfolio? +

It can form part of one. For a Malaysian investor seeking Shariah-compliant local equity exposure, 0821EA offers: low fees (0.49%), semi-annual income, and broad diversification across Malaysia's largest blue chips. However, given the 5-year return of -20.05%, it is not a low-volatility holding — equities carry market risk and can decline. A balanced approach might pair 0821EA with a gold ETF (0828EA) or sukuk fund for stability. Never invest money you cannot afford to leave invested for 5+ years.

How often does the index rebalance? +

The Dow Jones Islamic Market Malaysia Titans 25 Index is reviewed periodically by S&P Dow Jones Indices — typically semi-annually. At each review, companies are assessed against Shariah screens and market capitalisation rankings. Companies that fall below the top 25 or fail Shariah screening are removed and replaced. The fund manager then adjusts the fund's holdings accordingly. The factsheet (published monthly on the fund manager's website) always reflects the current constituents.