ASEA picks the largest and most liquid stocks from the 5 founding nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The index is limited to 40 stocks, and as a result, some countries don't receive the exposure they deserve. For example, the fund may hold only a handful of Filipino companies. To be eligible for index inclusion, a company must be a member of the FTSE All World Country Index for Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia or the Philippines. The fund's small basket also creates a portfolio that is extremely top-heavy in mega-caps, especially in the financials sectorsomething investors should be leery of.