Snapshot
- Seeks alpha in Asia’s emerging economies by capitalizing on the rising Asia consumer
- High-conviction equity portfolio focused on sustainable growth companies
- All-cap fundamental approach driven by on-the-ground, proprietary research
30/04/2010
Inception Date
-8.62%
YTD Return (USD)
(as of 04/10/2023)
$17.39
NAV (USD)
(as of 04/10/2023)
-0.09
1 Day NAV Change
(as of 04/10/2023)
Objective
Seeks to achieve long term capital appreciation.
Sustainability
The Fund promotes environmental and social characteristics according to Article 8 of SFDR. Furthermore, the Fund uses both activity- and norm-based exclusions. Information relating to the environmental and social characteristics of this Fund is available in the prospectus.
Strategy
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, directly or indirectly, at least 65% of its total net assets, in equities of companies located in Asia, and may invest the remainder of its net assets in other permitted assets on a worldwide basis. For the purpose of this policy, Asia includes China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Risks
The value of an investment in the Fund can go down as well as up and possible loss of principal is a risk of investing. Investments in international, emerging and frontier market securities may involve risks such as social and political instability, market illiquidity, exchange-rate fluctuations, a high level of volatility and limited regulation, which may adversely affect the value of the Fund's assets. The Fund invests in holdings denominated in foreign currencies, and is exposed to the risk that the value of the foreign currency will increase or decrease. The Fund invests primarily in equity securities, which may result in increased volatility.
These and other risks associated with investing in the Fund can be found in the prospectus.
Fund Facts
| Inception Date | 30/04/2010 | |
| Fund Assets | $333.49 million (31/08/2023) | |
| Base Currency | USD | |
| ISIN: | LU0491816475 (USD) LU0594555756 (GBP) LU0491816129 (EUR) LU1576347550 (JPY) | |
| Bloomberg Symbol | MATAPTI:LX (USD) MATAPGI:LX (GBP) MAPTFIE:LX (EUR) MPACTIJ:LX (JPY) | |
| Benchmark | MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index | |
| Geographic Focus | Asia Ex Japan: Consists of all countries and markets in Asia, excluding Japan but including all developed, emerging and frontier countries and markets in Asia | |
| SFDR Classification | Article 8 | |
Fees & Expenses
| Management Fee | 0.75% | |
| Total Expense Ratio As of 31/03/2022 | 0.90% ( USD ) 0.90% ( GBP ) 0.90% ( EUR ) 0.90% ( JPY ) | |
| Objective | Seeks to achieve long term capital appreciation. |
| Strategy | The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, directly or indirectly, at least 65% of its total net assets, in equities of companies located in Asia, and may invest the remainder of its net assets in other permitted assets on a worldwide basis. For the purpose of this policy, Asia includes China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. |
| Risks |
The value of an investment in the Fund can go down as well as up and possible loss of principal is a risk of investing. Investments in international, emerging and frontier market securities may involve risks such as social and political instability, market illiquidity, exchange-rate fluctuations, a high level of volatility and limited regulation, which may adversely affect the value of the Fund's assets. The Fund invests in holdings denominated in foreign currencies, and is exposed to the risk that the value of the foreign currency will increase or decrease. The Fund invests primarily in equity securities, which may result in increased volatility.
The risks associated with investing in the Fund can be found in the prospectus |
Performance
- Monthly
- Quarterly
- Calendar Year
- Rolling 12 Month
Returns
As of 31/08/2023
As of 30/06/2023
For the years ended December 31st
For the period ended 30/06/2023
Source: Brown Brothers Harriman (Luxembourg) S.C.A.
Since inception performance for share classes with less than one year of history represents actual performance, not annualised. In addition, for share classes less than a year old, Year to Date Return is calculated since inception. Where no past performance is shown there was insufficient data available in that year to provide performance.
Performance details provided are based on a NAV-to-NAV basis with any dividends reinvested, and are net of management fees and other expenses. Performance data has been calculated in the respective currencies stated above, including ongoing charges and excluding subscription fee and redemption fee you might have to pay.
All performance quoted represents past performance and is not indicative of future performance. Investors may not get back the full amount invested. Investors investing in funds denominated in non-local currency should be aware of the risk of currency exchange fluctuations that may cause a loss of principal.
Additional performance, attribution, liquidity, value at risk (VaR), security classification and holdings information is available on request for certain time periods.
Portfolio Characteristics
(as of 31/08/2023)Sources: Factset Research Systems, Inc.
Risk Metrics (3 Yr Return)
(as of 31/08/2023)-1.55%
Alpha
1.04
Beta
100.14%
Upside Capture
105.59%
Downside Capture
-0.29
Sharpe Ratio
-0.44
Information Ratio
4.03%
Tracking Error
96.22
R²
Fund Risk Metrics are reflective of Class I USD ACC shares.
Sources: Zephyr StyleADVISOR
Top 10 Holdings
(as of 31/08/2023)Top 10 holdings may combine more than one security from the same issuer and related depositary receipts.
Source: Brown Brothers Harriman (Luxembourg) S.C.A
Portfolio Breakdown (%)
(as of 31/08/2023)- Sector Allocation
- Country Allocation
- Asset Type Breakdown
- Market Cap Exposure
Sector data based on MSCI’s revised Global Industry Classification Standards. For more details, visit www.msci.com.
Not all countries are included in the benchmark index(es).
Source: FactSet Research Systems.
Percentage values in data are rounded to the nearest tenth of one percent, so the values may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.
ESG Characteristics
(as of 30/06/2023)- Business Involvement
- Sustainability Attributes
Board Diversity: Represents the weighted average ratio of female board members in investee companies.
Tobacco: Represents companies that generate revenue from tobacco manufacturing or production or that generate more than 50% of revenue from tobacco retail.
UN Global Compact Violators: Represents companies that have been assessed as failing to comply with the 10 United Nations Global Compact Principles by ISS-ESG Norms-Based Research. Different ESG research providers may come to different conclusions on the severity of the violation.
Source: Sustainalytics, Factset, MSCI, Matthews Asia.
GHG Intensity
(as of 30/06/2023)Fund Coverage: 100%; Benchmark Coverage: 98% as of 30/06/2023
GHG Intensity: Represents the normalized portfolio’s total weighted average (scope 1 + scope 2) carbon emissions intensity, using the most recently available data (emissions data from 2020, 2021). Carbon intensity represents the issuer’s total carbon emissions per EUR million of revenue (tCO2e divided by EUR million in revenue).
Source: Sourced from ISS ESG. Where not covered by external data providers, we have tried to source these data points.
Sustainability-related Disclosures
| This Fund | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Complies with Article 8 of SFDR | ||
| Investment process integrates ESG factors and sustainability risks based on proprietary and third-party research | ||
| Applies norms- and activity-based exclusions | ||
| Promotes environmental and social characteristics | ||
| Has a sustainable investment objective | ||
| Conducts engagement | ||
| Exercises Voting Rights |
Investors should not invest in the Fund solely based on the information in this material alone. Please refer to the Prospectus for further details of the Fund’s investment objective and risk factors.
For more information, please refer to our Responsible Investment and Stewardship Policy and our Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation – Article 10.
Ratings
(as of 31/08/2023)
CATEGORY: Asia ex-Japan Equity
| OVERALL | 4 stars |
| 3 YEAR | 3 stars |
| 5 YEAR | 3 stars |
| 10 YEAR | 4 stars |
Morningstar Analyst Rating
SquareMile Rating Report
FundCalibre.com
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. High ratings and rankings does not assure favorable performance.
The Elite RatingTMsystem is proprietary to FundCalibre Ltd, but should not be taken as a recommendation.
Overall Morningstar RatingTM is reflective of the noted share class. Fund ratings represent an opinion only and are not a recommendation to buy or sell any fund. Copyright ©2023 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is provided for reference purposes only.
The Overall Morningstar®️ Rating for a fund is derived from a weighted-average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five- and (if applicable) ten-year ratings.
The Morningstar Analyst Rating™ is subjective in nature and reflects Morningstar's current expectations of future behavior of the fund. Morningstar does not guarantee that a fund will perform in line with its Rating. Likewise, the Rating should not be seen as a guarantee/assessment of the creditworthiness of a fund or its underlying securities and should not be used as the sole basis for making any investment decisions.
Morningstar RatingTM for funds, or "star rating", is calculated for managed products (including mutual funds, variable annuity and variable life subaccounts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and separate accounts) with at least a three-year history. Exchange-traded funds and open-ended mutual funds are considered a single population for comparative purposes. It is calculated based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a managed product's monthly excess performance, placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The Morningstar Rating does not include any adjustment for sales loads. The top 10% of products in each product category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating for a managed product is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. The weights are: 100% three-year rating for 36-59 months of total returns, 60% five-year rating/40% three-year rating for 60-119 months of total returns, and 50% 10-year rating/30% five-year rating/20% three-year rating for 120 or more months of total returns. While the 10-year overall star rating formula seems to give the most weight to the 10-year period, the most recent three-year period actually has the greatest impact because it is included in all three rating periods.
Portfolio Managers
Sharat Shroff, CFA
Lead Manager
Sharat Shroff, CFA
Portfolio Manager
Sharat Shroff is a Portfolio Manager at Matthews and manages the firm’s Pacific Tiger and Asia ex Japan Total Return Equity Strategies and co-manages the India Strategy. Prior to joining Matthews in 2005, Sharat worked in the San Francisco and Hong Kong offices of Morgan Stanley as an Equity Research Associate. Sharat received a Bachelor of Technology from the Institute of Technology in Varanasi, India and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, in Calcutta, India. He is fluent in Hindi and Bengali.
Inbok Song
Lead Manager
Inbok Song
Portfolio Manager
Inbok Song is a Portfolio Manager at Matthews and manages the firm’s Pacific Tiger Strategy and co-manages the Asia ex Japan Total Return Equity, Emerging Markets Sustainable Future and Asia Innovators Strategies. Prior to rejoining Matthews in 2019, Inbok spent three years at Seafarer Capital Partners as a portfolio manager, the firm’s Director of Research and chief data scientist. Previously she was at Thornburg Investment Management as an associate portfolio manager. From 2007 to 2015, she was at Matthews, most recently as a portfolio manager. From 2005 to 2006, Inbok served as an Analyst and Technology Specialist at T. Stone Corp., a private equity firm in Seoul, South Korea. From 2004 to 2005, she was a research engineer for Samsung SDI in Seoul. Inbok received both a B.A. and Masters in Materials Science and Engineering from Seoul National University. She received a Masters in International Management from the University of London, King’s College, and also an M.A. in Management Science and Engineering, with a concentration in finance from Stanford University. Inbok is fluent in Korean.
Winnie Chwang
Co-Manager
Winnie Chwang
Portfolio Manager
Winnie Chwang is a Portfolio Manager at Matthews and manages the firm’s China Small Companies and China Dividend Strategies and co-manages the China, Pacific Tiger and Asia Dividend Strategies. She joined the firm in 2004 and has built her investment career at the firm. Winnie earned an MBA from the Haas School of Business and received her B.A. in Economics with a minor in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley. She is fluent in Mandarin and conversational in Cantonese.
Andrew Mattock, CFA
Co-Manager
Andrew Mattock, CFA
Portfolio Manager
Andrew Mattock is a Portfolio Manager at Matthews and manages the firm’s China, China Small Companies and China A-Share Strategies and co-manages the Pacific Tiger, China Dividend and Emerging Markets Equity Strategies. Prior to joining Matthews in 2015, he was a Fund Manager at Henderson Global Investors for 15 years, first in London and then in Singapore, managing Asia Pacific equities. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Business majoring in Accounting from ACU. He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and qualified as a Chartered Accountant.
Fund Literature
Factsheet Prospectus UK KIID (USD) UK KIID (GBP) UK KIID (EUR) UK KIID (JPY) KID (USD) KID (GBP) KID (EUR) KID (JPY) Sustainable Finance Disclosure RegulationTo find documents in additional languages, please visit the Fund Literature page in our Resources section.
Related Research & Insights
Performance figures discussed in the Fund Manager Commentary above reflect that of the Institutional Accumulation Class Shares and has been calculated in USD. Performance details provided for the Fund are based on a NAV-to-NAV basis, with any dividends reinvested, and are net of management fees and other expenses. Past performance information is not indicative of future performance. Investors may not get back the full amount invested.
The information contained herein has been derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation, but no representation or warranty (express or implied) is made as to the accuracy or completeness of any of this information. Matthews Asia and its affiliates do not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.
Information contained herein is sourced from Matthews Asia unless otherwise stated. The views and opinions in this commentary were as of the report date, subject to change and may not reflect the writer’s current views. They are not guarantees of performance or investment results and should not be taken as investment advice. Investment decisions reflect a variety of factors, and the managers reserve the right to change their views about individual stocks, sectors, and the markets at any time. As a result, the views expressed should not be relied upon as a forecast of the Fund’s future investment intent. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any securities mentioned.
Investors should not invest in the Fund solely based on the information in this material alone. Please refer to the Prospectus for further details of the risk factors.
The MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization–weighted index of the stock markets of China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
The MSCI All Country Asia Pacific Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization–weighted index of the stock markets of Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
The MSCI China Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index of Chinese equities that includes H shares listed on the Hong Kong exchange, B shares listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges, Hong Kong-listed securities known as Red chips (issued by entities owned by national or local governments in China) and P Chips (issued by companies controlled by individuals in China and deriving substantial revenues in China) and foreign listings (e.g. ADRs).
The MSCI China All Shares Index captures large and mid-cap representation across China A shares, B shares, H shares, Red chips (issued by entities owned by national or local governments in China), P chips (issued by companies controlled by individuals in China and deriving substantial revenues in China), and foreign listings (e.g. ADRs). The index aims to reflect the opportunity set of China share classes listed in Hong Kong,Shanghai, Shenzhen and outside of China.
The MSCI China A Onshore Index captures large and mid cap representation across China securities listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges. Index is for comparative purposes only and it is not possible to invest directly in an index.
The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index of the stock markets of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
The MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index that captures large and mid cap representation across 23 of the 24 Emerging Markets (EM) countries excluding China: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
The MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted small cap index of the stock markets of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungry, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
The S&P Bombay Stock Exchange 100 (S&P BSE 100) Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization–weighted index of 100 stocks listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.
The MSCI Japan Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization–weighted index of Japanese equities listed in Japan.
The MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization–weighted small cap index of the stock markets of China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
The MSCI China Small Cap Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted small cap index of the Chinese equity securities markets, including H shares listed on the Hong Kong exchange, B shares listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges,Hong Kong-listed securities known as Red Chips (issued by entities owned by national or local governments in China) and P Chips (issued by companies controlled by individuals in China and deriving substantial revenues in China), and foreign listings (e.g., ADRs).
The MSCI India Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index of Indian equities listed in India.
Indexes are for comparative purposes only and it is not possible to invest directly in an index.
Commentary
Period ended 30 June 2023
For the first half of 2023, the Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund returned -2.57%, while its benchmark, the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index, returned 3.19% over the same period. For the quarter ending 30 June 2023, the Fund returned -5.07%, while the benchmark returned -1.14%.
Market Environment:
The Asian markets have been on a roller coaster largely because of the gyrations in Chinese equities as the post-COVID boost to the local economy is proving to be more gradual than previously expected. China lagged considerably as market participants remained underwhelmed with the pace of China’s recovery which has proven to be more ‘slow and steady’ than a ‘consumption led boom’. As a result, Chinese equities were one of the worst performing during the quarter, and for the first half of the year. In addition, pessimistic sentiment in China has pushed the Chinese currency to its weakest level since October 2022, and close to its five-year lows versus the U.S. dollar. Contrary to expectations earlier in the year, Taiwanese and South Korean equities outperformed the rest of the region on the back of hopes for a recovery in semiconductor demand, and benign valuations.
Property and consumer stocks were among the weaker sectors year-to-date, largely reflecting the tepid recovery in China. Small caps outperformed large cap as ongoing geopolitical risks continued to push the embedded risk-premium in overseas listed Chinese American Depository Receipts (ADRs), many of which are larger sized stocks. Most of the Asian currencies weakened as rising interest rates spurred the U.S. dollar, while central banks in Asia have largely stopped raises rates.
Performance Contributors and Detractors:
From a country perspective, stock selection in China was the biggest detractor to performance during the quarter, and year-to-date periods, as the portfolio’s consumer related holdings continued their underperformance amid overall macroeconomic concerns on the pace of consumption recovery. However, we believe these companies are well positioned to lead the economic recovery over time given their resilient earnings. Stock selection in the Philippines also detracted from relative performance during the first half. On the other hand, stock selection in South Korea contributed positively. The positive performance was attributed to the combination of better-than-expected earnings in small-cap auto component and electronics companies. Indian consumer discretionary companies also contributed positively with continued strong earning deliveries.
At the individual holdings level, the top detractors to both relative and absolute performance for the first half of the year came from China, including the leading Chinese duty-free shop operator China Tourism Group Duty Free. While the company went through the normalization process of operation after the pandemic, its earnings improvement was slower than sales as discounting and inventory management takes time. This can be transitionary adjustment process rather than structural as the company’s market share is intact and management continues to make efforts to improve the company’s product mix. Another notable detractor was the leading food delivery and local service company in China, Meituan. The company executed well during the pandemic and the reopening phase, accelerating its path towards profitability ahead of the management’s original target. However, negative sentiment around the China’s consumption recovery and potential competitive pressure has outweighed, and Meituan’s share price did not react positively.
In contrast, one of the notable contributors was a Korean electronics manufacturer SOLUM. The company’s ESL (Electronic shelf label) business has seen accelerated demand from a diverse range of global customers, from retailors to factories supported by increasing order backlog—a major driver for the operating profit growth. Auto component maker HL Mando in Korea was another contributor. As supply chain shortages eased further during the quarter, Mando has seen accelerated volume growth and benefited from the company’s long standing efforts to diversify its customer base. Another contributor during the period was India’s leading jeweler, Titan Company. The company delivered good results last year and, against the expectation of potential growth slow down, Titan continued to deliver robust growth and brand value helped by retail store expansion and continuous category expansion into watches and eyewears.
Notable Portfolio Changes:
The second quarter was a relatively quiet quarter as no major directional shifts were made. We increased the portfolio’s relative concentration in high conviction China names by slowly decreasing the weightings of holdings with less certain growth prospects. With a broad valuation correction in China, we continue to assess new high-quality opportunities. Overall, the biggest active risk in the portfolio is from an overweight to domestic consumption in China. The portfolio remains underweight South Korea reflecting some concerns on the global growth outlook.
Outlook:
Despite the divergence in Asia markets year-to-date performance, Asia equity markets are attractively positioned in terms of relative valuation especially with respect to its earnings prospects. We expect double-digit earnings growth in China and India over next two years. As post COVID activity continues to normalize in China, we believe there will be opportunities for domestically oriented growth. For Taiwan and South Korea, a mix of secular growth opportunities in the technology sector together with cyclicality continue to provide stock picking opportunities. With the U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest rate cycle coming into final stages and a mixed backdrop on global demand, we expect that domestic demand in Asia should show resiliency.
Rolling 12 Month Returns For the period ended 30/06/2023 - I (Acc)
Sources: Brown Brothers Harriman (Luxembourg) S.C.A, Matthews Asia, FactSet Research Systems, Bloomberg