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Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund

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

31/10/2014

Inception Date

-8.96%

YTD Return (GBP)

(as of 24/04/2025)

£12.80

NAV (GBP)

(as of 24/04/2025)

-0.14

1 Day NAV Change

(as of 24/04/2025)

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 31/10/2014
Fund Assets $104.51 million (31/03/2025)
Base Currency USD
ISIN: LU0594555830 (GBP)
Bloomberg Symbol MAPTIIG:LX (GBP)
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 0.90% ( GBP )

Performance

  • Monthly
  • Quarterly
  • Calendar Year
  • Rolling 12 Month
    Returns
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As of 31/03/2025
Annualized Returns
Name 1MO 3MO YTD 1YR 3YR 5YR 10YR Since Inception Inception Date
Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund (GBP)
-4.08% -4.69% -4.69% 1.50% -4.62% 3.26% 3.46% 4.58% 31/10/2014
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index (GBP)
-2.39% -1.14% -1.14% 9.51% 2.90% 6.74% 6.05% 6.87%
As of 31/03/2025
Annualized Returns
Name 1MO 3MO YTD 1YR 3YR 5YR 10YR Since Inception Inception Date
Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund (GBP)
-4.08% -4.69% -4.69% 1.50% -4.62% 3.26% 3.46% 4.58% 31/10/2014
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index (GBP)
-2.39% -1.14% -1.14% 9.51% 2.90% 6.74% 6.05% 6.87%
For the years ended December 31st
Name 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015
Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund (GBP)
6.19% -10.31% -12.15% -1.75% 25.99% 7.82% -5.72% 27.14% 20.01% 3.14%
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index (GBP)
14.52% 0.34% -9.19% -3.58% 21.49% 13.94% -8.78% 29.78% 26.15% -3.63%
For the period ended 31/03/2025
Name 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 Inception Date
Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund (GBP)
1.50% -10.40% -4.60% -9.60% 49.67% 31/10/2014
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index (GBP)
9.51% 2.15% -2.61% -10.32% 41.79%

Source: Brown Brothers Harriman (Luxembourg) S.C.A.

All returns over 1 year are annualized

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 31/03/2025)
Fund Benchmark
Number of Positions 74 1,020
Weighted Average Market Cap $178.1 billion $170.5 billion
Active Share 56.6 n.a.
P/E using FY1 estimates 14.0x 13.1x
P/E using FY2 estimates 12.3x 11.8x
Price/Cash Flow 9.3 8.4
Price/Book 2.3 1.8
Return On Equity 18.6 17.5
EPS Growth (3 Yr) 15.6% 11.6%

Sources: Factset Research Systems, Inc.

Risk Metrics (3 Yr Return)

(as of 31/03/2025)
-7.03%
Alpha
1.01
Beta
79.92%
Upside Capture
110.15%
Downside Capture
-0.48
Sharpe Ratio
-1.98
Information Ratio
3.66%
Tracking Error
96.64

Fund Risk Metrics are reflective of Class I USD ACC shares.

Sources: Zephyr StyleADVISOR

Top 10 Holdings

(as of 31/03/2025)
Name Sector Country % Net Assets
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Information Technology Taiwan 8.9
Tencent Holdings, Ltd. Communication Services China/Hong Kong 6.1
Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd. Consumer Discretionary China/Hong Kong 4.6
China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd. Financials China/Hong Kong 4.2
ICICI Bank, Ltd. Financials India 2.9
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Information Technology South Korea 2.9
JD.com, Inc. Consumer Discretionary China/Hong Kong 2.4
DBS Group Holdings, Ltd. Financials Singapore 2.4
PDD Holdings, Inc. Consumer Discretionary China/Hong Kong 2.4
Bharti Airtel, Ltd. Communication Services India 2.2
TOTAL 39.0

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 31/03/2025)
  • Sector Allocation
  • Country Allocation
  • Asset Type Breakdown
  • Market Cap Exposure
Sector Fund Benchmark Difference
Financials 26.9 22.6 4.3
Information Technology 21.9 24.5 -2.6
Consumer Discretionary 19.2 15.7 3.5
Communication Services 11.3 11.3 0.0
Industrials 5.6 7.1 -1.5
Health Care 4.0 3.5 0.5
Consumer Staples 3.3 3.8 -0.5
Real Estate 2.6 2.2 0.4
Materials 0.0 3.7 -3.7
Energy 0.0 3.2 -3.2
Utilities 0.0 2.5 -2.5
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 5.1 0.0 5.1

Sector data based on MSCI’s revised Global Industry Classification Standards. For more details, visit www.msci.com.

Country Fund Benchmark Difference
China/Hong Kong 39.1 40.5 -1.4
Taiwan 17.8 19.1 -1.3
India 17.5 21.1 -3.6
South Korea 8.7 10.2 -1.5
Singapore 5.2 4.2 1.0
Indonesia 1.6 1.4 0.2
Malaysia 1.5 1.5 0.0
Philippines 1.3 0.6 0.7
Thailand 1.0 1.3 -0.3
Vietnam 1.0 0.0 1.0
Macau 0.0 0.1 -0.1
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 5.1 0.0 5.1

Not all countries are included in the benchmark index(es).

Asset Type Fund
Common Equities and ADRs 95.0
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 5.1
Equity market cap of issuer Fund Benchmark Difference
Mega Cap (over $25B) 66.0 63.9 2.1
Large Cap ($10B-$25B) 17.5 20.6 -3.1
Mid Cap ($3B-$10B) 10.6 15.2 -4.6
Small Cap (under $3B) 0.8 0.2 0.6
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 5.1 0.0 5.1

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 31/03/2025)
  • Business Involvement
  • Sustainability Attributes
Name Fund Benchmark Difference
Controversial Weapons
Fund Coverage: 99% Benchmark Coverage: 100%
0.0 0.0 0.0
Tobacco
Fund Coverage: 99% Benchmark Coverage: 99%
0.0 0.0 0.0
Name Fund Benchmark Difference
UN Global Compact Violators
Fund Coverage: 100% Benchmark Coverage: 100%
0.0 0.6 -0.6
Board Diversity
Fund Coverage: 99% Benchmark Coverage: 100%
22.4 20.6 1.8

Board Diversity: Represents the weighted average ratio of female board members in investee companies.
Tobacco: Represents companies that generate more than 5% of revenue from tobacco manufacturing exposure to 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.
Controversial weapons include companies with involvement in the following: anti-personnel mines; biological and chemical weapons; cluster weapons; depleted uranium; nuclear weapons and white phosphorus. A company is excluded if it is directly involved in the production, selling and/or distribution of (parts of) controversial weapons and this involvement concerns the core weapon system, or components/services of the core weapon system that are tailor-made and essential for the lethal use of the weapon.

Source: Sustainalytics, Factset, MSCI, Matthews Asia.

GHG Intensity

(as of 31/03/2025)

Fund Coverage: 100%; Benchmark Coverage: 99% as of 31/03/2025

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 ESG-Related Investment Policy of Matthews Asia Funds.

Portfolio Managers

Sean  Taylor photo
Sean Taylor

Lead Manager

Inbok  Song photo
Inbok Song

Lead Manager

Andrew  Mattock, CFA photo
Andrew Mattock, CFA

Lead Manager

Winnie  Chwang photo
Winnie Chwang

Co-Manager

Peeyush  Mittal, CFA photo
Peeyush Mittal, CFA

Co-Manager

Jeremy  Sutch, CFA photo
Jeremy Sutch, CFA

Co-Manager

Distributions

Currency Record Date Ex Date Reinvest Date Payment Date Income Distributions
GBP 17/12/2024 18/12/2024 19/12/2024 31/12/2024 £0.244972
GBP 12/12/2023 13/12/2023 14/12/2023 29/12/2023 £0.438246
GBP 13/12/2022 14/12/2022 15/12/2022 29/12/2022 £0.212846
GBP 14/12/2021 15/12/2021 16/12/2021 30/12/2021 £0.190516
GBP 15/12/2020 16/12/2020 17/12/2020 31/12/2020 £0.254700

 

The Fund may, at its discretion, pay dividends out of the capital or effectively out of capital in respect of the distribution shares. Dividends may be distributed out of gross income while all or part of the fees and expenses are paid out of capital, resulting in an increase in distributable income for the payment of dividends and, therefore, the Fund may effectively pay dividend out of capital. Payment of dividends out of capital and/or effectively out of capital represents a return or withdrawal of part of an investor's original investment, or from any capital gains attributable to that original investment. Any distribution may result in an immediate reduction of the net asset value per share of the Fund.

Please note that a positive distribution yield does not imply a positive return, and past yields are no guarantee of future yields. There is no guarantee that the Fund will pay or continue to pay distributions.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate with changing market conditions so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.

As of April 1, 2014, distributions for this class of the sub fund will pay gross income which may result in expenses being paid out of capital and thereby limit an investor’s potential to generate total return and income.

Commentary

Period ended 31 March 2025

Market Environment

  • Asia performed better than expected in the first quarter of 2025 thanks in part to a more favorable macro environment. Many investors had expected the strength in the dollar and U.S. equity market to continue into 2025 and contribute to a weaker performance in the region but that didn't happen.
  • At the country level, performance was mixed. China led markets in Asia higher while Taiwan and India faced pressure. China technology shares were buoyed by the success of the DeepSeek artificial intelligence (AI) platform which in turn spurred a selloff in U.S. big tech stocks and negatively impacted Taiwan, a market that is almost a direct play in a narrow area of technology driven by AI.
  • India's market was challenged as earnings disappointed amid softening economic growth caused by weaker government spending and tight monetary policy. South Korea posted a respectable gain as valuations declined and opportunities emerged unrelated to the global cycle.
  • In more peripheral markets, Southeast Asia should have benefited from a weakening U.S. dollar but was hurt by political disruption. As the quarter progressed, optimism toward the region receded as U.S. economic data deteriorated and concerns gathered over the prospect of new far-ranging reciprocal U.S. tariffs and a trade-related global economic slowdown.

Contributors and Detractors

  • For the quarter ended March 31, 2025, the Pacific Tiger Fund returned -1.48%, (I Acc USD) while its benchmark, the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index, returned 1.89% over the same period.
  • On a country basis, the top two contributors to relative performance were the Philippines due to stock selection and Macau due to an underweight allocation. The top three detractors were India and Taiwan due to stock selection and China/Hong Kong due to an underweight allocation.
  • On a sector basis, the top contributor to relative performance was energy due to an underweight allocation. The top three detractors were information technology (IT), financials and consumer discretionary due to stock selection.
  • The largest contributors to absolute performance included Alibaba Group, the largest e-commerce platform company in China, Tencent Holdings, a Chinese online gaming and social media conglomerate, and Pinduoduo (PDD), one of China's largest e-commerce platforms that started its businesses with a focus on lower-tier city, price sensitive consumers. The top three detractors included Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), a globally leading chipmaker, Eternal Ltd., operator of Zomato, a leading Indian online restaurant booking and food delivery company, and Infosys, an Indian consulting services firm.

Outlook

  • Front and center to our outlook is the impact of U.S. tariffs on the global economy and markets. The Trump administration's tariff policy has shown itself to be fluid and unpredictable. We may see some new tariffs rolled back in certain markets and a different picture coming into focus in the coming weeks and months.
  • At this point, what we can conclude is that from a U.S. perspective, the administration's tariff policy is growth negative and inflation positive. It probably means that inflation stays around 3% and that has implications for the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy and in turn for markets in the region.
  • When the global economy is under pressure we believe domestic drivers are more important than global drivers. For Asia, that means we need to be cautious of markets that are correlated to the U.S. and of companies that are selling into the US. Domestic demand-driven markets like India and China, which rely less on the global economy, we think will be more resilient.
  • Many investors are expecting the Federal Reserve to maintain a rate-cutting trajectory this year which would be a tailwind for Asia with the exception of Japan where monetary policy is tightening. We believe markets will also be supported by a pick-up in earnings on valuations that are still cheap. We think there are opportunities for experienced active managers to pick their spots and focus on fundamentals.

 

Rolling 12 Month Returns For the period ended 31/03/2025 - I (Dist)
Name 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 Inception Date
Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund (GBP)
1.50% -10.40% -4.60% -9.60% 49.67% 31/10/2014
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index (GBP)
9.51% 2.15% -2.61% -10.32% 41.79%

Sources: Brown Brothers Harriman (Luxembourg) S.C.A, Matthews Asia, FactSet Research Systems, Bloomberg

To find documents in additional languages, please visit the Fund Literature page in our Resources section.

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. 

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