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Matthews Asia Discovery Fund

Portfolio Positioning

Effective 30 August 2024, the Fund was renamed from the Asia Small Companies Fund to the Asia Discovery Fund.

  • Seeks alpha in innovative, capital efficient entrepreneurial companies in Asia ex Japan
  • Focus on firms that have a strong competitive advantage through pricing power, distribution capability, and/or differentiated technologies and services
  • Bias toward businesses that cater to rising domestic consumer demand

30/04/2013

Inception Date

2.72%

YTD Return (USD)

(as of 26/01/2026)

$23.83

NAV (USD)

(as of 26/01/2026)

+0.18

1 Day NAV Change

(as of 26/01/2026)

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 small companies located in the Asia ex Japan Region, and may invest in other permitted assets on worldwide. The Fund defines Small Companies as companies with market capitalization no higher than the greater of US $5 billion or the market capitalization of the largest company included in the Fund's primary benchmark, the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index.

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 Fund invests in smaller companies, which are more volatile and less liquid than larger companies.

These and other risks associated with investing in the Fund can be found in the prospectus.

Fund Facts
Inception Date 30/04/2013
Fund Assets $81.68 million (31/12/2025)
Base Currency USD
ISIN: LU0871674296 (USD) LU0871674379 (GBP) LU0871674023 (EUR)
Bloomberg Symbol MATASCI:LX (USD) MATASSI:LX (GBP) MAASCIE:LX (EUR)
Benchmark MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap 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 1.00%
Total Expense Ratio 1.15% ( USD ) 1.15% ( GBP ) 1.15% ( EUR )

Performance

  • Monthly
  • Quarterly
  • Calendar Year
  • Rolling 12 Month
    Returns
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As of 31/12/2025
Annualized Returns
Name 1MO 3MO YTD 1YR 3YR 5YR 10YR Since Inception Inception Date
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (USD)
-1.32% -0.64% 7.66% 7.66% 4.97% 3.86% 8.66% 6.87% 30/04/2013
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (USD)
0.53% 1.06% 18.47% 18.47% 15.71% 8.50% 8.13% 6.17%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (GBP)
-3.16% -0.84% 0.18% 0.18% 1.10% 4.16% 9.71% 8.99% 30/04/2014
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (GBP)
-0.97% 1.15% 10.31% 10.31% 11.48% 8.85% 9.12% 8.64%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (EUR)
-2.89% -0.70% -4.77% -4.77% 1.64% 4.76% n.a. 5.01% 30/12/2020
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (EUR)
-0.66% 1.11% 4.45% 4.45% 12.07% 9.39% n.a. 9.55%
As of 31/12/2025
Annualized Returns
Name 1MO 3MO YTD 1YR 3YR 5YR 10YR Since Inception Inception Date
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (USD)
-1.32% -0.64% 7.66% 7.66% 4.97% 3.86% 8.66% 6.87% 30/04/2013
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (USD)
0.53% 1.06% 18.47% 18.47% 15.71% 8.50% 8.13% 6.17%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (GBP)
-3.16% -0.84% 0.18% 0.18% 1.10% 4.16% 9.71% 8.99% 30/04/2014
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (GBP)
-0.97% 1.15% 10.31% 10.31% 11.48% 8.85% 9.12% 8.64%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (EUR)
-2.89% -0.70% -4.77% -4.77% 1.64% 4.76% n.a. 5.01% 30/12/2020
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (EUR)
-0.66% 1.11% 4.45% 4.45% 12.07% 9.39% n.a. 9.55%
For the years ended December 31st
Name 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (USD)
7.66% -3.45% 11.27% -14.49% 22.19% 46.12% 17.53% -14.53% 30.80% -1.09%
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (USD)
18.47% 7.11% 22.09% -19.93% 21.23% 26.60% 7.58% -18.63% 33.84% -2.05%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (GBP)
0.18% -2.01% 5.26% -4.17% 23.80% 41.22% 14.03% -9.84% 19.38% 18.87%
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (GBP)
10.31% 9.02% 15.20% -9.84% 22.35% 22.69% 3.43% -13.57% 22.25% 16.83%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (EUR)
-4.77% 2.60% 7.48% -9.25% 32.41% n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (EUR)
4.45% 14.26% 17.96% -14.68% 30.44% n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
For the period ended 31/12/2025
Name 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 Inception Date
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (USD)
7.66% -3.45% 11.27% -14.49% 22.19% 30/04/2013
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (USD)
18.47% 7.11% 22.09% -19.93% 21.23%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (GBP)
0.18% -2.01% 5.26% -4.17% 23.80% 30/04/2014
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (GBP)
10.31% 9.02% 15.20% -9.84% 22.35%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (EUR)
-4.77% 2.60% 7.48% -9.25% 32.41% 30/12/2020
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (EUR)
4.45% 14.26% 17.96% -14.68% 30.44%

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 30/11/2025)
Fund Benchmark
Number of Positions 71 1,590
Weighted Average Market Cap $5.1 billion $8.2 billion
Active Share 96.6 n.a.
P/E using FY1 estimates 19.4x 17.4x
P/E using FY2 estimates 16.1x 14.5x
Price/Cash Flow 10.7 9.4
Price/Book 2.1 1.5
Return On Equity 14.8 10.3
EPS Growth (3 Yr) 25.4% 5.6%

Sources: Factset Research Systems, Inc.

Risk Metrics (3 Yr Return)

(as of 31/12/2025)
-8.79%
Alpha
0.95
Beta
67.96%
Upside Capture
123.24%
Downside Capture
-0.01
Sharpe Ratio
-1.82
Information Ratio
5.90%
Tracking Error
79.78

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

Sources: Zephyr StyleADVISOR

Top 10 Holdings

(as of 31/12/2025)
Name Sector Country % Net Assets
Bandhan Bank, Ltd. Financials India 5.2
Cartrade Tech, Ltd. Consumer Discretionary India 4.3
Hugel, Inc. Health Care South Korea 3.9
Gold Circuit Electronics, Ltd. Information Technology Taiwan 3.7
Radico Khaitan, Ltd. Consumer Staples India 3.5
Elite Material Co., Ltd. Information Technology Taiwan 3.3
HD Hyundai Co., Ltd. Energy South Korea 3.3
Legend Biotech Corp. Health Care China/Hong Kong 3.0
Eugene Technology Co., Ltd. Information Technology South Korea 2.9
Shriram Finance, Ltd. Financials India 2.9
TOTAL 36.0

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 31/12/2025)
  • Sector Allocation
  • Country Allocation
  • Market Cap Exposure
Sector Fund Benchmark Difference
Information Technology 28.3 21.6 6.7
Consumer Discretionary 16.0 10.5 5.5
Industrials 14.4 17.5 -3.1
Financials 13.3 10.2 3.1
Health Care 9.7 10.8 -1.1
Consumer Staples 7.7 5.3 2.4
Real Estate 4.1 8.1 -4.0
Energy 3.3 1.8 1.5
Communication Services 2.9 3.5 -0.6
Materials 0.0 9.0 -9.0
Utilities 0.0 1.8 -1.8
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 0.2 0.0 0.2

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

Country Fund Benchmark Difference
India 33.4 28.3 5.1
Taiwan 23.7 22.8 0.9
China/Hong Kong 15.3 17.4 -2.1
South Korea 14.2 15.7 -1.5
Vietnam 5.6 0.0 5.6
Philippines 2.4 1.0 1.4
Indonesia 2.1 2.9 -0.8
Singapore 1.5 5.8 -4.3
Bangladesh 0.9 0.0 0.9
Thailand 0.8 2.7 -1.9
Malaysia 0.0 3.5 -3.5
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 0.2 0.0 0.2

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

Equity market cap of issuer Fund Benchmark Difference
Mega Cap (over $25B) 2.1 0.1 2.0
Large Cap ($10B-$25B) 15.6 1.2 14.4
Mid Cap ($3B-$10B) 29.5 31.3 -1.8
Small Cap (under $3B) 52.6 67.4 -14.8
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 0.2 0.0 0.2

The Portfolio’s market cap exposure breakdown presented is used for comparison purposes and the definition of the capitalization breakdown is from MSCI.

The Fund defines Small Companies as companies with market capitalization no higher than the greater of US$5 billion or the market capitalization of the largest company included in the Fund's primary benchmark, the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index.

Source: FactSet Research Systems unless otherwise noted.
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 31/12/2025)
  • Business Involvement
  • Sustainability Attributes
Name Fund Benchmark Difference
Controversial Weapons
Fund Coverage: 97% Benchmark Coverage: 98%
0.0 0.0 0.0
Tobacco
Fund Coverage: 96% Benchmark Coverage: 98%
0.0 0.0 0.0
Name Fund Benchmark Difference
UN Global Compact Violators
Fund Coverage: 100% Benchmark Coverage: 98%
0.0 0.0 0.0
Board Diversity
Fund Coverage: 100% Benchmark Coverage: 87%
17.4 17.7 -0.3

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.

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

Vivek  Tanneeru photo
Jeremy  Sutch, CFA photo

Commentary

Period ended 31 December 2025

Market Environment

  • Asian equities delivered strong returns, outperforming U.S. stocks in 2025. Performance was supported by a favorable macro environment, positive investor sentiment toward artificial intelligence (AI) and an easing of geopolitical tensions.
  • North Asia markets helped drive gains. Taiwan and South Korea benefited from their countries’ global dominance in AI-related semi-conductors. Korean equities also gained from market-friendly governance reforms and a cyclical revival in heavy industrial sectors.
  • China delivered robust returns in 2025, largely supported by improved relations with the U.S. and momentum generated by innovation related to AI hardware and software, including the success of DeepSeek’s open-source platform. In contrast, India underperformed as economic growth slowed and valuations generally remained expensive.
  • Southeast Asian markets, including Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, were weighed down by political instability and regional conflicts.

Contributors and Detractors

  • For the year ended December 31, 2025, the Asia Discovery Fund returned 7.66%, (I Acc USD) while its benchmark, the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index, returned 18.47% over the same period.
  • On a country basis, the top three contributors to relative performance were India and Taiwan due to stock selection and Malaysia due to zero allocation. The top three detractors were China/Hong Kong, South Korea and Indonesia due to stock selection.
  • On a sector basis, the top three contributors to relative performance were information technology (IT) and energy due to stock selection and utilities due to zero allocation. The top three detractors were health care, industrials and financials due to stock selection.
  • The top three contributors to absolute performance included Gold Circuit Electronics, a Taiwanese manufacturer of printed circuit boards (PCB), Elite Material, a Taiwanese chip manufacturing company, and Eugene Technology, a wafer fab tool manufacturer. The largest detractors included M31 Technology, a Taiwanese silicon intellectual property (IP) provider, Andes Technology, a Taiwanese semiconductor device manufacturer, and Legend Biotech, a global, commercial-stage biopharma company.

Outlook

  • Looking ahead into 2026, a key difference from 2025 is reduced uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariff policy, which weighed on sentiment early last year. Corporate governance reforms across Asia are also expected to continue, which may provide support for earnings growth.
  • The AI theme is anticipated to further develop. Taiwanese and Korean semi-conductor companies should continue to gain from the CapEx of U.S. hyperscalers, in our view. We also believe that markets with meaningful exposure to cyclical global industrial and engineering segments, such as Korea, are well positioned for growth in 2026.
  • China has its own hyperscaler-CapEx theme that is building but we believe a broad earnings recovery needs to unfold to support a wider rerating of the market. However, there are numerous companies that are quality businesses and delivering good earnings growth, and for that reason we are positive on the Chinese equity market in 2026.
  • In India, questions remain over the government’s commitment to infrastructure CapEx programs but opportunities in consumer spending may emerge as aggressive rate cuts and tax reductions take hold. In contrast, in Southeast Asia, it is difficult to see growth opportunities, with exception of the markets of Vietnam and Singapore.
Rolling 12 Month Returns For the period ended 31/12/2025 - I (Acc)
Name 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 Inception Date
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (USD)
7.66% -3.45% 11.27% -14.49% 22.19% 30/04/2013
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (USD)
18.47% 7.11% 22.09% -19.93% 21.23%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (GBP)
0.18% -2.01% 5.26% -4.17% 23.80% 30/04/2014
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (GBP)
10.31% 9.02% 15.20% -9.84% 22.35%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (EUR)
-4.77% 2.60% 7.48% -9.25% 32.41% 30/12/2020
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (EUR)
4.45% 14.26% 17.96% -14.68% 30.44%

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

Fund Literature

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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