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Matthews Asia Discovery Fund

Snapshot

Formerly known as the Asia Small Companies 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

15.52%

YTD Return (USD)

(as of 16/10/2026)

$26.80

NAV (USD)

(as of 16/10/2026)

+0.41

1 Day NAV Change

(as of 16/10/2026)

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 $93.10 million (30/09/2026)
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 30/09/2026
Annualized Returns
Name 1MO 3MO YTD 1YR 3YR 5YR 10YR Since Inception Inception Date
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (USD)
-2.57% -4.07% 20.78% 20.00% 9.13% 4.16% 9.94% 7.98% 30/04/2013
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (USD)
-1.26% 1.23% 15.04% 16.26% 16.65% 7.94% 9.08% 6.93%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (GBP)
-0.71% -4.49% 22.42% 21.39% 6.24% 4.42% 9.67% 10.20% 30/04/2014
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (GBP)
0.77% 1.14% 16.48% 17.82% 13.40% 8.26% 8.83% 9.44%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (EUR)
-0.44% -3.74% 25.06% 24.18% 6.66% 4.57% n.a. 8.48% 30/12/2020
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (EUR)
0.98% 1.90% 18.95% 20.27% 13.95% 8.38% n.a. 11.57%
As of 30/09/2026
Annualized Returns
Name 1MO 3MO YTD 1YR 3YR 5YR 10YR Since Inception Inception Date
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (USD)
-2.57% -4.07% 20.78% 20.00% 9.13% 4.16% 9.94% 7.98% 30/04/2013
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (USD)
-1.26% 1.23% 15.04% 16.26% 16.65% 7.94% 9.08% 6.93%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (GBP)
-0.71% -4.49% 22.42% 21.39% 6.24% 4.42% 9.67% 10.20% 30/04/2014
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (GBP)
0.77% 1.14% 16.48% 17.82% 13.40% 8.26% 8.83% 9.44%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (EUR)
-0.44% -3.74% 25.06% 24.18% 6.66% 4.57% n.a. 8.48% 30/12/2020
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (EUR)
0.98% 1.90% 18.95% 20.27% 13.95% 8.38% n.a. 11.57%
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 30/09/2026
Name 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 Inception Date
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (USD)
20.00% -4.07% 12.89% 19.05% -20.74% 30/04/2013
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (USD)
16.26% 8.70% 25.60% 22.12% -24.40%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (GBP)
21.39% -4.31% 3.23% 7.23% -3.45% 30/04/2014
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (GBP)
17.82% 8.30% 14.29% 11.69% -8.69%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (EUR)
24.18% -8.53% 6.84% 9.48% -5.87% 30/12/2020
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (EUR)
20.27% 3.24% 19.15% 13.00% -10.57%

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 30/09/2026)
Fund Benchmark
Number of Positions 78 1,476
Weighted Average Market Cap $6.7 billion $12.6 billion
Active Share 93.9 n.a.
P/E using FY1 estimates 18.1x 15.0x
P/E using FY2 estimates 15.6x 13.1x
Price/Cash Flow 13.8 10.3
Price/Book 3.6 1.6
Return On Equity 17.1 10.9
EPS Growth (3 Yr) 21.7% 9.2%

Sources: Factset Research Systems, Inc.

Risk Metrics (3 Yr Return)

(as of 30/09/2026)
-6.53%
Alpha
1.03
Beta
78.47%
Upside Capture
105.27%
Downside Capture
0.22
Sharpe Ratio
-0.90
Information Ratio
8.44%
Tracking Error
82.88
R²

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

Source: FactSet Research Systems

Top 10 Holdings

(as of 30/09/2026)
Name Sector Country % Net Assets
Cartrade Tech, Ltd. Consumer Discretionary India 3.2
Eugene Technology Co., Ltd. Information Technology South Korea 2.9
HD Hyundai Co., Ltd. Energy South Korea 2.7
Fortune Electric Co., Ltd. Industrials Taiwan 2.5
Legend Biotech Corp. Health Care China/Hong Kong 2.5
Radico Khaitan, Ltd. Consumer Staples India 2.3
Hugel, Inc. Health Care South Korea 2.2
Elite Material Co., Ltd. Information Technology Taiwan 2.2
AURAS Technology Co., Ltd. Information Technology Taiwan 2.1
ASPEED Technology, Inc. Information Technology Taiwan 2.1
TOTAL 24.7

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 30/09/2026)
  • Sector Allocation
  • Country Allocation
  • Market Cap Exposure
Sector Fund Benchmark Difference
Information Technology 28.4 29.6 -1.2
Industrials 22.5 18.2 4.3
Consumer Discretionary 14.2 9.5 4.7
Financials 9.5 8.3 1.2
Health Care 8.4 8.8 -0.4
Consumer Staples 5.2 4.6 0.6
Energy 3.6 1.8 1.8
Real Estate 2.4 6.3 -3.9
Communication Services 2.0 3.0 -1.0
Materials 0.9 8.0 -7.1
Utilities 0.0 1.8 -1.8
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 2.8 0.0 2.8

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

Country Fund Benchmark Difference
India 27.0 23.6 3.4
Taiwan 24.3 31.1 -6.8
China/Hong Kong 18.4 14.4 4.0
South Korea 17.3 17.2 0.1
Vietnam 3.3 0.0 3.3
Singapore 2.4 5.4 -3.0
Thailand 1.5 3.0 -1.5
Malaysia 1.2 3.0 -1.8
Indonesia 1.0 1.3 -0.3
Philippines 0.9 0.9 0.0
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 2.8 0.0 2.8

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

Equity market cap of issuer Fund Benchmark Difference
Mega Cap (over $25B) 2.6 0.8 1.8
Large Cap ($10B-$25B) 10.4 2.1 8.3
Mid Cap ($3B-$10B) 51.8 43.9 7.9
Small Cap (under $3B) 32.4 53.2 -20.8
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 2.8 0.0 2.8

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 30/06/2026)
  • Business Involvement
  • Sustainability Attributes
Name Fund Benchmark Difference
Controversial Weapons
Fund Coverage: 98% Benchmark Coverage: 99%
0.0 0.0 0.0
Tobacco
Fund Coverage: 98% Benchmark Coverage: 98%
0.0 0.0 0.0
Name Fund Benchmark Difference
UN Global Compact Violators
Fund Coverage: 100% Benchmark Coverage: 99%
0.0 0.0 0.0
Board Diversity
Fund Coverage: 100% Benchmark Coverage: 88%
17.1 17.4 -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

Jeremy  Sutch, CFA photo

Commentary

Period ended 30 September 2026

Market Environment

  • Asian equity markets declined during the third quarter as higher oil prices, rising U.S. bond yields, geopolitical tensions and global trade uncertainty weighed on investor sentiment. Performance diverged across countries and sectors, creating a more selective environment for investors and broadening market leadership beyond the narrow group of AI-related companies that had driven returns earlier in the year.
  • South Korean equities were weighed down by a pullback in technology shares, despite continued semiconductor demand and export growth. Taiwan remained supported by AI infrastructure and semiconductor exports, while China faced softer consumer demand, lower property prices, and slower industrial profits despite some policy support. Indian equities underperformed global markets during the quarter, with a sharp decline in September amid continued foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows, rupee weakness, elevated oil prices, and a hawkish tone from India’s central bank.

Contributors and Detractors

For the quarter ended September 30, 2026, the Matthews Asia Discovery Fund returned -4.07% (I Acc USD) while its benchmark, the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index, returned 1.23% over the same period.

  • The top three contributors to relative performance, on a country basis, were Malaysia, Taiwan and Singapore due to an underweight allocation. The top three detractors to relative performance, on a country basis, were China/Hong Kong, South Korea and Thailand due to stock selection.
  • The top three contributors to relative performance, on a sector basis, were utilities due to zero allocation, consumer staples due to stock selection, and consumer discretionary to an overweight allocation. The top three detractors to relative performance, on a sector basis, were health care, financials and materials due to stock selection.
  • The largest contributors to absolute performance during the quarter included Auras Technology, a Taiwanese thermal management and cooling solutions provider, POYA International Co., Ltd., a major Taiwanese retail chain and Aspeed Technology, a Taiwanese integrated circuit (IC) design house.
  • The top three detractors to performance during the quarter included Legend Biotech, a global, commercial-stage biopharma company, Yageo Corp., electronics passive components company, and Hugel, Inc, a South Korea–based global biopharmaceutical and medical aesthetics company.

Year to date, the Matthews Asia Discovery Fund returned 20.78%, (I Acc USD) while its benchmark, the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index, returned 15.04% over the same period.

  • The top three contributors to relative performance, on a country basis, were Taiwan and India due to stock selection and South Korea due to an underweight allocation. The top three detractors to relative performance, on a country basis, were Vietnam due to an off-benchmark allocation, Philippines due to stock selection and Thailand due to an underweight allocation and stock selection.
  • The top three contributors to relative performance, on a sector basis, were information technology (IT) due to stock selection, real estate and materials due to an underweight allocation. The top three detractors to relative performance, on a sector basis, were industrials and financials due to stock selection and energy due to an overweight allocation.
  • The top three contributors to absolute performance during the year included Elite Material, a Taiwanese chip manufacturing company, Eugene Technology Co., a South Korean wafer fab tool manufacturer and Gold Circuit Electronics, a Taiwanese manufacturer of printed circuit boards (PCB). The largest detractors to performance during the year included Cartrade Tech, an Indian online car trade platform provider, Minth Group, an automobile parts company and Inox Wind, And Indian provider of wind power solutions.

Outlook

  • We remain constructive on the medium-term outlook for Asia, while recognizing that markets may remain sensitive to U.S. monetary policy, energy prices, geopolitical developments, and trade policy. In our view, corporate earnings remain healthy in many markets, while valuations continue to trade below developed-market levels. Domestic reforms and structural growth themes also continue to support earnings and economic activity.
  • In Asia, our recent company meetings across semiconductors, automation, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, and consumer industries reinforced our view that the opportunity set is broadening beyond a small group of market leaders. Continued investment in AI infrastructure, advanced semiconductors, optical communications, and data-center capacity are creating potential opportunities across the supply chain. Demand in Taiwan and South Korea remains supportive, while efforts to localize technology development in China may create longer-term opportunities despite near-term economic weakness. The Chinese consumer remains under pressure, and we expect to maintain a measured view given still-challenging conditions, while recognizing that sentiment and activity could improve. India offers relative stability, but higher oil prices are a more direct risk given the country’s import needs. We are also seeing opportunities emerge across Southeast Asia but remain selective.
  • By sector, we view industrials as an important structural earnings driver in Asia, alongside AI and semiconductors, financials and commodities. Industrials seem to be benefiting from re-shoring, supply-chain diversification and geopolitical realignment. As part of a diversified approach, we continue to balance AI exposure with financials and consumer discretionary.
  • Greater variation across countries, sectors, and companies could continue to create opportunities for disciplined security selection and thoughtful country sizing. We remain focused on balance-sheet quality, earnings durability, valuation, and company-specific catalysts, while maintaining flexibility as market leadership evolves.
Rolling 12 Month Returns For the period ended 30/09/2026 - I (Acc)
Name 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 Inception Date
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (USD)
20.00% -4.07% 12.89% 19.05% -20.74% 30/04/2013
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (USD)
16.26% 8.70% 25.60% 22.12% -24.40%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (GBP)
21.39% -4.31% 3.23% 7.23% -3.45% 30/04/2014
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (GBP)
17.82% 8.30% 14.29% 11.69% -8.69%
Matthews Asia Discovery Fund (EUR)
24.18% -8.53% 6.84% 9.48% -5.87% 30/12/2020
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index (EUR)
20.27% 3.24% 19.15% 13.00% -10.57%

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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