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Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund

Snapshot
  • Seeks alpha in global emerging markets—capitalizes on consumption and innovation trends
  • Quality growth portfolio—based on deep, holistic analysis
  • All-cap, company-first approach—emphasizes fundamental research over top-down country or sector allocation

24/01/2025

Inception Date

n.a.

YTD Return (USD)

(as of 25/04/2025)

$17.21

NAV (USD)

(as of 25/04/2025)

+0.05

1 Day NAV Change

(as of 25/04/2025)

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

Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, directly or indirectly, primarily (i.e., at least 65% of its total net assets) in equities of companies located in or with substantial ties to emerging market countries. Emerging Market countries generally include every country in the world except the United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and most of the countries in Western Europe. Certain emerging market countries may also be classified as “frontier” market countries, which are a subset of emerging market countries with newer or even less developed economies and markets, such as Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The list of emerging market countries and frontier market countries may change from time to time. In addition, the Fund may also invest in depositary receipts that are treated as emerging markets investments, including American, European and Global Depositary Receipts.

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 24/01/2025
Fund Assets $45.11 million (31/03/2025)
Base Currency USD
ISIN: LU2922762815 (USD) LU2922762732 (GBP)
Bloomberg Symbol MAEMRAU:LX (USD) MAEMRAA:LX (GBP)
Benchmark MSCI Emerging Markets Index
Geographic Focus Emerging Markets - Countries generally include every country in the world except the United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and most of the countries in Western Europe
SFDR Classification Article 8
Fees & Expenses
Management Fee 1.25%

Performance

  • Monthly
  • Quarterly
  • data_graph_selected Created with Sketch.
As of 31/03/2025
Annualized Returns
Name 1MO 3MO YTD 1YR 3YR 5YR 10YR Since Inception Inception Date
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund (USD)
n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 24/01/2025
MSCI Emerging Markets Index (USD)
n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund (GBP)
n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 24/01/2025
MSCI Emerging Markets Index (GBP)
n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
As of 31/03/2025
Annualized Returns
Name 1MO 3MO YTD 1YR 3YR 5YR 10YR Since Inception Inception Date
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund (USD)
n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 24/01/2025
MSCI Emerging Markets Index (USD)
n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund (GBP)
n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 24/01/2025
MSCI Emerging Markets Index (GBP)
n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

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 78 1,206
Weighted Average Market Cap $159.8 billion $160.7 billion
Active Share 66.6 n.a.
P/E using FY1 estimates 13.3x 12.4x
P/E using FY2 estimates 11.6x 11.1x
Price/Cash Flow 7.3 8.0
Price/Book 2.1 1.8
Return On Equity 18.8 17.8
EPS Growth (3 Yr) 18.7% 11.4%

Sources: Factset Research Systems, Inc.

Top 10 Holdings

(as of 31/03/2025)
Name Sector Country % Net Assets
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Information Technology Taiwan 7.3
Tencent Holdings, Ltd. Communication Services China/Hong Kong 6.2
Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd. Consumer Discretionary China/Hong Kong 3.7
HDFC Bank, Ltd. Financials India 3.3
ICICI Bank, Ltd. Financials India 3.2
JD.com, Inc. Consumer Discretionary China/Hong Kong 3.1
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Information Technology South Korea 2.5
Itau Unibanco Holding SA Financials Brazil 2.5
Full Truck Alliance Co., Ltd. Industrials China/Hong Kong 2.3
China Construction Bank Corp. Financials China/Hong Kong 2.2
TOTAL 36.3

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
  • Market Cap Exposure
Sector Fund Benchmark Difference
Financials 28.4 24.3 4.1
Consumer Discretionary 20.6 14.6 6.0
Information Technology 18.2 21.7 -3.5
Communication Services 12.9 10.3 2.6
Industrials 6.6 6.3 0.3
Real Estate 4.1 1.7 2.4
Consumer Staples 3.3 4.7 -1.4
Energy 2.5 4.5 -2.0
Materials 1.0 5.9 -4.9
Health Care 0.7 3.3 -2.6
Utilities 0.0 2.6 -2.6
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 1.7 0.0 1.7

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 33.9 31.4 2.5
India 17.6 18.5 -0.9
Taiwan 14.7 16.8 -2.1
South Korea 9.4 9.0 0.4
Brazil 4.8 4.4 0.4
Singapore 4.2 0.0 4.2
South Africa 3.4 3.2 0.2
United Arab Emirates 3.0 1.4 1.6
Indonesia 2.3 1.2 1.1
Saudi Arabia 1.1 4.1 -3.0
Philippines 1.0 0.5 0.5
Macau 1.0 0.0 1.0
Thailand 0.7 1.2 -0.5
Turkey 0.5 0.6 -0.1
United States 0.5 0.0 0.5
Mexico 0.0 1.9 -1.9
Malaysia 0.0 1.3 -1.3
Poland 0.0 1.0 -1.0
Kuwait 0.0 0.8 -0.8
Qatar 0.0 0.8 -0.8
Greece 0.0 0.6 -0.6
Chile 0.0 0.5 -0.5
Hungary 0.0 0.3 -0.3
Peru 0.0 0.3 -0.3
Czech Republic 0.0 0.2 -0.2
Colombia 0.0 0.1 -0.1
Egypt 0.0 0.1 -0.1
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 1.7 0.0 1.7

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

Equity market cap of issuer Fund Benchmark Difference
Mega Cap (over $25B) 68.3 59.4 8.9
Large Cap ($10B-$25B) 21.2 22.1 -0.9
Mid Cap ($3B-$10B) 6.8 18.2 -11.4
Small Cap (under $3B) 1.9 0.4 1.5
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 1.7 0.0 1.7

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 31/03/2025)
  • Business Involvement
  • Sustainability Attributes
Name Fund Benchmark Difference
Controversial Weapons
Fund Coverage: 99% Benchmark Coverage: 99%
0.0 0.0 0.0
Tobacco
Fund Coverage: 99% 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 1.1 -1.1
Board Diversity
Fund Coverage: 99% Benchmark Coverage: 99%
20.9 20.0 0.9

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

Sean  Taylor photo
Sean Taylor

Lead Manager

Andrew  Mattock, CFA photo
Andrew Mattock, CFA

Co-Manager

Peeyush  Mittal, CFA photo
Peeyush Mittal, CFA

Co-Manager

Jeremy  Sutch, CFA photo
Jeremy Sutch, CFA

Co-Manager

Commentary

Period ended 31 March 2025

Market Environment

  • Emerging markets 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 asset class but that didn't happen.
  • At the country level, performance was mixed. China, Brazil and Mexico led the markets 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. In more peripheral markets, Southeast Asia should have benefited from a weakening U.S. dollar but was hurt by political disruption while Latin America delivered robust returns supported by the macro environment.
  • As the quarter progressed, optimism toward emerging markets as whole 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 Emerging Markets Equity Fund returned 1.43%, (I Acc USD) while its benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, returned 3.01% over the same period.
  • On a country basis, the top three contributors to relative performance were China/Hong Kong due to an overweight allocation, Taiwan due to an underweight allocation and Malaysia due to zero allocation. The top three detractors were India due to stock selection, Brazil due to an underweight allocation and stock selection, and South Africa due to stock selection.
  • On a sector basis, the top three contributors to relative performance were industrials, real estate and health care due to stock selection. The top three detractors were consumer staples due to stock selection, materials due to an underweight allocation and financials 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 SK Hynix, a South Korean supplier of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips. The top three detractors included Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), a globally leading chipmaker, Infosys, a leading Indian consulting company, and Eternal Ltd., operator of Zomato, a leading Indian online restaurant booking and food delivery company.

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 emerging markets.
  • 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.
  • We believe emerging markets will be supported by a pick-up in earnings on valuations that are still cheap. Thus, we think there are opportunities for experienced active managers to pick their spots and focus on fundamentals.

 

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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