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Matthews China Dividend Fund

Snapshot
  • Total return strategy seeks to access the growth of China with lower volatility
  • Unconstrained all-cap portfolio with a quality bias
  • Flexible approach offers participation in both growth and value markets

31/01/2013

Inception Date

-10.00%

YTD Return (USD)

(as of 30/05/2023)

$16.74

NAV (USD)

(as of 30/05/2023)

-0.15

1 Day NAV Change

(as of 30/05/2023)

Objective

Seeks total return with an emphasis on providing current income.

Strategy

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, directly or indirectly, at least 65% of its total assets, in income-paying publicly traded common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible preferred stocks, and other equity-related instruments of companies located in China. For purpose of this policy, China includes the People's Republic of China, its administrative and other districts, such as Hong Kong, as well as Taiwan. The Fund may also invest in convertible fixed-income securities.

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. Investing in Chinese securities involve risks. Heightened risks related to the regulatory environment and the potential actions by the Chinese government could negatively impact performance. The Fund invests in holdings denominated in foreign currency, 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. There is no guarantee that the Fund or the companies in its portfolio will pay or continue to pay dividends. Investments in a single-country fund may be subject to a higher degree of market risk than diversified funds because of concentration in a specific country.

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

Fund Facts
Inception Date 31/01/2013
Fund Assets $11.47 million (30/04/2023)
Base Currency USD
ISIN: LU0871673488 (USD)
Bloomberg Symbol MATACDI:LX (USD)
Benchmark MSCI China Index
Geographic Focus China and Taiwan: China includes its administrative and other districts, such as Hong Kong
Fees & Expenses
Management Fee 0.75%
Total Expense Ratio As of 31/03/2022 1.00% ( USD )

Performance

  • Monthly
  • Quarterly
  • Calendar Year
  • Rolling 12 Month
    Returns
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As of 30/04/2023
Average Annual Total Returns
Name 1MO 3MO YTD 1YR 3YR 5YR 10YR Since Inception Inception Date
Matthews China Dividend Fund (USD)
-4.88% -11.05% -2.63% 0.89% 2.23% 0.44% 6.03% 5.97% 31/01/2013
MSCI China Index (USD)
-5.16% -11.16% -0.69% -5.64% -6.15% -4.88% 2.91% 2.08%
As of 31/03/2023
Average Annual Total Returns
Name 1MO 3MO YTD 1YR 3YR 5YR 10YR Since Inception Inception Date
Matthews China Dividend Fund (USD)
2.42% 2.37% 2.37% 1.44% 6.91% 1.79% 6.86% 6.54% 31/01/2013
MSCI China Index (USD)
4.52% 4.71% 4.71% -4.57% -2.51% -3.87% 3.57% 2.63%
For the years ended December 31st
Name 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
Matthews China Dividend Fund (USD)
-16.29% 0.32% 24.30% 14.82% -10.44% 38.09% 6.09% 7.94% 0.92%
MSCI China Index (USD)
-21.80% -21.64% 29.67% 23.66% -18.75% 54.33% 1.11% -7.62% 8.26%
For the period ended 31/03/2023
Name 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 Inception Date
Matthews China Dividend Fund (USD)
1.44% -15.91% 43.26% -13.54% 3.44% 31/01/2013
MSCI China Index (USD)
-4.57% -32.47% 43.81% -5.66% -6.08%

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.

Yield

(as of 30/04/2023)
2.89% Dividend Yield

Source: FactSet Research Systems, Bloomberg, Matthews Asia

Portfolio Characteristics

(as of 30/04/2023)
Fund Benchmark
Number of Positions 38 715
Weighted Average Market Cap $84.2 billion $118.9 billion
Active Share 74.7 n.a.
P/E using FY1 estimates 11.2x 10.3x
P/E using FY2 estimates 9.6x 9.2x
Price/Cash Flow 7.1 6.1
Price/Book 1.6 1.4
Return On Equity 14.7 11.8
EPS Growth (3 Yr) 5.4% 2.7%

Sources: Factset Research Systems, Inc.

Risk Metrics (3 Yr Return)

(as of 30/04/2023)
6.62%
Alpha
0.77
Beta
86.38%
Upside Capture
78.16%
Downside Capture
0.05
Sharpe Ratio
0.79
Information Ratio
10.65%
Tracking Error
88.49

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

Sources: Zephyr StyleADVISOR

Top 10 Holdings

(as of 30/04/2023)
Name Sector % Net Assets
Tencent Holdings, Ltd. Communication Services 9.2
Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd. Consumer Discretionary 6.9
CITIC Telecom International Holdings, Ltd. Communication Services 6.0
Tsingtao Brewery Co., Ltd. Consumer Staples 3.7
Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China, Ltd. Financials 3.3
Postal Savings Bank of China Co., Ltd. Financials 3.2
Yadea Group Holdings, Ltd. Consumer Discretionary 3.0
China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd. Financials 2.8
Wuliangye Yibin Co., Ltd. Consumer Staples 2.8
Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd Consumer Discretionary 2.7
TOTAL 43.6

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 30/04/2023)
  • Sector Allocation
  • Asset Type Breakdown
  • Market Cap Exposure
  • China Exposure
Sector Fund Benchmark Difference
Consumer Discretionary 29.2 27.0 2.2
Communication Services 15.2 19.2 -4.0
Financials 11.4 16.9 -5.5
Consumer Staples 8.2 6.2 2.0
Health Care 6.5 6.2 0.3
Industrials 6.5 5.8 0.7
Real Estate 6.0 3.4 2.6
Materials 5.5 3.6 1.9
Information Technology 5.4 5.9 -0.5
Energy 2.1 3.2 -1.1
Utilities 0.0 2.6 -2.6
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 4.0 0.0 4.0

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

Asset Type Fund
Common Equities and ADRs 96.0
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 4.0
Equity market cap of issuer Fund Benchmark Difference
Mega Cap (over $25B) 41.3 64.0 -22.7
Large Cap ($10B-$25B) 12.6 19.4 -6.8
Mid Cap ($3B-$10B) 25.9 15.1 10.8
Small Cap (under $3B) 16.2 1.6 14.6
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 4.0 0.0 4.0
China Exposure Portfolio Weight
SAR (Hong Kong) 36.3
H Shares 24.3
A Shares 13.2
Overseas Listed Companies (OL) 12.4
China-affiliated corporations (CAC) 6.0
B Shares 2.1
Unassigned 1.7
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 4.0

Definitions: SAR (Hong Kong) companies are companies that conduct business in Hong Kong and/or mainland China. China-affiliated corporations [CAC], also known as "Red Chips," are mainland China companies with partial state ownership listed in Hong Kong, and incorporated in Hong Kong. China A Shares are Mainland Chinese companies incorporated in China and listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen exchanges, available mostly to local Chinese investors and qualified institutional investors. H Shares are mainland Chinese companies listed on the Hong Kong exchange but incorporated in mainland China. B Shares are mainland Chinese companies listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, available to both Chinese and non-Chinese investors. Overseas Listed [OL] companies are companies that conduct business in mainland China but listed in overseas markets such as Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States.

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.

Ratings

  • OVERALL
  • 3 YEAR
  • 5 YEAR
  • 10 YEAR
(as of 23/01/2023)

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. High ratings and rankings does not assure favorable performance.

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.

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

Sherwood  Zhang, CFA photo
Sherwood Zhang, CFA

Lead Manager

Winnie  Chwang photo
Winnie Chwang

Lead Manager

Andrew  Mattock, CFA photo
Andrew Mattock, CFA

Co-Manager

Elli  Lee photo
Elli Lee

Co-Manager

Commentary

Period ended 31 March 2023

For the quarter ending 31 March 2023, the Matthews China Dividend Fund returned 2.37%, while its benchmark, the MSCI China Index, returned 4.71%.

Market Environment:

Chinese equities started 2023 with a strong rally as investors globally anticipated a speedy economic rebound led by Chinese consumption after the country scratched its zero-COVID policy. That didn’t materialize as expected and sentiment then took a knock over the balloon incident and U.S.-China geopolitical tensions started to rise again.

In March, we had the National People’s Congress (NPC) but relatively little excitement was generated around policy and personnel changes. China’s new Premier Li Qiang announced an economic growth target of 5%, the lowest in three decades, implying no strong stimulus policies will be forthcoming in the months ahead. Partly due to the lack of anticipation of strong economic growth, Chinese domestic investors have been chasing concept stocks related to artificial intelligence in the A-shares market. In Hong Kong, technology stocks only started to rally after Alibaba announced its plan to restructure itself into six independent companies after its founder Jack Ma returned to China. 

Performance Contributors and Detractors:

At the sector level, stock selection in consumer discretionary was the biggest contributor to relative performance in the first quarter. Stock selection in consumer staples was also a strong contributor. On the other hand, our overweight and stock selection in real estate was the biggest detractor and stock selections in industrials and materials were also large detractors. Stock selection in mega-cap companies was a detractor while holdings in large-cap stocks were additive to relative performance.

At the holdings level, Tencent was the top contributor over the period. The internet platform reported an expected earnings decline in the last quarter of 2022 and management is confident that all business units will recover strongly in 2023. More importantly, Tencent announced a 50% increase in its annual dividend payment, showing confidence in its financial strength. Yadea Group was the second-biggest contributor. The electric scooter manufacturer reported 61% earnings growth in 2022, a clear standout among peers, and its more recent announcement of the development of a sodium-ion battery will help further solidify its leadership position in the industry, in our view. CITIC Telecom International, which owns the largest telecom operator in Macau, has demonstrated its resilience as messaging and fiber broadband services in Hong Kong and Macau continue to grow. The company also raised its full-year dividend by 9%.

In contrast, Onewo, a leading property management company in China, and its parent, China Vanke, a top property developer, were the two bottom contributors during the quarter as the market still isn’t sure if the residential property market will recover this year. In addition, China Vanke raised more capital by issuing new shares in the Hong Kong market. China Education Group Holdings was the third-worst performer in the quarter. The company also raised capital by issuing new equity earlier this year and an intended acquisition of a new school didn’t materialize thus disappointing the market.

Notable Portfolio Changes:

During the first quarter, we added Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric. The company has over the years grown its emerging equipment segment, especially the power semiconductor business, and this segment will be able to more meaningfully offset the slow-growing rail equipment segment in the near future. That said, we may see some cyclical rebound in rail equipment this year. We also added XTEP International Holdings, a sportswear maker, as we expect there will be a strong recovery of consumer spending this year and Chinese consumers are becoming more health and fitness conscious after the pandemic. XTEP is well-positioned to ride this trend. We also added E Ink holdings as the company is launching its new color e-paper display products which could be its next growth driver.

During the quarter, we sold Yantai Changyu Pioneer Wine. The company has recovered slowly after the pandemic even with additional tariffs imposed on imported wine from overseas competitors. We also sold Silergy, a maker of power management integrated circuits, whose main competitor seemingly started a price war aiming at Silergy and other smaller peers.

Outlook:

The pace of economic growth in China might have lagged market expectations in the short term but the direction of the recovery is very clear and there shouldn’t be reason to blame government policy for holding businesses back. For fundamental investors like us, it should be a much better environment to differentiate the strong business operators from the mediocre ones. In addition, Chinese equities continue to be cheap historically and compared with other markets. This is the reason why Alibaba’s restructuring plan was so warmly welcomed by investors. Even Chinese regulators have started to call for improving valuations for Chinese-listed companies and the supervisory body of state-owned enterprises has changed its KPIs, adding return on equity (ROE) to its metrics. Going forward, we believe these more return-focused measures by private entrepreneurs and government agencies will provide additional tailwinds for Chinese equities.

 

Rolling 12 Month Returns For the period ended 31/03/2023 - I (Acc)
Name 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 Inception Date
Matthews China Dividend Fund (USD)
1.44% -15.91% 43.26% -13.54% 3.44% 31/01/2013
MSCI China Index (USD)
-4.57% -32.47% 43.81% -5.66% -6.08%

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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