Snapshot
- Bottom-up Asia credit strategy, with a focus on risk-adjusted returns
- Invest primarily in USD-denominated high yield Asian bonds
- Flexibility to invest across the spectrum of credit quality and issuers’ capital structure
04/29/2016
Inception Date
-1.36%
YTD Return
(as of 01/19/2021)
$10.13
Price
(as of 01/19/2021)
$91.11 million
Fund Assets
(as of 12/31/2020)
Objective
Seeks total return over the long term.
Strategy
Under normal circumstances, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, which include borrowings for investment purposes, in debt and debt-related instruments issued by companies as well as governments, quasi-governmental entities, and supranational institutions in Asia. Debt and debt-related instruments typically include bonds, debentures, bills, securitized instruments (which are vehicles backed by pools of assets such as loans or other receivables), notes, certificates of deposit and other bank obligations, bank loans, senior secured bank debt, convertible debt securities, credit-linked notes, inflation-linked instruments, repurchase agreements, payment-in-kind securities and derivative instruments with fixed income characteristics.
Risks
Investments in Asian securities may involve risks such as social and political instability, market illiquidity, exchange-rate fluctuations, a high level of volatility and limited regulation. Fixed income investments are subject to additional risks, including, but not limited to, interest rate, credit and inflation risks. Investing in emerging markets involves different and greater risks, as these countries are substantially smaller, less liquid and more volatile than securities markets in more developed markets.
The risks associated with investing in the Fund can be found in the prospectus.
Fund Facts
| Inception Date | 04/29/2016 | |
| Fund Assets | $91.11 million (12/31/2020) | |
| Currency | USD | |
| Ticker | MCRDX | |
| Cusip | 577-130-677 | |
| Portfolio Turnover | 81.08% | |
| Benchmark | J.P. Morgan Asia Credit Index | |
| Geographic Focus | Asia - Consists of all countries and markets in Asia, including developed, emerging, and frontier countries and markets in the Asian region | |
Fees & Expenses
| Gross Expense Ratio | 1.24% | |
| Net Expense Ratio | 1.12% | |
Performance
- Monthly
- Quarterly
- Calendar Year
As of 12/31/2020
As of 12/31/2020
For the years ended December 31st
Source: BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc., Index data from J.P. Morgan. All performance is in US$.
Assumes reinvestment of all dividends and/or distributions before taxes. All performance quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate with market conditions so that when redeemed, shares may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the return figures quoted. Returns would have been lower if certain of the Fund’s fees and expenses had not been waived. Performance differences between the Institutional class and the Investor class may arise due to differences in fees charged to each class.
Additional performance, attribution, liquidity, value at risk (VaR), security classification and holdings information is available on request for certain time periods.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment Since Inception
(as of 12/31/2020)Source: BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. All performance is in US$.
The performance data and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gain distributions or redemption of fund shares.
Yield
(as of 12/31/2020)
7.36%
Yield to Worst
6.13%
30-Day Yield
6.21%
30-Day Yield
(excluding expense waiver)
30-Day Yield Source: BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc.
Ratings
Ratings (as of 12/31/2020)
CATEGORY: Emerging Markets Bond
Quartile & Rankings (as of 12/31/2020)
CATEGORY: Alternative Credit Focus
Ratings agency calculation methodology
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. High ratings and rankings does not assure favorable performance.
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.
Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., rankings are based on total return, including reinvestment of dividends and capital gains for the stated periods. Funds are assigned a rank within a universe of funds similar in investment objective as determined by Lipper. For the absolute rankings shown the lower the number rank, the better the Fund performed compared to other funds in the classification group. Lipper also calculates a quartile ranking which divides the peer group into quartiles to identify funds of similar quality. Funds in the 1st or 2nd quartile had outperformed the average fund in the peer group while funds in the 3rd or 4th quartile had underperformed.
Portfolio Managers
Teresa Kong, CFA
Lead Manager
Teresa Kong, CFA
Portfolio Manager
Teresa Kong is a Portfolio Manager at Matthews Asia and manages the firm’s Asia Total Return Bond and Asia Credit Opportunities Strategies. Prior to joining Matthews Asia in 2010, she was Head of Emerging Market Investments at Barclays Global Investors, now known as BlackRock, and responsible for managing the firm’s investment strategies in Emerging Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America. She developed and managed strategies spanning absolute return, active long-only and exchange-traded funds. In addition to founding the Fixed Income Emerging Markets Group at BlackRock, she was also Senior Portfolio Manager and Credit Strategist on the Fixed Income credit team. Previously, Teresa was a Senior Securities Analyst in the High Yield Group with Oppenheimer Funds, and began her career with J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., where she worked in the Structured Products Group and Latin America Capital Markets Group. She received both a B.A. in Economics and Political Science and an M.A. in International Development Policies from Stanford University. She speaks Cantonese fluently and is conversational in Mandarin.
Satya Patel
Lead Manager
Satya Patel
Portfolio Manager
Satya Patel is a Portfolio Manager at Matthews Asia and manages the firm's Asia Credit Opportunities Strategy and co-manages the Asia Total Return Bond and Asian Growth and Income Strategies. Prior to joining Matthews Asia in 2011, Satya was an Investment Analyst with Concerto Asset Management. He earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2010. In 2009, Satya worked as an Investment Associate in Private Placements for Metlife Investments and from 2006 to 2008, he was an Associate in Credit Hedge Fund Sales for Deutsche Bank in London. He holds a Master's in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics and a B.A. in Business Administration and Public Health from the University of Georgia. Satya is proficient in Gujarati.
Portfolio Characteristics
(as of 12/31/2020)2.9
Modified Duration
31
Number of Positions
Source: BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc.
Top 10 Positions
(as of 12/31/2020)Top 10 holdings may combine more than one security from the same issuer and related depositary receipts.
Source: BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc.
Portfolio Breakdown (%)
(as of 12/31/2020)- Sector Allocation
- Country Allocation
- Currency Allocation
- Quality Distribution
- Asset Type Breakdown
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.
Distributions
Explore Our Latest Fixed Income Research and Insights
Visit our Glossary of Terms page for definitions and additional information.
The Markit iBoxx Asian Local Bond Index tracks the total return performance of a bond portfolio consisting of local-currency denominated, high quality and liquid bonds in Asia ex-Japan. The Markit iBoxx Asian Local Bond Index includes bonds from the following countries: China (on- and offshore markets), Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
The J.P. Morgan Asia Credit Index (JACI) tracks the total return performance of the Asia fixed-rate dollar bond market. JACI is a market cap-weighted index comprising sovereign, quasi-sovereign and corporate bonds and is partitioned by country, sector and credit rating. JACI includes bonds from the following countries: China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.
The MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization–weighted index of the stock markets of China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
The MSCI All Country Asia Pacific Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization–weighted index of the stock markets of Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
The MSCI China Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index of Chinese equities that includes H shares listed on the Hong Kong exchange, B shares listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges, Hong Kong-listed securities known as Red chips (issued by entities owned by national or local governments in China) and P Chips (issued by companies controlled by individuals in China and deriving substantial revenues in China) and foreign listings (e.g. ADRs).
The MSCI China All Shares Index captures large and mid-cap representation across China A shares, B shares, H shares, Red chips (issued by entities owned by national or local governments in China), P chips (issued by companies controlled by individuals in China and deriving substantial revenues in China), and foreign listings (e.g. ADRs). The index aims to reflect the opportunity set of China share classes listed in Hong Kong,Shanghai, Shenzhen and outside of China.
The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Asia Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index of the stock markets of China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index of the stock markets of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index of the stock markets of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
The S&P Bombay Stock Exchange 100 (S&P BSE 100) Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization–weighted index of 100 stocks listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.
The MSCI Japan Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization–weighted index of Japanese equities listed in Japan.
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) is a market capitalization–weighted index of all common stocks listed on the Korea Stock Exchange.
The MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization–weighted small cap index of the stock markets of China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
The MSCI China Small Cap Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted small cap index of the Chinese equity securities markets, including H shares listed on the Hong Kong exchange, B shares listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges,Hong Kong-listed securities known as Red Chips (issued by entities owned by national or local governments in China) and P Chips (issued by companies controlled by individuals in China and deriving substantial revenues in China), and foreign listings (e.g., ADRs).
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. Neither the funds nor the Investment Advisor accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.
The views and opinions in the commentary were as of the report date, subject to change and may not reflect 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.
Commentary
Period ended September 30, 2020
For the quarter ending September 30, 2020, the Matthews Asia Credit Opportunities Fund returned 3.14% (Investor Class) and 3.20% (Institutional Class) while its benchmark, the JP Morgan Asia Credit Index (JACI) returned 2.12%.
Market Environment:
The third quarter was characterized initially by optimism and improvement in market sentiment before market conditions deteriorated near the end of the quarter. The average spread of JACI was 18 basis points (0.18%) tighter on the quarter. The average spread of the high yield portion of JACI was 34 basis points (0.34%) tighter in the quarter.
A number of factors whip-sawed risk sentiment. Throughout the quarter, news flow pointed to progress in the race to manufacture an effective COVID-19 vaccine. Beyond the potential sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations, there was no significant deterioration in U.S. – China relations or either country’s commitment to the Phase One Trade Deal. Toward the end of the quarter, sentiment shifted, with daily confirmed COVID cases rising in the U.S. and Europe and a lack of progress on a second round of stimulus in the U.S. With the U.S. election quickly approaching, markets focused on the uncertainty, in particular regarding the accuracy of final vote count as well as a potential messy transfer of power.
Within Asian credit, China was the single largest contributor to positive performance, given its large index weight and also positive performance. During the third quarter, one of the most significant negative news for Chinese companies came from the large property developer Evergrande. A letter circulated suggesting the company was seeking government support and considering a restructuring. Even though the company denied the authenticity of the letter, it was enough to drive credit spreads wider across Asia. We believe Evergrande’s issues to be idiosyncratic and not an indication of the overall health of Chinese developers. We have avoided companies such as Evergrande on credit concerns and generally prefer higher quality Chinese property names.
Performance Contributors and Detractors:
Long-duration investment-grade names, such as Asahan Aluminum Persero (InAlum), Syngenta, and China Jinmao perpetual bonds contributed to performance during the quarter as investors reached for yield without straying too far from credit quality. Across the board, high yield companies generally did well and had positive performance in the quarter. The top returning sector continued to be Chinese property developers, with China Jinmao and Dalian Wanda as the two biggest contributors to outperformance.
The top detractors were perpetual bonds of Philippines fast-food conglomerate Jollibee, convertible bonds of Baozun, a Chinese e-commerce solutions company, and PB International, an Indonesian textile manufacturer. Jollibee, as a restaurant business, has had an uneven recovery from COVID. However, we like the long-term operating track record of the company and therefore believes it has long-term upside potential. Pan Brothers faces market scrutiny due to its upcoming bank loan refinancing needs, but we feel comfortable holding the bond due to the continued strength in operations, which have been buoyed by a shift towards manufacturing of personal protective equipment.
Notable Portfolio Changes:
During the third quarter, we exited Indonesia InAlum and Cikarang Listrindo, both Indonesia companies. These bonds had recovered quite well, and we felt there was limited remaining upside. We also exited the contingent convertible securities of HSBC and Standard Chartered.
We added bonds issued by Tata Motors after the company committed to significantly reducing its outstanding debt in the next few years. We also added bonds of Poseidon Finance, a financing vehicle of China Shipbuilding Investment Corporation that are exchangeable into shares of Postal Savings Bank in China. While Postal Savings Bank equity will continue to come under pressure, the credit quality of China Shipbuilding Investment Corporation, as a wholly owned central government enterprise, is that of a quasi-sovereign. The yield on the bonds reflected the challenging outlook for the underlying equity, but compensates well for the minimal default risk.
Outlook:
Looking ahead, there are numerous uncertainties on the horizon in the coming quarters. With voting already underway in the United States, the November election will give markets a direction after a rollercoaster year. Even with the election settled, the true extent of the coronavirus spread in U.S. and emerging markets remains uncertain, with an imminent vaccine more of a hope than a foregone conclusion at this point.
As markets continue to assess the uncertainties mentioned above, we expect idiosyncratic risks and company specific risks to be the dominant concern. We believe the market will focus on determining the degree to which a sector and company is impacted by the pandemic. As a result, dispersion between geographical regions and between different credit qualities will in our view increase going forward. Given the high macro risks, we continue to favor companies with good credit quality and low liquidity risks, which should give them the best buffers to withstand macro uncertainties.
Looking still further ahead, we note that the importance of geopolitics will not wane once the U.S. election is decided, particularly between the U.S. and China, where trade and intellectual property disputes can be expected to continue for years to come. In addition to U.S. – China relations, we are increasingly worried about uncertainties in U.S. election vote counting as well as implications of a potential disruptive power transfer in U.S. Although this is a small probability tail risk, we believe it deserves further attention.
As of September 30, 2020, the securities mentioned comprised the Matthews Asia Credit Opportunities Fund in the following percentages: Syngenta Finance N.V., 5.676%, 04/24/2048, 2.0%: Syngenta Finance N.V., 5.182%, 04/24/2028, 1.7%; Syngenta Finance N.V., 4.892%, 04/24/2025, 0.2%; Franshion Brilliant, Ltd., 5.750%, 07/17/2067, 4.9%; Wanda Group Overseas, Ltd., 7.500%, 07/24/2022, 2.7%; Wanda Properties International Co., Ltd., 7.250%, 01/29/2024, 2.6%; Jollibee Worldwide Pte, Ltd., 3.900%, 07/23/2068, 1.5%; Baozun, Inc., Cnv., 1.625%, 05/01/2024, 2.8%; PB International BV, 7.625%, 01/26/2022, 4.9% (Pan Brothers); Tata Motors, Ltd., 5.875%, 05/20/2025, 3.3%; Poseidon Finance 1, Ltd., Cnv., 0.000%, 02/01/2025, 4.0%. The Fund held no positions in Evergrande; PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium Perser; Listrindo Capital BV; HSBC Holdings PLC; Standard Chartered PLC. Current and future portfolio holdings are subject to change and risk.
Average Annual Total Returns - MCRDX as of 12/31/2020
All performance quoted is past performance and 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. Current performance may be lower or higher than the return figures quoted. Returns would have been lower if certain of the Fund's fees and expenses had not been waived. Please see the Fund's most recent month-end performance.
Fees & Expenses
Matthews has contractually agreed (i) to waive fees and reimburse expenses to the extent needed to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding Rule 12b-1 fees, taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, short sale dividend expenses, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) of the Institutional Class to 0.90% first by waiving class specific expenses (e.g., shareholder service fees specific to a particular class) of the Institutional Class and then, to the extent necessary, by waiving non-class specific expenses (e.g., custody fees) of the Institutional Class, and (ii) if any Fund-wide expenses (i.e., expenses that apply to both the Institutional Class and the Investor Class) are waived for the Institutional Class to maintain the 0.90% expense limitation, to waive an equal amount (in annual percentage terms) of those same expenses for the Investor Class. The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement for the Investor Class may vary from year to year and will in some years exceed 0.90%. Any amount waived with respect to the Fund pursuant to this agreement is not subject to recoupment. This agreement will remain in place until April 30, 2021 and may be terminated at any time by the Board of Trustees on behalf of the Fund on 60 days’ written notice to Matthews. Matthews may decline to renew this agreement by written notice to the Trust at least 30 days before its annual expiration date.
Yields as of 12/31/2020
The 30-Day Yield represents net investment income earned by the Fund over the 30-day period ended 12/31/2020, expressed as an annual percentage rate based on the Fund’s share price at the end of the 30-day period. The 30-Day Yield should be regarded as an estimate of the Fund’s rate of investment income, and it may not equal the Fund’s actual income distribution rate. Source: BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc.
Yield to worst is the lowest potential yield a bond can receive without actually defaulting – is for the underlying bond-only portion of the portfolio, and as of May 2020, is calculated by making worst-case scenario assumptions using the weighted averages of the underlying security-level yields, weighted according to each security’s market value. It does not represent or predict the yield on any fund. Source: FactSet Research Systems