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Matthews Asia Innovators Fund
MATFX

Snapshot
  • High-conviction, concentrated equity portfolio of innovative companies in Asia
  • All-cap fundamental approach focused on companies with unique offerings that create or expand markets
  • Capitalizing on the new economy and the rising disposable income in Asia

12/27/1999

Inception Date

32.54%

YTD Return

(as of 10/17/2025)

$17.15

NAV

(as of 10/17/2025)

-0.06

1 Day NAV Change

(as of 10/17/2025)

Objective

Long-term capital appreciation

Strategy

Under normal circumstances, the Matthews Asia Innovators Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, which include borrowings for investment purposes, in the common and preferred stocks of companies located in Asia that Matthews believes are innovators in their products, services, processes, business models, management, use of technology, or approach to creating, expanding or servicing their markets. The Fund seeks to invest in companies capable of sustainable growth based on the fundamental characteristics of those companies, including balance sheet information; number of employees; size and stability of cash flow; management’s depth, adaptability and integrity; product lines; marketing strategies; corporate governance; and financial health.

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. Investing in emerging and frontier markets involves different and greater risks, as these countries are substantially smaller, less liquid and more volatile than securities markets in more developed markets. Sector funds may be subject to a higher degree of market risk than diversified funds because of a concentration in a specific sector. The Fund's value may be affected by changes in the science and technology-related industries.

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

Fund Facts
Inception Date 12/27/1999
Fund Assets $329.92 million (09/30/2025)
Currency USD
Ticker MATFX
Cusip 577-130-883
Benchmark MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index
Geographic Focus Asia ex Japan - Consists of all countries and markets in Asia excluding Japan, but including all other developed, emerging, and frontier countries and markets in the Asian region
Fees & Expenses
Gross Expense Ratio 1.29%

Performance

  • Monthly
  • Quarterly
  • Calendar Year
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As of 09/30/2025
Average Annual Total Returns
Name 1MO 3MO YTD 1YR 3YR 5YR 10YR Since Inception Inception Date
Matthews Asia Innovators Fund - MATFX
12/27/1999
MATFX
9.26% 18.75% 34.08% 29.48% 18.52% 5.29% 12.21% 5.73%
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index
6.84% 11.07% 27.50% 18.05% 19.34% 6.88% 8.88% 6.56%
As of 09/30/2025
Average Annual Total Returns
Name 1MO 3MO YTD 1YR 3YR 5YR 10YR Since Inception Inception Date
Matthews Asia Innovators Fund - MATFX
12/27/1999
MATFX
9.26% 18.75% 34.08% 29.48% 18.52% 5.29% 12.21% 5.73%
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index
6.84% 11.07% 27.50% 18.05% 19.34% 6.88% 8.88% 6.56%
For the years ended December 31st
Name 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015
Matthews Asia Innovators Fund - MATFX
MATFX
16.47% -1.77% -24.80% -13.10% 86.72% 29.60% -18.62% 52.88% -9.10% 4.48%
MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index (USD)
12.51% 6.34% -19.36% -4.46% 25.36% 18.52% -14.12% 42.08% 5.76% -8.90%

MSCI AC Asia Ex Japan Index since inception value calculated from 12/31/99.

Source: BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. 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 09/30/2025)

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.

Ratings

  • OVERALL
  • out of 39 funds
  • 3 YEAR
  • out of 39 funds
  • 5 YEAR
  • out of 37 funds
  • 10 YEAR
  • out of 27 funds

Ratings agency calculation methodology

Portfolio Managers

Michael J. Oh, CFA photo
Inbok  Song photo

Portfolio Characteristics

(as of 09/30/2025)
Fund Benchmark
Number of Positions 56 1,001
Weighted Average Market Cap $284.8 billion $266.8 billion
Active Share 59.5 n.a.
P/E using FY1 estimates 25.5x 16.0x
P/E using FY2 estimates 20.4x 14.2x
Price/Cash Flow 19.8 10.1
Price/Book 4.2 2.1
Return On Equity 17.5 18.1
EPS Growth (3 Yr) 26.2% 12.1%

Sources: Factset Research Systems, Inc.

Risk Metrics (3 Yr Return)

(as of 06/30/2025)
-3.34%
Alpha
1.11
Beta
99.45%
Upside Capture
111.81%
Downside Capture
0.06
Sharpe Ratio
-0.49
Information Ratio
7.16%
Tracking Error
90.81

Fund Risk Metrics are reflective of Investor share class.

Sources: Zephyr StyleADVISOR

Top 10 Holdings

(as of 09/30/2025)
Name Sector Country % Net Assets
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Information Technology Taiwan 12.6
Tencent Holdings, Ltd. Communication Services China/Hong Kong 7.3
Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd. Consumer Discretionary China/Hong Kong 5.1
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Information Technology South Korea 4.8
Eternal, Ltd. Consumer Discretionary India 3.8
Sea, Ltd. Consumer Discretionary Singapore 3.8
DiDi Global, Inc. Industrials China/Hong Kong 3.7
PDD Holdings, Inc. Consumer Discretionary China/Hong Kong 3.6
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. Industrials China/Hong Kong 2.3
Hanwha Aerospace Co., Ltd. Industrials South Korea 2.0
TOTAL 49.0

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 09/30/2025)
  • Sector Allocation
  • Country Allocation
  • Market Cap Exposure
Sector Fund Benchmark Difference
Information Technology 30.6 28.7 1.9
Consumer Discretionary 25.9 15.2 10.7
Communication Services 15.7 10.9 4.8
Industrials 14.6 7.6 7.0
Health Care 8.3 3.7 4.6
Financials 3.2 20.3 -17.1
Energy 1.0 2.8 -1.8
Real Estate 0.4 2.0 -1.6
Materials 0.0 3.7 -3.7
Consumer Staples 0.0 3.2 -3.2
Utilities 0.0 2.1 -2.1
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 0.4 0.0 0.4

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 47.6 40.0 7.6
Taiwan 18.5 21.9 -3.4
South Korea 15.0 12.4 2.6
India 13.6 17.2 -3.6
Singapore 4.8 4.0 0.8
Indonesia 0.0 1.3 -1.3
Malaysia 0.0 1.3 -1.3
Thailand 0.0 1.2 -1.2
Philippines 0.0 0.4 -0.4
Macau 0.0 0.1 -0.1
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 0.4 0.0 0.4

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

Equity market cap of issuer Fund Benchmark Difference
Mega Cap (over $25B) 77.6 68.6 9.0
Large Cap ($10B-$25B) 11.9 21.1 -9.2
Mid Cap ($3B-$10B) 8.1 10.3 -2.2
Small Cap (under $3B) 2.0 0.0 2.0
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities 0.4 0.0 0.4

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

Record Date Ex, Pay and
Reinvest Date
Ordinary
Income
Short Term
Capital Gains
Long Term
Capital Gains
Total Distributions
Per Share
% of NAV Nondividend Distribution (Return of Capital)
12/13/2023 12/14/2023 $0.00018 $0.00000 $0.00000 $0.00018 0.0% N.A.
12/13/2022 12/14/2022 $0.00000 $0.00000 $3.00231 $3.00231 20.4% N.A.
12/14/2021 12/15/2021 $0.00000 $1.10849 $3.22827 $4.33676 18.4% N.A.
12/15/2020 12/16/2020 $0.00000 $0.13545 $0.31069 $0.44614 1.8% N.A.
12/16/2019 12/17/2019 $0.00000 $0.00000 $0.04272 $0.04272 0.3% N.A.

 

There is no guarantee that the Fund will pay or continue to pay distributions. 

Past performance 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.

Commentary

Period ended September 30, 2025

Market Environment

  • The region delivered robust performance, returning about 11%1 in the quarter against a benign global economic backdrop supported by a weaker U.S. dollar and a cut in U.S. interest rates. Easing concerns over U.S. tariffs and accelerating optimism around artificial intelligence (AI) also contributed to gains.
  • North Asia led regional returns with sustained global demand for semiconductors from Taiwan and South Korea amid ongoing AI buildout. China was one of the best performing emerging markets as geopolitical tensions with the U.S. moderated and authorities continued to target domestic stimulus measures and promote private enterprise particularly in technology and innovation.
  • India’s market fell in the period, impacted by slowing economic growth and the Trump administration’s decision to double tariffs on most of its exports over India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. In Southeast Asia, countries including Indonesia and the Philippines were impacted by political unrest and conflict. In contrast, Vietnam performed well after reaching a U.S. trade deal that was less restrictive than initially anticipated.

Contributors and Detractors

  • For the quarter ended September 30, 2025, the Matthews Asia Innovators Fund returned 18.75% (Investor Class) and 18.84% (Institutional Class) while its benchmark, the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index, returned 11.07% over the same period.
  • On a country basis, the top three contributors to relative performance were China/Hong Kong, India and Taiwan due to stock selection. The top three detractors were Thailand due to zero allocation, Vietnam due to an off-benchmark allocation and Macau due to zero allocation.
  • On a sector basis, the top three contributors to relative performance were financials due to an underweight allocation, and industrials and health care due to stock selection. The top detractor was materials due to zero allocation.
  • The largest contributors to absolute performance included Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TMSC), a globally leading chipmaker, Tencent Holdings, a Chinese online gaming and social media conglomerate, and Alibaba Group, the largest e-commerce platform company in China. The top three detractors included Xiaomi Corp. , a Chinese consumer electronics and electric vehicle (EV) maker, BYD, a Chinese leading auto and EV maker, and Reliance Industries, an Indian multinational conglomerate.

Outlook

  • We view a broadly supportive economic environment; however, investors should be mindful of potential headwinds. Stronger growth in the U.S. could restrict further rate cuts while a slowdown could emerge if tariffs have a bigger economic impact.
  • Within emerging markets, our preference remains for North Asia, particularly South Korea which is benefiting from growth across technology and industrial sectors as well as ongoing corporate reforms. Valuations in South Korea are also more compelling versus Taiwan.
  • In India, structural opportunities remain but it is unclear as to the degree to which rate reductions and tax cuts will stimulate near-term economic growth and consumer spending, and we remain concerned about elevated valuations.
  • While we are constructive for the rest of 2025, we believe careful positioning will be critical. Some markets, including China, have generated returns driven more by multiple expansion, for example, from depressed valuations or from rising AI sentiment, rather than from improving fundamentals.

1Source: MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index, as of Sept. 30, 2025.

View the Fund's Top 10 holdings as of September 30, 2025. Current and future holdings are subject to change and risk.

Average Annual Total Returns - MATFX as of 09/30/2025
1YR 3YR 5YR 10YR Since Inception Inception Date
29.48% 18.52% 5.29% 12.21% 5.73% 12/27/1999

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. For the Fund's most recent month-end performance visit matthewsasia.com

Fees & Expenses
Gross Expense Ratio 1.29%

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. Investing in emerging and frontier markets involves different and greater risks, as these countries are substantially smaller, less liquid and more volatile than securities markets in more developed markets. Sector funds may be subject to a higher degree of market risk than diversified funds because of a concentration in a specific sector. The Fund's value may be affected by changes in the science and technology-related industries.

 

Visit our Glossary of Terms page for definitions and additional information.

Index Definitions

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.