N-CSRS 1 d540193dncsrs.htm FORM N-CSRS Form N-CSRS
Table of Contents

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM N-CSR

 

 

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED

MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number 811-08510

 

 

Matthews International Funds

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

 

Four Embarcadero Center, Suite 550

San Francisco, CA 94111

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

 

 

James Cooper Abbott, President

Four Embarcadero Center, Suite 550

San Francisco, CA 94111

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 415-788-7553

Date of fiscal year end: December 31

Date of reporting period: June 30, 2023

 

 

Form N-CSR is to be used by management investment companies to file reports with the Commission not later than 10 days after the transmission to stockholders of any report that is required to be transmitted to stockholders under Rule 30e-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (17 CFR 270.30e-1). The Commission may use the information provided on Form N-CSR in its regulatory, disclosure review, inspection, and policymaking roles.

A registrant is required to disclose the information specified by Form N-CSR, and the Commission will make this information public. A registrant is not required to respond to the collection of information contained in Form N-CSR unless the Form displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) control number. Please direct comments concerning the accuracy of the information collection burden estimate and any suggestions for reducing the burden to Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549-0609. The OMB has reviewed this collection of information under the clearance requirements of 44 U.S.C. § 3507.

 

 

 


Table of Contents

Item 1. Reports to Stockholders.

 

(a)

Include a copy of the report transmitted to stockholders pursuant to Rule 30e-1 under the Act (17 CFR 270.30e-1).

The Report to Shareholders is attached herewith.


Table of Contents

Matthews Asia Funds  |  Semi-Annual Report

June 30, 2023  |  matthewsasia.com

 

GLOBAL EMERGING MARKETS STRATEGIES

Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund

Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund

Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund

ASIA GROWTH STRATEGIES

Matthews Asia Growth Fund

Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund

Matthews Asia Innovators Fund

Matthews China Fund

Matthews China Small Companies Fund

Matthews India Fund

Matthews Japan Fund

Matthews Korea Fund

ASIA GROWTH AND INCOME STRATEGIES

Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund

Matthews Asia Dividend Fund

Matthews China Dividend Fund

 

LOGO

 

Paper copies of the Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports are no longer being sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website matthewsasia.com, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report. You may elect to receive paper copies of shareholder reports and other communications from the Funds anytime by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 800.789.ASIA (2742).

Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Funds held in your account if you invest through your financial intermediary or all Funds held directly with Matthews Asia Funds.

 

LOGO


Table of Contents

Investor Class Performance and Expense Ratios (June 30, 2023) (unaudited)

 

 

 

            
    
    
     
Average Annual Total Return
   

Inception
Date

    Prospectus
Expense
Ratios*
    Prospectus
Expense
Ratios
after Fee
Waiver
and
Expense
Reim-
bursement*
 
Investor Class   1 year     5 years     10 years     Since
Inception
 

GLOBAL EMERGING MARKETS STRATEGY

             

Emerging Markets Equity Fund (MEGMX)

    11.29%       n.a.       n.a.       9.76%       4/30/20       1.58%       1.08% 1 

Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund (MASGX)§

    5.19%       8.95%       n.a.       7.74%       4/30/15       1.24%       1.24%  

Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund (MSMLX)

    16.06%       10.09%       7.97%       11.18%       9/15/08       1.49%       1.37% 1 

ASIA GROWTH STRATEGIES

             

Asia Growth Fund (MPACX)

    -3.65%       -3.18%       2.99%       6.53%       10/31/03       1.13%       1.13%  

Pacific Tiger Fund (MAPTX)

    -5.73%       0.06%       4.43%       7.28%       9/12/94       1.10%       1.09% 2 

Asia Innovators Fund (MATFX)

    -9.43%       4.41%       9.75%       4.27%       12/27/99       1.18%       1.18%  

China Fund (MCHFX)

    -23.98%       -2.59%       4.32%       7.70%       2/19/98       1.12%       1.12%  

China Small Companies Fund (MCSMX)

    -22.55%       2.01%       8.21%       5.12%       5/31/11       1.55%       1.41% 1 

India Fund (MINDX)

    17.99%       5.31%       11.03%       9.97%       10/31/05       1.15%       1.15%  

Japan Fund (MJFOX)

    15.51%       0.94%       6.20%       5.49%       12/31/98       1.05%       1.05%  

ASIA GROWTH AND INCOME STRATEGIES

             

Asian Growth and Income Fund (MACSX)

    0.16%       1.93%       2.22%       7.79%       9/12/94       1.13%       1.13%  

Asia Dividend Fund (MAPIX)

    -4.65%       -1.46%       3.27%       6.17%       10/31/06       1.10%       1.10%  

China Dividend Fund (MCDFX)

    -11.93%       -1.18%       5.92%       6.72%       11/30/09       1.20%       1.20%  

 

 

Annualized performance for periods of at least one year, otherwise cumulative.

 

*

These figures are from the Funds’ prospectus dated as of April 28, 2023, and may differ from the actual expense ratios for fiscal year 2022, as shown in the financial highlights section of this report.

 

§

The Fund’s name changed from Matthews Asia ESG Fund to Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund on July 29, 2022.

 

1

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 1.20% (except for the Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund, Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund and the Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund, which have expense limitations of 0.90%, 1.15% and 1.15%, respectively, for the Institutional Class) first by waiving class specific expenses (i.e., 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 1.20% expense limitation (or 0.90% for the Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund, or 1.15% for the Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund and the Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund), 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 1.20% (or 0.90% for the Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund, or 1.15% for the Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund and the Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund). If the operating expenses fall below the expense limitation within three years after Matthews has made a waiver or reimbursement, the Fund may reimburse Matthews up to an amount that does not cause the expenses for that year to exceed the lesser of (i) the expense limitation applicable at the time of that fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement or (ii) the expense limitation in effect at the time of recoupment. This agreement will remain in place until April 30, 2024 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.

 

2

Matthews has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its advisory fee and administrative and shareholder services fee if the Fund’s average daily net assets are over $3 billion, as follows: for every $2.5 billion average daily net assets of the Fund that are over $3 billion, the advisory fee rate and the administrative and shareholder services fee rate for the Fund with respect to such excess average daily net assets will be each reduced by 0.01%, in each case without reducing such fee rate below 0.00%. Any amount waived by Matthews pursuant to this agreement may not be recouped by Matthews. This agreement will remain in place until April 30, 2024 and may be terminated (i) at any time by the Board of Trustees upon 60 days’ prior written notice to Matthews; or (ii) by Matthews at the annual expiration date of the agreement upon 60 days’ prior written notice to the Trust, in each case without payment of any penalty.

 

2    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS


Table of Contents

 

Institutional Class Performance and Expense Ratios (June 30, 2023) (unaudited)

 

 

 

            
    
    
     
Average Annual Total Return
   

Inception
Date

    Prospectus
Expense
Ratios*
    Prospectus
Expense
Ratios
after Fee
Waiver
and
Expense
Reim-
bursement*
 
Institutional Class   1 year     5 years     10 years     Since
Inception
 

GLOBAL EMERGING MARKETS STRATEGY

             

Emerging Markets Equity Fund (MIEFX)

    11.37%       n.a.       n.a.       9.98%       4/30/20       1.47%       0.90% 1 

Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund (MISFX)

    5.26%       9.13%       n.a.       7.96%       4/30/15       1.11%       1.11%  

Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund (MISMX)§

    16.27%       10.31%       8.20%       7.68%       4/30/13       1.37%       1.15% 1 

ASIA GROWTH STRATEGIES

             

Asia Growth Fund (MIAPX)

    -3.47%       -3.03%       3.17%       3.81%       10/29/10       0.98%       0.98%  

Pacific Tiger Fund (MIPTX)

    -5.60%       0.20%       4.60%       4.12%       10/29/10       0.97%       0.96% 2 

Asia Innovators Fund (MITEX)

    -9.30%       4.58%       9.94%       9.58%       4/30/13       1.04%       1.04%  

China Fund (MICFX)

    -23.87%       -2.42%       4.49%       1.85%       10/29/10       0.98%       0.98%  

China Small Companies Fund (MICHX)

    -22.45%       2.23%       n.a.       4.72%       11/30/17       1.38%       1.20% 1 

India Fund (MIDNX)

    18.15%       5.47%       11.22%       6.22%       10/29/10       1.01%       1.01%  

Japan Fund (MIJFX)

    15.48%       0.99%       6.28%       7.44%       10/29/10       0.97%       0.97%  

Korea Fund (MIKOX)

    8.64%       0.96%       5.68%       5.62%       10/29/10       1.08%       1.08%  

ASIA GROWTH AND INCOME STRATEGIES

             

Asian Growth and Income Fund (MICSX)

    0.26%       2.07%       2.37%       3.25%       10/29/10       1.01%       1.01%  

Asia Dividend Fund (MIPIX)

    -4.66%       -1.37%       3.38%       4.05%       10/29/10       0.99%       0.99%  

China Dividend Fund (MICDX)

    -11.77%       -1.03%       6.09%       5.86%       10/29/10       1.06%       1.06%  

 

 

Annualized performance for periods of at least one year, otherwise cumulative.

 

*

These figures are from the Funds’ prospectus dated as of April 28, 2023, and may differ from the actual expense ratios for fiscal year 2022, as shown in the financial highlights section of this report.

 

§

The Fund’s name changed from Matthews Asia ESG Fund to Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund on July 29, 2022.

 

1

Matthews has contractually agreed 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 1.20% (except for the Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund, Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund and the Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund, which have expense limitations of 0.90%, 1.15% and 1.15%, respectively, for the Institutional Class). If the operating expenses fall below the expense limitation within three years after Matthews has made a waiver or reimbursement, the Fund may reimburse Matthews up to an amount that does not cause the expenses for that year to exceed the lesser of (i) the expense limitation applicable at the time of that fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement or (ii) the expense limitation in effect at the time of recoupment. This agreement will remain in place until April 30, 2024 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.

 

2

Matthews has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its advisory fee and administrative and shareholder services fee if the Fund’s average daily net assets are over $3 billion, as follows: for every $2.5 billion average daily net assets of the Fund that are over $3 billion, the advisory fee rate and the administrative and shareholder services fee rate for the Fund with respect to such excess average daily net assets will be each reduced by 0.01%, in each case without reducing such fee rate below 0.00%. Any amount waived by Matthews pursuant to this agreement may not be recouped by Matthews. This agreement will remain in place until April 30, 2024 and may be terminated (i) at any time by the Board of Trustees upon 60 days’ prior written notice to Matthews; or (ii) by Matthews at the annual expiration date of the agreement upon 60 days’ prior written notice to the Trust, in each case without payment of any penalty.

Past Performance: All performance quoted in this report is past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate with changing 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 returns quoted. If certain of the Funds’ fees and expenses had not been waived, returns would have been lower. For the Funds’ most recent month-end performance, please call 800.789.ASIA (2742) or visit matthewsasia.com.

 

matthewsasia.com  |   800.789.ASIA      3  


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Cover photo: Looking out to brighter and greener pastures (Chiang Mai, Thailand)

 

 

This report has been prepared for Matthews International Funds (d/b/a Matthews Asia Funds) shareholders. It is not authorized for distribution to prospective investors unless accompanied or preceded by a current Matthews Asia Funds prospectus, which contains more complete information about the Funds’ investment objectives, risks and expenses. Additional copies of the prospectus or summary prospectus may be obtained at matthewsasia.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

The views and opinions in this report were current as of June 30, 2023. 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 a Fund’s future investment intent. Current and future portfolio holdings are subject to risk.

Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but neither the Funds nor the Investment Advisor makes any representation or guarantee as to their completeness or accuracy.

 

4    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS


Table of Contents

Contents

 

Message to Shareholders from the Investment Advisor     6  
Manager Commentaries, Fund Characteristics and Schedules of Investments:  
GLOBAL EMERGING MARKETS STRATEGIES  
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund     8  
Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund*     13  
Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund     18  
ASIA GROWTH STRATEGIES  
Matthews Asia Growth Fund     23  
Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund     27  
Matthews Asia Innovators Fund     31  
Matthews China Fund     36  
Matthews China Small Companies Fund     41  
Matthews India Fund     46  
Matthews Japan Fund     51  
Matthews Korea Fund     56  
ASIA GROWTH AND INCOME STRATEGIES  
Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund     61  
Matthews Asia Dividend Fund     66  
Matthews China Dividend Fund     71  
Index Definitions     76  
Disclosures     77  
Disclosure of Fund Expenses     78  
Statements of Assets and Liabilities     80  
Statements of Operations     90  
Statements of Changes in Net Assets     95  
Financial Highlights     102  
Notes to Financial Statements     116  
1. Organization     116  
2. Significant Accounting Policies     116  
3. Capital Shares Transactions     122  
4. Investment Advisory Fees and Other Transactions with Affiliates     125  
5. Investments     128  
6. Income Tax Information     128  
7. Public Health Emergency Risks     129  
8. Subsequent Events     129  

* The Fund’s name changed from Matthews Asia ESG Fund to Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund on July 29, 2022.

Investment Risk: Mutual fund shares are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by, any depositary institution. Shares are not insured by the FDIC, Federal Reserve Board or any government agency and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of principal amount invested. Investing in international and emerging markets may involve additional 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. In addition, single-country and sector funds may be subject to a higher degree of market risk than diversified funds because of a concentration in a specific industry, sector or geographic location. Investing in small and mid-size companies is more risky than investing in large companies as they may be more volatile and less liquid than larger companies. Please see the Funds’ Prospectuses and Statement of Additional Information for more risk disclosure.

 

matthewsasia.com  |   800.789.ASIA      5  


Table of Contents

LOGO

Message to Shareholders from the

Investment Advisor

Interest rate cycles are driving changes in short-term sentiment these days and U.S.—China politics seem to be determining the longer-term mood. In the last quarter it was particularly apparent that neither seem to be working in favor of emerging markets. For many investors, it’s been a signal to sit it out on the sidelines.

Clearly, elevated global interest rates do pose a challenge to the outlook of a growth-orientated asset like emerging markets and geopolitics have weighed heavily on Chinese stocks and on companies in the semiconductor space. Underneath it all, Asia and emerging markets, particularly China, have simply struggled to produce the per-share earnings growth that their economic growth deserved. Meanwhile, markets like the U.S. have been outperforming consistently.

So you could be forgiven for questioning the rationale for staying invested in emerging markets, particularly as China labors in its recovery. Our economic theory and stock-picking patience have certainly been tested recently but we remain convinced of the long-term opportunities of this asset class. Here’s why.

Emerging markets and interest rates

First, let’s take a look at inflation and interest rates. After having obsessed over inflation and its permanence or transience for the past two years, I feel confident in saying two things: first, that two-thirds to three-quarters of the inflation spike we endured was transient and due to supply shocks that are now almost entirely behind us; second, the resulting permanent inflation is probably running at no more than about 3% in the U.S. and is still declining, in part due to interest rate rises that have already been made. So we can probably say with some confidence that interest rates have peaked. So where does this leave emerging market performance relative to developed markets? Typically it’s not been a favorable environment but only because falling rates are usually associated with cyclical economic weakness. However, I wouldn’t assume this to be the unfolding scenario. If the Fed has indeed pulled off the magic trick of a soft landing, a cycle more tilted to growth may play out—and I don’t see many in the market prepared for that. So that could be a tailwind at large for emerging markets.

Growth after a soft landing

The Fed’s rate moves are, of course, only half the story for emerging markets. What about their central banks? Here there are two plot lines in motion. In the rate hike camp, Brazil got a better start than the U.S. and Mexico, and it has brought a lot of credibility to macro management over the past few years. So the speed of the decline in interest rates in the U.S. are likely to be matched or even exceeded in these countries as inflation falls rapidly and at the same time the growth prospects of these economies look intact. The other plot line is in Asia, where inflation has been much less of an issue. Countries like Indonesia and India have done a lot to tame exposure to international rate cycles. As for Japan, I’ve always thought that it needed inflation so it’s not a surprise to see its equity markets doing quite well, particularly as the yen has strengthened.

India, Brazil, and Japan have been among the bright spots in emerging and international markets and there is no reason to suspect that any of them will hit harder times if the U.S. dollar remains weak and Fed rates come down.

And what about the elephant in the room, China? The world’s second biggest economy has no inflation. If anything inflation is too low. Core inflation, excluding food and energy, is at 0.4% year-on-year. The inflation rate is low partly due to the fact that China is emerging steadily but cautiously from COVID lockdown. It is emerging cautiously as the government doesn’t want to overstimulate the economy in the way that (arguably) some western nations did.

 

 

6    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

China’s challenges

So, China is in quite a different macro space and that brings opportunities and challenges. The trick for China is to get incomes (and with it consumer demand) onto a sustainably rising trend, at least in line with nominal gross domestic product growth. I think China understands this and there has been a renewed focus of late in promoting an environment favorable to private enterprise. The private sector is key for the government as it holds in its hands the fate of the vast majority of urban employment and therefore the fate of the China Communist’s Party’s urban popularity, which took a big hit in the later stages of the pandemic.

China may also have to be more aggressive in its attempts to spur quality growth, from the point of view of a balanced macroeconomic policy and return on investment. Just look at the concrete steps taken in India and Mexico, in particular on macroeconomic policy, and in places like Japan and South Korea, in terms of pressure on companies to improve corporate governance and shareholder returns. China has done better on these kind of things of late but it has achieved neither the fanfare nor the practical success that some of its neighbors have.

The other driver of global market sentiment is geopolitics, of course. As we have been at pains to point out, there seems little reason to expect things to improve any time soon. Indeed, further sanctions or trade controls seem to be pushing the U.S. and China into separate blocs with the result that economics and investment returns may become less correlated. As investors in emerging markets, I think we have to accept this truth and position portfolios and devise investment strategies that are more in tune with, and cognizant of, the growing importance of domestic policies.

Good businesses at good prices

Ultimately, investing in global and emerging markets is all down to finding companies. And the sluggishness of China’s economic growth and the skepticism towards it, belies the fact that there are still many good companies to be found. The sheer size of the market and the need for a bottom-up portfolio manager to find a tiny portion of good businesses means that short-term skepticism can often lead to good prices for good businesses. From our point of view, China still offers significant opportunities for the long-term investor. So, despite the better performance and perhaps superior short-term outlook in Japan and India, our regional portfolios will more often than not maintain a balance between the major markets.

In recent times, the bigger macro picture has determined, to large degrees, the trajectory of many equity markets regardless of the performance of their companies. In the falling rate cycle of the pandemic only growth was rewarded, profitable or otherwise. As rates rose, the environment favored more cyclical businesses. I suspect these unusually sharp style cycles are a symptom of the unusually severe and severely unusual inflation and growth cycles we’ve experienced. I think these will dampen down and the inflation cycle will normalize.

It has been a trial for quality growth stock picking and I expect the next few years will be a little easier. And it is quality growth that is shared across all we do. Yes, some of our portfolios are more exposed to emerging businesses and smaller companies. Some portfolios skew to income or established and predictable growth. But the core remains finding good businesses with sensible management, where we can be comfortable with the valuation we are paying. As strategic emerging market investors, we stand by our method, in both favorable times and trying times.

 

LOGO

Robert Horrocks, PhD

Chief Investment Officer

Matthews International Capital Management, LLC

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      7  


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
John Paul Lech   Alex Zarechnak

Lead Manager

 

Lead Manager

Andrew Mattock, CFA   Peeyush Mittal, CFA

Co-Manager

 

Co-Manager

FUND FACTS
    Investor   Institutional

Ticker

  MEGMX   MIEFX

CUSIP

  577130651   577130644

Inception

  4/30/20   4/30/20

NAV

  $11.81   $11.81

Initial Investment

  $2,500   $100,000

Gross Expense Ratio1

  1.58%   1.47%

After fee waiver and Reimbursement2

  1.08%   0.90%

Portfolio Statistics

Total # of Positions

  59

Net Assets

  $23.5 million

Weighted Average Market Cap

  $109.9 billion

Portfolio Turnover3

 

63.3%

Benchmark

 

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation.

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 the common and preferred stocks of companies located in 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.

Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited)

Period ended June 30, 2023

For the first half of 2023, the Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund returned 6.02% (Investor Class) and 6.11% (Institutional Class), while its benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, returned 5.10% over the same period. For the quarter ending June 30, 2023, the Fund returned 2.52% (Investor Class) and 2.61% (Institutional Class), while the benchmark returned 1.04%.

Market Environment

The first six months of the year saw a large divergence in equity markets. A strong recovery in China did not materialize while the tech-centric Nasdaq stock exchange posted large gains driven by a small subset of companies. Several emerging markets posted double-digit gains in dollar terms, notably Mexico and Brazil where the popular narrative of nearshoring and potential changes in monetary policy have resonated. At the sector level, IT led emerging markets, posting over 20% gains.

Performance Contributors and Detractors

At the country level, our cautious approach and underweight to China/Hong Kong was the biggest contributor to relative performance in the first half. Our overweight to Mexico was also a strong contributor. On the other hand, our underweight to Taiwan was the biggest detractor. We believe Taiwan’s equity market is overly concentrated in hardware which has historically been more cyclical and with lower barriers to entry.

From a sector perspective, stock selections in financials, real estate, consumer staples and materials were the top contributors to relative performance. In contrast, selections in energy and IT were the biggest detractors, the latter mitigated by our slightly overweight position.

At the holdings level, four of the top 10 performers—TSMC (Taiwan), Samsung Electronics (South Korea), Applied Materials (U.S.) and FPT (Vietnam)—are categorized in the IT sector yet are located in four different countries. It demonstrates the broader approach we take, focusing on structurally advantaged business models regardless of geography. On the flip side, JD.com and Innovent Biologics in China, and Excelerate Energy in the U.S. were among the biggest detractors. Ecommerce platform JD.com has generated concerns over its growth prospects and has been weighed down by China’s muted recovery.

Notable Portfolio Changes

We made several changes in the period. Among them, we exited three positions in Hong Kong in Techtronic Industries, Hong Kong Exchanges and ESR Group, finding better opportunities in their respective sectors of industrials, financials and real estate. Our energy holdings also became more concentrated in TotalEnergies and Woodside Energy as we exited Excelerate and Petrobras. We added Richemont, a watches and jewelry company that owns iconic brands like Cartier. The company, whose roots are in South Africa and largest market is in China, continues to demonstrate pricing in a consumer environment that is not strong. We also purchased a position in BYD, which is the market leader in electronic vehicles in

(continued)

 

 

 

1

Prospectus expense ratios.

2

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 (i.e., 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%. If the operating expenses fall below the expense limitation within three years after Matthews has made a waiver or reimbursement, the Fund may reimburse Matthews up to an amount that does not cause the expenses for that year to exceed the lesser of (i) the expense limitation applicable at the time of that fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement or (ii) the expense limitation in effect at the time of recoupment. This agreement will remain in place until April 30, 2024 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.

3

The lesser of fiscal year 2022 long-term purchase costs or sales proceeds divided by the average monthly market value of long-term securities.

 

8    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents
 
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023  
     3 Months      YTD      1 Year      3 Years      Since
Inception
     Inception
date
 
Investor Class (MEGMX)      2.52%        6.02%        11.29%        4.80%        9.76%        04/30/20  
Institutional Class (MIEFX)      2.61%        6.11%        11.37%        5.02%        9.98%        04/30/20  
MSCI Emerging Markets Index4      1.04%        5.10%        2.22%        2.72%        5.17%     

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

 

 

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT SINCE INCEPTION—INVESTOR CLASS

 

 

LOGO

Plotted monthly. The performance data and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gains distributions or redemption of Fund shares. Values are in US$.

 

  4

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definition.

 

       
TOP TEN HOLDINGS5                     
Name    Sector      Country      % Net Assets  
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.    Information Technology      Taiwan        6.6%  
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Pfd.    Information Technology      South Korea        5.7%  
FPT Corp.    Information Technology      Vietnam        4.1%  
Tencent Holdings, Ltd.    Communication Services      China/Hong Kong        4.1%  
Prologis Property Mexico SA de CV REIT    Real Estate      Mexico        3.5%  
HDFC Bank, Ltd.    Financials      India        3.4%  
Prudential PLC    Financials      United Kingdom        2.7%  
Woodside Energy Group, Ltd.    Energy      Australia        2.6%  
ICICI Bank, Ltd.    Financials      India        2.5%  
Banco BTD Pactual SA    Financials      Brazil        2.5%  
TOTAL                37.7%  

 

  5

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      9  


Table of Contents
 
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)6,7  
India     16.7  
China/Hong Kong     16.4  
Mexico     9.5  
Brazil     9.0  
South Korea     7.3  
Taiwan     6.6  
Vietnam     6.3  
United States     4.5  
France     3.6  
United Kingdom     2.7  
Australia     2.6  
Indonesia     2.2  
Philippines     2.2  
Poland     1.9  
Singapore     1.5  
Switzerland     1.4  
Zambia     1.3  
Kazakhstan     1.2  
United Arab Emirates     1.0  
Thailand     0.9  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.1  

 

 
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)7  
Financials     23.7  
Information Technology     22.1  
Consumer Discretionary     13.2  
Materials     10.5  
Industrials     6.3  
Consumer Staples     4.8  
Energy     4.8  
Real Estate     4.8  
Health Care     4.6  
Communication Services     4.1  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.1  

 

   
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)7      
Mega Cap (over $25B)     55.7  
Large Cap ($10B-$25B)     15.4  
Mid Cap ($3B-10B)     20.0  
Small Cap (under $3B)     7.8  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.1  

 

6

Not all countries where the Fund may invest are included in the benchmark index.

 

7

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited) (continued)

China with a nearly 40% market share. Our allocation to China/Hong Kong remains selective. Other notable additions were Indian Hotels and Divis Laboratories, a pharmaceutical company also in India.

Outlook

Our approach remains the same—we operate a framework that leads us to be biased towards high quality, profitable businesses that tend to exhibit some form of market leadership.

The backdrop for equity markets overall remains mixed. Higher interest rates both provide a return on cash and challenge consumers looking to make major purchases like homes or cars. The U.S. equity market had a strong start to 2023 but there are some clouds on the horizon. One example is the pending restart of student loan repayments which could impact consumer sentiment. In emerging markets, the news coming out of China is mostly negative both in terms of geopolitical tensions as well as the evolution of the domestic economy. We don’t expect any major pressure to the currency but do note the weakness in the renminbi year-to-date. Our approach in China remains highly selective and focused on individual businesses that in our assessment have strong go-forward fundamentals. India appears to have several structural tailwinds but remains a market that is expensive in aggregate.

Overall, we’re quite optimistic longer term. Near term, we see the high real interest rates in places like Brazil as portending an end to monetary tightening which may be beneficial for markets. Our process is company-by-company. Approaching the portfolio on fundamentals we think offers an attractive balance of growth and resiliency.

 

 

10    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 93.2%

 

     Shares     Value  
INDIA: 16.7%    

HDFC Bank, Ltd. ADR

    11,523       $803,153  

ICICI Bank, Ltd. ADR

    25,707       593,318  

Infosys, Ltd. ADR

    31,436       505,176  

Kotak Mahindra Bank, Ltd.

    16,022       361,352  

PI Industries, Ltd.

    7,141       341,895  

Dabur India, Ltd.

    48,390       338,495  

Restaurant Brands Asia, Ltd.b

    234,016       307,714  

UltraTech Cement, Ltd.

    2,990       302,746  

Indian Hotels Co., Ltd.

    46,134       221,201  

Divi’s Laboratories, Ltd.

    3,599       157,488  
   

 

 

 

Total India

      3,932,538  
   

 

 

 
   
     
CHINA/HONG KONG: 16.4%    

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

    22,500       954,027  

AIA Group, Ltd.

    57,600       585,014  

H World Group, Ltd. ADRb

    10,012       388,265  

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

    6,562       370,753  

Midea Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    43,500       353,599  

NARI Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    94,464       300,567  

JD.com, Inc. Class A

    17,352       295,931  

BYD Co., Ltd. A Shares

    6,800       242,323  

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, Ltd.

    270,000       234,975  

Innovent Biologics, Inc.b,c,d

    36,000       136,740  
   

 

 

 

Total China/Hong Kong

      3,862,194  
   

 

 

 
   
     
MEXICO: 9.5%    

Prologis Property Mexico SA de CV REIT

    221,898       824,485  

GCC SAB de CV

    42,900       367,571  

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV Class O

    44,200       364,636  

Becle SAB de CV

    140,100       342,945  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste SAB de CV ADR

    1,214       337,116  
   

 

 

 

Total Mexico

      2,236,753  
   

 

 

 
   
     
BRAZIL: 9.0%    

Banco BTG Pactual SA

    89,200       585,886  

Vinci Partners Investments, Ltd. Class A

    36,170       337,104  

Hapvida Participacoes e Investimentos SAb,c,d

    349,700       319,888  

Armac Locacao Logistica E Servicos SA

    99,500       311,288  

Vale SA ADR

    22,702       304,661  

WEG SA

    31,700       249,922  
   

 

 

 

Total Brazil

      2,108,749  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TAIWAN: 6.6%    

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

    84,000       1,551,760  
   

 

 

 

Total Taiwan

      1,551,760  
   

 

 

 
   
     
VIETNAM: 6.3%    

FPT Corp.

    266,917       974,977  

Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank

    389,876       335,519  

HDBank

    220,875       174,803  
   

 

 

 

Total Vietnam

      1,485,299  
   

 

 

 
   
     
UNITED STATES: 4.5%    

Applied Materials, Inc.

    3,035       438,679  

Globant SAb

    2,195       394,485  

Freeport-McMoRan, Inc.

    5,814       232,560  
   

 

 

 

Total United States

      1,065,724  
   

 

 

 
   
     Shares     Value  
FRANCE: 3.6%    

TotalEnergies SE ADR

    8,788       $506,540  

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE

    359       338,506  
   

 

 

 

Total France

      845,046  
   

 

 

 
   
     
UNITED KINGDOM: 2.7%    

Prudential PLC

    45,393       641,103  
   

 

 

 

Total United Kingdom

      641,103  
   

 

 

 
   
     
AUSTRALIA: 2.6%    

Woodside Energy Group, Ltd.

    26,836       620,759  
   

 

 

 

Total Australia

      620,759  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDONESIA: 2.2%    

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk

    1,415,200       516,678  
   

 

 

 

Total Indonesia

      516,678  
   

 

 

 
   
     
PHILIPPINES: 2.2%    

Wilcon Depot, Inc.

    620,500       271,471  

Ayala Corp.

    21,090       239,849  
   

 

 

 

Total Philippines

      511,320  
   

 

 

 
   
     
POLAND: 1.9%    

Dino Polska SAb,c,d

    3,743       437,308  
   

 

 

 

Total Poland

      437,308  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SOUTH KOREA: 1.6%    

LG Chem, Ltd.

    754       383,833  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      383,833  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SINGAPORE: 1.5%    

CapitaLand Investment, Ltd.

    120,700       296,553  

TDCX, Inc. ADRb

    6,751       53,400  

CapitaLand Ascott Trust

    6,881       5,515  
   

 

 

 

Total Singapore

      355,468  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SWITZERLAND: 1.4%    

Cie Financiere Richemont SA Class A

    1,903       323,259  
   

 

 

 

Total Switzerland

      323,259  
   

 

 

 
   
     
ZAMBIA: 1.3%    

First Quantum Minerals, Ltd.

    12,700       300,448  
   

 

 

 

Total Zambia

      300,448  
   

 

 

 
   
     
KAZAKHSTAN: 1.2%    

Kaspi.KZ JSC GDRd

    3,586       286,061  
   

 

 

 

Total Kazakhstan

      286,061  
   

 

 

 
   
     
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 1.0%    

Fertiglobe PLC

    262,682       238,318  
   

 

 

 

Total United Arab Emirates

      238,318  
   

 

 

 
   
     
THAILAND: 1.0%    

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Public Co., Ltd. F Shares

    284,800       223,333  
   

 

 

 

Total Thailand

      223,333  
   

 

 

 
   
 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      11  


Table of Contents

 

Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

COMMON EQUITIES (continued)

 

     Shares     Value  
RUSSIA: 0.0%    

Sberbank of Russia PJSCb,e

    128,308       $1,434  

LUKOIL PJSC ADRb,e

    18,010       360  

TCS Group Holding PLC GDRb,d,e

    3,865       77  
   

 

 

 

Total Russia

      1,871  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL COMMON EQUITIES       21,927,822  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $23,083,109)

   
   

PREFERRED EQUITIES: 5.7%

   
     
SOUTH KOREA: 5.7%    

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Pfd.

    29,397       1,334,016  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      1,334,016  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL PREFERRED EQUITIES       1,334,016  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $2,190,887)

   
   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 98.9%       23,261,838  

(Cost $25,273,996)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 1.1%
      262,220  
   

 

 

 
   

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $23,524,058  
   

 

 

 
a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Non-income producing security.

 

c

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration normally to qualified institutional buyers. The security has been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees. At June 30, 2023, the aggregate value is $893,936, which is 3.80% of net assets.

 

d

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

e

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. The aggregate value of Level 3 security is $1,871 and 0.01% of net assets.

 

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

 

GDR

Global Depositary Receipt

 

JSC

Joint Stock Co.

 

Pfd.

Preferred

 

PJSC

Public Joint Stock Co.

 

REIT

Real Estate Investment Trust

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

12    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Vivek Tanneeru  

Lead Manager

 
Inbok Song  

Co-Manager

 
FUND FACTS
    Investor   Institutional

Ticker

  MASGX   MISFX

CUSIP

  577130727   577130719

Inception

  4/30/15   4/30/15

NAV

  $13.54   $13.56

Initial Investment

  $2,500   $100,000

Gross Expense Ratio1

  1.24%   1.11%

Portfolio Statistics

   

Total # of Positions

  56

Net Assets

 

$245.9 million

Weighted Average
Market Cap

 

$20.5 billion

Portfolio Turnover2

  31.5%

Benchmark

 

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation.

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 the common and preferred stocks of companies of any market capitalization located in emerging market countries that satisfy one or more of the Fund’s environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) standards. 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.

Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund*

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited)

Period ended June 30, 2023

For the first half of 2023, the Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund returned 8.23% (Investor Class) and 8.39% (Institutional Class), while its benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, returned 5.10% over the same period. For the quarter ending June 30, 2023, the Fund returned 6.87% (Investor Class) and 6.94% (Institutional Class), while the benchmark returned 1.04%.

Market Environment

There were two key developments during the first six months of the year. Firstly, the market has been surprised by the persistence of higher inflation and, as a result, peak interest rate expectations in the western world have been steadily revised up. Secondly, there was the market’s excitement about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI), with the release of very successful, large language and stable diffusion models and blowout quarterly results and guidance from NVIDIA, a key player in the space, which together triggered a reassessment of the growth prospects of large tech companies. This led to a very top-heavy performance of equity markets, in the U.S. in particular.

During the period, the relative attractiveness of large emerging markets also came into focus as they were relatively well positioned from an inflation perspective, with either low inflation or high real interest rates. Latin American currencies like the Columbian peso, Mexican peso, Brazilian real, Chilean peso and Peruvian sol performed well against the U.S. dollar while currencies in inflation-hit countries like Turkey and Argentina performed poorly.

Brazil, after aggressively raising interest rates to fight inflation starting in early 2021, has seemingly reached the top of the rate cycle. With the potential moderation in inflation in sight, the market has taken a positive view on the trajectory of rates from here and the potential boost lower rates could provide the economy.

Poland, Hungary and Greece, alongside Brazil, were among the best-performing emerging markets in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index in the first half, while China, Turkey, Thailand and Malaysia were the worst performers. From a sector perspective, energy, IT and financials were the best performers while real estate and health care were among the weakest in emerging markets.

Performance Contributors and Detractors

From a country perspective, stock selection in South Korea, Brazil and India were the biggest contributors to the Fund’s relative performance in the first half. On the other hand, an overweight and stock selection in China was the biggest detractor amid negative sentiment over the country’s uneven recovery and geopolitical tensions with the U.S.

From a sector perspective, our underweight and stock selection in consumer discretionary was the biggest contributor. Stock selection in financials was also a top contributor. On the other hand, stock selection in consumer staples and communication services were the biggest detractors.

(continued)

 

 

*

The Fund’s name changed from Matthews Asia ESG Fund to Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund on July 29, 2022.

1

Prospectus expense ratios.

2

The lesser of fiscal year 2022 long-term purchase costs or sales proceeds divided by the average monthly market value of long-term securities.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      13  


Table of Contents
               
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023                                                 
 

 

    

 

      

 

            Average Annual Total Returns       

 

 
     3 Months      YTD      1 Year      3 years      5 years      Since
Inception
     Inception
Date
 
Investor Class (MASGX)3      6.87%        8.23%        5.19%        13.71%        8.95%        7.74%        4/30/15  
Institutional Class (MISFX)3      6.94%        8.39%        5.26%        13.91%        9.13%        7.96%        4/30/15  
MSCI Emerging Markets Index4      1.04%        5.10%        2.22%        2.72%        1.32%        2.15%     
MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index4      -1.14%        3.19%        -0.76%        1.49%        1.25%        2.61%     

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

 

 

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT SINCE INCEPTION—INVESTOR CLASS

 

 

LOGO

Plotted Monthly. 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. Values are in US$.

 

  3

Before July 29, 2022, the Fund was managed with a slightly different investment strategy and may have achieved different performance results under its current investment strategy from the performance shown for periods before that date.

 

  4

Effective July 29, 2022, in connection with changes to the Fund’s name and principal investment strategies, the primary benchmark changed from the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definition.

 

       
TOP TEN HOLDINGS5                     
Name    Sector      Country      % Net Assets  
Bandhan Bank, Ltd.    Financials      India        6.4%  
Shriram Finance, Ltd.    Financials      India        6.0%  
Legend Biotech Corp.    Health Care      China/Hong Kong        5.3%  
Full Truck Alliance Co., Ltd.    Industrials      China/Hong Kong        4.8%  
JD Health International, Inc.    Consumer Staples      China/Hong Kong        4.8%  
Meituan    Consumer Discretionary      China/Hong Kong        4.7%  
Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Pfd.    Information Technology      South Korea        4.2%  
Ecopro BM Co., Ltd.    Industrials      South Korea        3.7%  
YDUQS Participacoes SA    Consumer Discretionary      Brazil        3.4%  
B3 SA-Brasil Bolsa Balcao    Financials      Brazil        3.2%  
TOTAL        46.5%  

 

  5

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

 

14    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited) (continued)

From a stock perspective, two Brazilian holdings, YDUQS and B3, were among top contributors. YDUQS, a leading on-campus and distance-learning education company, navigated the COVID-19 related-slowdown successfully and has positioned itself to benefit from improvements in household finances on account of expected lower interest rates, which will enable more low-mid income families to enroll students in their programs. The company could also see reduced interest payment burdens and potentially benefit from any increase in government-sponsored tuition support programs. B3, a stock market operator, is also seen as a beneficiary of potentially lower rates as the relative investment appeal of equities might go up in relation to fixed income in an easing environment, boosting its trading volumes.

On the flip side, our Chinese or China-exposed holdings such as Full Truck Alliance, a Chinese freight marketplace operator, and JD Health, a leading Chinese online pharmacy company, detracted as the market worried about the slow pace of the Chinese economic recovery. We remain positive about the long-term prospects of these companies and our base case remains a steady, not spectacular, recovery of China’s economy over the coming quarters.

Notable Portfolio Changes

We initiated a position in Aguas Andinas, a leading water utilities company in Chile, which provides services for water collection, and the production, transportation and distribution of drinking water as well as sewage collection, treatment and disposal. It operates under a unique regulatory environment in Chile that uses a model greenfield company method to set tariffs. This has incentivized strong investments into the water and sewage infrastructure and has enabled Chile to achieve drinking and sewage water treatment standards that are among the highest in the world. The company also offers steady growth and an attractive dividend yield. During the period, we exited a small residual position in Xinyi Glass, a China glass manufacturer.

Outlook

The U.S. Fed’s interest rate-strategy and the market’s expectation of its evolution have been the most important variables impacting the performance of emerging markets over the last few quarters. With the Fed seemingly coming close to the end of its rate-hiking cycle, the focus will now shift to assessing the cumulate impact of all the hikes on economic growth prospects over the coming quarters.

Like during the first half, our focus in the second half of 2023 will be on assessing how China’s economic recovery and growth prospects play out and how they might affect the dynamics of other emerging markets. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its effect on energy prices—alongside OPEC’s (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) persistent efforts to keep prices high—will also need ongoing, careful monitoring although to a lesser extent than in 2022.

Over the coming years, we expect the emerging markets gross domestic product (GDP) growth-differential with developed markets to improve from a 23-year low reached in 2022. This development, alongside relatively attractive valuations, should potentially lend support to better equity performance against developed markets compared with the last decade.

Finally, since our inception over eight years ago, we have viewed sustainability investing as a synonym for long-term investing. Our approach focuses on investing in companies that are well-positioned to embrace global, multidecadal trends, including addressing critical challenges like climate change and inclusive development. These companies also often tend to be good in identifying and proactively addressing long-terms risk to their businesses. Emerging markets, we believe, are key destination for sustainable investment themes that offer attractive opportunities for alpha generation.

   
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)6,7      
China/Hong Kong     38.9  
India     18.8  
South Korea     11.2  
Taiwan     8.8  
Brazil     7.4  
Poland     3.2  
United States     2.7  
Saudi Arabia     1.7  
Vietnam     1.5  
Jordan     1.2  
Romania     1.1  
Indonesia     0.9  
Estonia     0.9  
Chile     0.8  
Bangladesh     0.7  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     0.3  

 

   
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)7      
Information Technology     21.6  
Financials     20.7  
Industrials     19.5  
Consumer Discretionary     11.8  
Health Care     9.6  
Consumer Staples     7.6  
Real Estate     3.9  
Communication Services     3.4  
Utilities     1.7  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     0.3  

 

   
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)7      
Mega Cap (over $25B)     18.7  
Large Cap ($10B-$25B)     22.3  
Mid Cap ($3B-10B)     34.5  
Small Cap (under $3B)     24.2  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     0.3  

 

6

Not all countries are included in the benchmark index.

 

7

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      15  


Table of Contents

Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 95.5%

 

     Shares     Value  
CHINA/HONG KONG: 38.9%    

Legend Biotech Corp. ADRb

    187,690       $12,956,241  

Full Truck Alliance Co., Ltd. ADRb

    1,910,620       11,884,056  

JD Health International, Inc.b,c,d

    1,857,500       11,798,548  

Meituan B Sharesb,c,d

    729,100       11,432,957  

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    204,500       6,456,321  

Airtac International Group

    178,000       5,882,659  

Lam Research Corp.

    7,683       4,939,093  

Flat Glass Group Co., Ltd. H Shares

    1,089,000       3,733,908  

Ginlong Technologies Co., Ltd. A Sharesb

    246,600       3,545,596  

Zhihu, Inc. ADRb

    2,945,436       3,328,343  

Medlive Technology Co., Ltd.c,d

    3,200,000       2,866,095  

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, Ltd.

    70,300       2,663,597  

OPT Machine Vision Tech Co., Ltd. A Shares

    83,485       1,898,587  

China Conch Venture Holdings, Ltd.

    1,436,500       1,876,888  

Silergy Corp.

    145,000       1,806,293  

Centre Testing International Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    655,100       1,759,529  

Hangzhou Tigermed Consulting Co., Ltd. A Sharesb

    185,776       1,652,084  

Wuxi Biologics Cayman, Inc.b,c,d

    319,000       1,533,131  

Innovent Biologics, Inc.b,c,d

    378,500       1,437,674  

Zhejiang HangKe Technology, Inc., Co. A Shares

    243,734       1,026,825  

Morimatsu International Holdings Co., Ltd.b,d

    1,084,000       894,017  

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, Ltd.

    216,960       188,816  
   

 

 

 

Total China/Hong Kong

      95,561,258  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDIA: 18.8%    

Bandhan Bank, Ltd.b,c,d

    5,297,534       15,674,692  

Shriram Finance, Ltd.

    698,597       14,808,818  

Indus Towers, Ltd.b

    2,153,796       4,321,814  

Phoenix Mills, Ltd.

    195,459       3,728,680  

Mahindra & Mahindra, Ltd.

    203,091       3,608,395  

Marico, Ltd.

    429,919       2,786,554  

UNO Minda, Ltd.

    190,461       1,352,774  
   

 

 

 

Total India

      46,281,727  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TAIWAN: 8.8%    

M31 Technology Corp.

    165,000       5,164,178  

Andes Technology Corp.

    326,000       5,008,241  

Poya International Co., Ltd.

    225,477       4,298,823  

Elite Material Co., Ltd.

    444,000       3,487,281  

Formosa Sumco Technology Corp.

    403,000       2,179,636  

Sporton International, Inc.

    196,448       1,606,008  
   

 

 

 

Total Taiwan

      21,744,167  
   

 

 

 
   
     
BRAZIL: 7.4%    

YDUQS Participacoes SAb

    2,031,400       8,408,660  

B3 SA - Brasil Bolsa Balcao

    2,571,000       7,844,766  

NU Holdings, Ltd. Class Ab

    237,640       1,874,980  
   

 

 

 

Total Brazil

      18,128,406  
   

 

 

 
   
     Shares     Value  
SOUTH KOREA: 7.0%    

Ecopro BM Co., Ltd.

    47,722       $9,078,111  

Solus Advanced Materials Co., Ltd.

    115,014       3,256,522  

Eugene Technology Co., Ltd.

    119,419       3,103,166  

Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.

    3,079       1,572,244  

LG Energy Solution, Ltd.b

    498       209,953  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      17,219,996  
   

 

 

 
   
     
POLAND: 3.1%    

Jeronimo Martins SGPS SA

    150,401       4,143,334  

InPost SAb

    334,507       3,630,293  
   

 

 

 

Total Poland

      7,773,627  
   

 

 

 
   
     
UNITED STATES: 2.7%    

Micron Technology, Inc.

    105,300       6,645,483  
   

 

 

 

Total United States

      6,645,483  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SAUDI ARABIA: 1.7%    

Saudi Tadawul Group Holding Co.

    84,607       4,259,080  
   

 

 

 

Total Saudi Arabia

      4,259,080  
   

 

 

 
   
     
VIETNAM: 1.5%    

Nam Long Investment Corp.

    2,565,039       3,598,183  
   

 

 

 

Total Vietnam

      3,598,183  
   

 

 

 
   
     
JORDAN: 1.2%    

Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC

    125,267       3,014,522  
   

 

 

 

Total Jordan

      3,014,522  
   

 

 

 
   
     
ROMANIA: 1.1%    

Banca Transilvania SA

    573,157       2,617,092  
   

 

 

 

Total Romania

      2,617,092  
   

 

 

 
   
     
ESTONIA: 0.9%    

Enefit Green AS

    474,035       2,256,188  
   

 

 

 

Total Estonia

      2,256,188  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDONESIA: 0.9%    

PT Summarecon Agung Tbk

    49,500,191       2,181,721  
   

 

 

 

Total Indonesia

      2,181,721  
   

 

 

 
   
     
CHILE: 0.8%    

Aguas Andinas SA Class A

    5,423,989       1,880,710  
   

 

 

 

Total Chile

      1,880,710  
   

 

 

 
   
     
BANGLADESH: 0.7%    

BRAC Bank, Ltd.

    3,657,902       1,092,163  

GrameenPhone, Ltd.

    266,417       644,248  
   

 

 

 

Total Bangladesh

      1,736,411  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL COMMON EQUITIES          234,898,571  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $221,648,154)

   
 

 

16    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

PREFERRED EQUITIES: 4.2%

 

     Shares     Value  
SOUTH KOREA: 4.2%    

Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Pfd.

    41,656       $10,213,478  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      10,213,478  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL PREFERRED EQUITIES       10,213,478  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $ 11,238,090)

   
   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 99.7%       245,112,049  

(Cost $ 232,886,244)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 0.3%
      736,522  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $245,848,571  
   

 

 

 
a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Non-income producing security.

 

c

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration normally to qualified institutional buyers. The security has been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees. At June 30, 2023, the aggregate value is $44,743,097, which is 18.20% of net assets.

 

d

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

 

Pfd.

Preferred

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      17  


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Vivek Tanneeru  
Lead Manager  
Jeremy Sutch, CFA   Alex Zarechnak

Co-Manager

 

Co-Manager

FUND FACTS
    Investor   Institutional  

Ticker

  MSMLX   MISMX

CUSIP

  577125206   577125867

Inception

  9/15/08   4/30/13

NAV

  $26.31   $26.29

Initial Investment

  $2,500   $100,000

Gross Expense Ratio1

  1.49%   1.37%

After Fee Waiver and Reimbursement2

  1.37%   1.15%

Portfolio Statistics

 

Total # of Positions

  71

Net Assets

 

$506.4 million

Weighted Average
Market Cap

 

$4.5 billion

Portfolio Turnover3

  27.9%

Benchmark

 

MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation.

STRATEGY

 

 

Under normal market conditions, the 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 Small Companies located in 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. The Fund defines Small Companies as companies with market capitalization no higher than the greater of $5 billion or the market capitalization of the largest company included in the Fund’s primary benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index.

Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited)

Period ended June 30, 2023

For the first half of 2023, the Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund returned 14.00% (Investor Class) and 14.11% (Institutional Class), while its benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index, returned 10.73% over the same period. For the quarter ending June 30, 2023, the Fund returned 8.05% (Investor Class) and 8.10% (Institutional Class), while the benchmark returned 6.53%.

Market Environment

There were two key developments during the first six months of the year. Firstly, the market has been surprised by the persistence of higher inflation and as a result peak interest rate expectations in the western world have been steadily revised up. Secondly, there was the market’s excitement about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI), with the release of very successful, large language and stable diffusion models and blowout quarterly results and guidance from NVIDIA, a key player in the space, which together triggered a reassessment of the growth prospects of large tech companies. This led to a very top-heavy performance of equity markets, in the U.S. in particular.

During the period, the attractiveness of large emerging markets also came into focus as they were relatively well positioned from an inflation perspective, with either low inflation or high real interest rates. Latin American currencies like the Columbian peso, Mexican peso, Brazilian real, Chilean peso and Peruvian sol performed well against the U.S. dollar while currencies in inflation-hit countries like Turkey and Argentina performed poorly.

Brazil, after aggressively raising interest rates to fight inflation starting in early 2021, has seemingly reached the top of the rate cycle. With the potential moderation in inflation in sight, the market has taken a positive view on the trajectory of rates from here and the potential boost lower rates could provide the economy.

In the first half, Greece, Saudi Arabia and Hungary, alongside Brazil, were among the best performing markets in the MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index, while China, Turkey, Thailand and South Africa were the worst performers. From a sector perspective, IT and industrials were the best performers while energy and real estate were the weakest.

Performance Contributors and Detractors

From a country perspective, our stock selections in South Korea, Brazil and India were the biggest contributors to relative performance in the first half of the year. Our underweight to Thailand and lack of exposure to South Africa also contributed. On the other hand, despite our positive stock selection, our overweight to China was the biggest detractor amid negative sentiment over the country’s uneven economy recovery and geopolitical tensions. Our underweight to Taiwan was also a detractor. At the sector level, stock selections in financials and consumer discretionary were the top contributors while our underweight to consumer staples also had a positive impact. On the flip side, selections in IT and an overweight and selections in health care were the biggest detractors.

(continued)

 
1

Prospectus expense ratios.

2

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 1.15% first by waiving class specific expenses (i.e., 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 1.15% 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 1.15%. If the operating expenses fall below the expense limitation within three years after Matthews has made a waiver or reimbursement, the Fund may reimburse Matthews up to an amount that does not cause the expenses for that year to exceed the lesser of (i) the expense limitation applicable at the time of that fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement or (ii) the expense limitation in effect at the time of recoupment. This agreement will remain in place until April 30, 2024 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.

3

The lesser of fiscal year 2022 long-term purchase costs or sales proceeds divided by the average monthly market value of long-term securities.

 

18    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents
 
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023  
 

 

    

 

      

 

      

 

     Average Annual Total Returns       

 

 
     3 Months      YTD      1 Year      3 Years      5 Years      10 Years      Since
Inception
     Inception
Date
 
Investor Class (MSMLX)4      8.05%        14.00%        16.06%        14.75%        10.09%        7.97%        11.18%        09/15/08  
Institutional Class (MISMX)4      8.10%        14.11%        16.27%        14.98%        10.31%        8.20%        7.68%        04/30/13  
MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index5      6.53%        10.73%        13.93%        14.28%        5.40%        5.02%        6.64% 6    

Performance 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. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, visit matthewsasia.com.

 

 

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT SINCE INCEPTION—INVESTOR CLASS

 

 

LOGO

Plotted monthly. The performance data and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gains distributions or redemption of Fund shares. Values are in US$.

 

  4

Before April 30, 2021, the Fund was managed with a different investment strategy and may have achieved different performance results for periods before that date with its current investment strategy.

 

  5

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definition. Effective April 30, 2021, in connection with changes to the Fund’s name and principal investment strategy, the primary benchmark changed from the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index to the MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index.

 

  6

Calculated from 9/15/08.

 

       
TOP TEN HOLDINGS7                     
Name    Sector      Country      % Net Assets  
Shriram Finance, Ltd.    Financials      India        6.4%  
Bandhan Bank, Ltd.    Financials      India        5.9%  
Legend Biotech Corp.    Health Care      China/Hong Kong        5.1%  
Ecopro BM Co., Ltd.    Industrials      South Korea        4.6%  
YDUQS Participacoes SA    Consumer Discretionary      Brazil        3.5%  
Hugel, Inc.    Health Care      South Korea        2.8%  
Full Truck Alliance Co., Ltd.    Industrials      China/Hong Kong        2.8%  
M31 Technology Corp.    Information Technology      Taiwan        2.5%  
Phoenix Mills, Ltd.    Real Estate      India        2.5%  
Parque Arauco SA    Real Estate      Chile        2.3%  
TOTAL                38.4%  

 

  7

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      19  


Table of Contents

Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited) (continued)

At the holdings level, Brazilian company YDUQS was among the top contributors. YDUQS, a leading on-campus and distance-learning education company, navigated the COVID-19 related-slowdown successfully and has positioned itself to benefit from improvements in household finances on account of expected lower interest rates, which will enable more low-mid income families to enroll students in its programs. The company could also see reduced interest payment burdens and potentially benefit from any increase in government-sponsored tuition support programs. On the flip side, our Chinese or China-exposed holdings such as Silergy, a Taiwanese analog semiconductor company, Hugel, a South Korean botulin toxin maker, and Hainan Meilan International Airport, a Chinese airport operator, were among the biggest detractors as the market worried about the slow pace of the Chinese economic recovery. We remain positive about the long-term prospects of these companies and our base case remains a steady, not spectacular, recovery of the Chinese economy over the coming quarters.

Notable Portfolio Changes

We initiated a position in Aguas Andinas, a leading water utilities company in Chile, which provides services for water collection, and the production, transportation and distribution of drinking water as well as sewage collection, treatment and disposal. It operates under a unique regulatory environment in Chile that uses a model greenfield company method to set tariffs. This has incentivized strong investments into the water and sewage infrastructure and has enabled Chile to achieve drinking and sewage water treatment standards that are among the highest in the world. The company also offers steady growth and an attractive dividend yield. In the period we exited Lemon Tree, an Indian mid-market hotel chain operator, to take profits, and sold our position in Bank Tabungan Negara in Indonesia to deploy capital elsewhere.

Outlook

The U.S. Fed’s interest rate strategy and the market’s expectation of its evolution were the most important variables impacting the performance of emerging markets over the last few quarters. With the Fed seemingly coming close to the end of the interest rate hiking cycle, the focus will now shift to assessing the cumulate impact of all the rate hikes on economic growth prospects over the coming quarters.

Like during the first half, our focus in the second half of 2023 will be on assessing how China’s economic recovery and growth prospects play out and how they might affect the dynamics of other emerging markets. And Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its effect on energy prices—alongside OPEC’s (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) persistent efforts to keep the prices high—will need ongoing, careful monitoring; although to a lesser extent than in 2022.

Over the coming years, we expect the emerging markets gross domestic product (GDP) growth-differential with developed markets to improve from a 23-year low reached in 2022. This development, alongside relatively attractive valuations, should potentially lend support to better equity performance against developed markets compared with the last decade.

As the global economy wades through a tricky 2023, we believe small companies in emerging markets offer long-term growth opportunities given their innovation and domestic consumption orientation. We continue to find quality businesses at attractive valuations in this asset class.

 
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)8,9  
China/Hong Kong     27.9  
India     21.0  
Taiwan     10.6  
South Korea     10.0  
Brazil     8.6  
Vietnam     5.3  
Chile     4.8  
Philippines     2.4  
Indonesia     2.3  
United Arab Emirates     1.7  
Poland     1.4  
Mexico     1.0  
Turkey     0.8  
Thailand     0.7  
Bangladesh     0.6  
Russia     0.0  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.0  

 

 
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)9  
Industrials     23.9  
Financials     20.3  
Information Technology     17.5  
Consumer Discretionary     13.7  
Health Care     11.7  
Real Estate     7.2  
Communication Services     1.8  
Materials     1.0  
Consumer Staples     0.9  
Utilities     0.9  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.0  

 

 
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)9,10  
Mega Cap (over $25B)     0.0  
Large Cap ($10B-$25B)     11.7  
Mid Cap ($3B-10B)     38.0  
Small Cap (under $3B)     49.3  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.0  

 

8

Not all countries where the Fund may invest are included in the benchmark index.

 

9

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

 

10

The Fund defines Small Companies as companies with market capitalization no higher than the greater of $5 billion or the market capitalization of the largest company included in the Fund’s primary benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index.

 

 

20    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 96.8%

 

     Shares     Value  
CHINA/HONG KONG: 27.9%    

Legend Biotech Corp. ADRb

    373,276       $25,767,242  

Full Truck Alliance Co., Ltd. ADRb

    2,245,425       13,966,543  

Silergy Corp.

    925,000       11,522,905  

Airtac International Group

    284,431       9,400,059  

Zhihu, Inc. ADRb

    8,191,572       9,256,476  

Ginlong Technologies Co., Ltd. A Sharesb

    481,506       6,923,057  

Flat Glass Group Co., Ltd. H Shares

    1,859,000       6,374,045  

Xtep International Holdings, Ltd.

    6,155,000       6,300,037  

Tongcheng Travel Holdings, Ltd.b,c

    2,562,400       5,382,215  

Medlive Technology Co., Ltd.c,d

    5,452,000       4,883,109  

Beijing Capital International Airport Co., Ltd. H Sharesb

    7,522,000       4,881,766  

Peijia Medical, Ltd.b,c,d

    6,090,000       4,802,374  

Hainan Meilan International Airport Co., Ltd. H Sharesb

    3,479,000       4,330,027  

AK Medical Holdings, Ltd.c,d

    4,246,000       3,699,919  

SITC International Holdings Co., Ltd.

    1,800,000       3,296,107  

OPT Machine Vision Tech Co., Ltd. A Shares

    138,447       3,148,513  

Innovent Biologics, Inc.b,c,d

    770,500       2,926,626  

CIFI Ever Sunshine Services Group, Ltd.c,e

    8,858,000       2,653,104  

Zhejiang HangKe Technology, Inc. Co. A Shares

    589,513       2,481,591  

Morimatsu International Holdings Co., Ltd.b,c

    2,887,000       2,381,020  

Ginlong Technologies Co., Ltd. A Sharesb

    163,310       2,346,202  

Centre Testing International Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    865,974       2,324,075  

Centre Testing International Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    585,338       1,572,156  

Tam Jai International Co., Ltd.

    3,447,000       794,091  
   

 

 

 

Total China/Hong Kong

      141,413,259  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDIA: 21.0%    

Shriram Finance, Ltd.

    1,528,896       32,409,447  

Bandhan Bank, Ltd.b,c,d

    10,170,281       30,092,496  

Phoenix Mills, Ltd.

    652,201       12,441,736  

Finolex Cables, Ltd.

    1,078,159       11,306,864  

Barbeque Nation Hospitality, Ltd.b

    589,248       4,751,852  

UNO Minda, Ltd.

    566,514       4,023,739  

HEG, Ltd.

    177,008       3,525,813  

Rainbow Children’s Medicare, Ltd.

    276,911       3,253,027  

Radico Khaitan, Ltd.

    206,625       3,047,992  

Marico, Ltd.

    254,966       1,652,582  
   

 

 

 

Total India

      106,505,548  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TAIWAN: 10.6%    

M31 Technology Corp.

    407,000       12,738,306  

Andes Technology Corp.

    634,000       9,739,952  

Wiwynn Corp.e

    126,000       5,859,731  

Elite Material Co., Ltd.

    731,000       5,741,448  

Yageo Corp.

    350,124       5,546,813  

Poya International Co., Ltd.

    289,610       5,521,548  

ASPEED Technology, Inc.

    52,000       4,789,448  

Formosa Sumco Technology Corp.

    731,000       3,953,633  
   

 

 

 

Total Taiwan

      53,890,879  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SOUTH KOREA: 10.0%    

Ecopro BM Co., Ltd.

    121,948       23,198,054  

Hugel, Inc.b

    168,202       14,113,004  

Eugene Technology Co., Ltd.

    268,110       6,966,980  
     Shares     Value  

Solus Advanced Materials Co., Ltd.

    216,643       $6,134,059  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      50,412,097  
   

 

 

 
   
     
BRAZIL: 6.3%    

YDUQS Participacoes SAb

    4,250,900       17,595,931  

Vamos Locacao de Caminhoes Maquinas e Equipamentos SA

    3,942,200       9,970,353  

Vivara Participacoes SA

    767,800       4,566,840  
   

 

 

 

Total Brazil

      32,133,124  
   

 

 

 
   
     
VIETNAM: 5.3%    

Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank

    10,703,722       9,211,389  

Mobile World Investment Corp.

    4,206,714       7,752,043  

FPT Corp.

    1,721,238       6,287,227  

Nam Long Investment Corp.

    2,386,132       3,347,216  
   

 

 

 

Total Vietnam

      26,597,875  
   

 

 

 
   
     
CHILE: 4.8%    

Parque Arauco SA

    7,244,351       11,646,910  

Lundin Mining Corp.

    663,000       5,194,897  

Aguas Andinas SA Class A

    12,721,367       4,410,998  

Banco de Credito e Inversiones SA

    101,620       3,105,047  
   

 

 

 

Total Chile

      24,357,852  
   

 

 

 
   
     
PHILIPPINES: 2.4%    

Cebu Air, Inc.b

    10,386,400       7,063,463  

GT Capital Holdings, Inc.

    533,000       4,981,038  
   

 

 

 

Total Philippines

      12,044,501  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDONESIA: 2.3%    

PT Summarecon Agung Tbk

    148,173,416       6,530,742  

PT Mitra Adiperkasa Tbkb

    47,495,800       5,360,402  
   

 

 

 

Total Indonesia

      11,891,144  
   

 

 

 
   
     
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 1.7%    

Network International Holdings PLCb,c,d

    1,755,334       8,551,496  
   

 

 

 

Total United Arab Emirates

      8,551,496  
   

 

 

 
   
     
POLAND: 1.4%    

InPost SAb

    647,686       7,029,120  
   

 

 

 

Total Poland

      7,029,120  
   

 

 

 
   
     
MEXICO: 1.0%    

Banco del Bajio SAc,d

    1,622,500       4,930,914  
   

 

 

 

Total Mexico

      4,930,914  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TURKEY: 0.8%    

Ford Otomotiv Sanayi AS

    142,109       4,128,839  
   

 

 

 

Total Turkey

      4,128,839  
   

 

 

 
   
     
THAILAND: 0.7%    

Siam Wellness Group Public Co., Ltd. F Sharesb

    10,109,900       3,368,188  
   

 

 

 

Total Thailand

      3,368,188  
   

 

 

 
   
 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      21  


Table of Contents

Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

COMMON EQUITIES (continued)

 

     Shares     Value  
BANGLADESH: 0.6%    

BRAC Bank, Ltd.

    9,498,906       $2,836,150  
   

 

 

 

Total Bangladesh

      2,836,150  
   

 

 

 
   
     
RUSSIA: 0.0%    

Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS PJSCb,e

    2,101,250       23,478  

TCS Group Holding PLC GDRb,c,e

    62,962       1,259  

HeadHunter Group PLC ADRb,e

    15,800       316  
   

 

 

 

Total Russia

      25,053  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL COMMON EQUITIES       490,116,039  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $447,882,049)

   
   
PREFERRED EQUITIES: 2.2%    
     
BRAZIL: 2.2%    

Banco Pan SA, Pfd.

    5,972,500       11,413,136  
   

 

 

 

Total Brazil

      11,413,136  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL PREFERRED EQUITIES       11,413,136  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $9,168,254)

   
   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 99.0%       501,529,175  

(Cost $457,050,303)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 1.0%
      4,875,002  
   

 

 

 
   

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

 

    $506,404,177  
   

 

 

 
a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Non-income producing security.

 

c

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

d

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration normally to qualified institutional buyers. The security has been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees. At June 30, 2023, the aggregate value is $59,886,934, which is 11.83% of net assets.

 

e

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. The aggregate value of Level 3 security is $8,537,888 and 1.69% of net assets.

 

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

 

GDR

Global Depositary Receipt

 

Pfd.

Preferred

 

PJSC

Public Joint Stock Co.

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

22    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Taizo Ishida  

Lead Manager

 
Michael J. Oh, CFA   Peeyush Mittal, CFA

Co-Manager

 

Co-Manager

FUND FACTS
    Investor   Institutional

Ticker

  MPACX   MIAPX

CUSIP

  577130867   577130776

Inception

  10/31/03   10/29/10

NAV

 

$20.63

  $20.91

Initial Investment

  $2,500   $100,000

Gross Expense Ratio1

  1.13%   0.98%

Portfolio Statistics

   

Total # of Positions

    47

Net Assets

   

$575.0 million

Weighted Average Market Cap

  $97.1 billion

Portfolio Turnover2

  47.5%

Benchmark

MSCI AC Asia Pacific Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation.

STRATEGY

 

 

Under normal market conditions, the 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. Asia consists of all countries and markets in Asia, and includes developed, emerging and frontier countries and markets in the Asian region. The Fund may also invest in the convertible securities, of any duration or quality, of Asian companies.

Matthews Asia Growth Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited)

Period ended June 30, 2023

For the first half of 2023, the Matthews Asia Growth Fund returned –1.01% (Investor Class) and
–0.95% (Institutional Class), while its benchmark, the MSCI All Country Asia Pacific Index, returned 6.35% over the same period. For the quarter ending June 30, 2023, the Fund returned –3.69% (Investor Class) and –3.64% (Institutional Class), while the benchmark returned 1.43%.

Market Environment

The story of 2023’s first half has inarguably been about China. The year started on a positive note as markets anticipated that China’s lifting of zero-COVID would meaningfully boost economic activity—but the anticipation quickly faded as China’s economy struggled to regain its footing and domestic sentiment proved a meaningful drag. Consequently, China’s market returns have been negative year-to-date. Further weighing on China’s macro picture has been the property market, which has contributed to dour sentiment as many Chinese hold their wealth via real estate. Property market downturns make many Chinese citizens feel relatively poorer which decreases the likelihood they will spend money and help the economy.

Beyond China’s shores, the macroeconomic picture hasn’t been much better with much of the West (notably the U.S. and Europe) still battling inflation—an extended effort that has resulted in notably higher interest rates. If there is a bright spot, it may be Japan where the markets are improving thanks to fundamentals which appear to be turning for the first time in several decades. Spurred on by the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Japan-domiciled companies are finally working to improve their price-to-book ratios via share buybacks. Many Japanese companies have also increased their dividend payout ratios, improving their value to shareholders. In our view, these changes are meaningful and substantive and we believe Japan may be at the beginning of long-needed structural change. Another market offering encouragement has been India, which is benefiting in part from moves by some companies to make their supply chains less dependent on China.

Performance Contributors and Detractors

Regionally, our overweight and stock selection in China was the biggest detractor to relative performance in the first half of the year. Our underweight to Taiwan—a relative bright spot given ongoing geopolitical tensions around the semiconductor industry—was also a large detractor. Our holdings in Japan, while positive on an absolute basis, trailed the benchmark and detracted from performance. On the flip side, our stock selection in Indonesia and our overweight to India were strong contributors to performance.

At the sector level, relative weakness was concentrated in our health care exposure—which detracted from performance due to our overweight position and stock selections. Our selections in consumer discretionary and industrials, and our underweight in IT also detracted. Conversely, our stock selections in financials were a source of relative strength, as were our materials holdings.

At the individual holdings level, JD.com and InnoCare Pharma were among our bottom contributors in the first half. Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com suffered as Chinese consumers were slow to increase consumption in the wake of zero-COVID’s lifting. Though many investors have seemingly soured on the outlook, we maintain our conviction in the company’s quality and are attracted to its solid balance sheet with ample cash. Shares of China-based InnoCare Pharma declined sharply following the company’s announcement that its exclusive global

(continued)

 
1

Prospectus expense ratios.

2

The lesser of fiscal year 2022 long-term purchase costs or sales proceeds divided by the average monthly market value of long-term securities.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      23  


Table of Contents
 
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023  
 

 

    

 

      

 

      

 

     Average Annual Total Returns       

 

 
     3 Months      YTD      1 Year      3 Years      5 Years      10 Years      Since
Inception
     Inception
Date
 
Investor Class (MPACX)      -3.69%        -1.01%        -3.65%        -8.55%        -3.18%        2.99%        6.53%        10/31/03  
Institutional Class (MIAPX)      -3.64%        -0.95%        -3.47%        -8.41%        -3.03%        3.17%        3.81%        10/29/10  
MSCI AC Asia Pacific Index3      1.43%        6.35%        6.44%        3.81%        2.38%        5.04%        6.15% 4    

Performance 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. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, visit matthewsasia.com.

 

 

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT SINCE INCEPTION—INVESTOR CLASS

 

LOGO

Plotted monthly. The performance data and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gains distributions or redemption of Fund shares. Values are in US$.

 

  3

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definition.

 

  4

Calculated from 10/31/03.

 

         
TOP TEN HOLDINGS5                            
Name    Sector      Country             % Net Assets  
PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk    Financials      Indonesia             5.2%  
HDFC Bank, Ltd.    Financials      India             5.0%  
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.    Information Technology      Taiwan             4.5%  
Sony Group Corp.    Consumer Discretionary      Japan             4.1%  
Tencent Holdings, Ltd.    Communication Services      China/Hong Kong             4.1%  
Hitachi, Ltd.    Industrials      Japan             4.0%  
Keyence Corp.    Information Technology      Japan             3.5%  
Innovent Biologics, Inc.    Health Care      China/Hong Kong             3.4%  
Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.    Health Care      Japan             3.3%  
Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd.    Consumer Discretionary      China/Hong Kong             3.0%  
TOTAL                     40.1%  

 

  5

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

 

24    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents
 
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)6,7  
Japan     43.7  
China/Hong Kong     25.1  
India     15.0  
Indonesia     5.2  
Taiwan     4.5  
Australia     3.6  
Singapore     1.2  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.8  

 

 
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)7  
Consumer Discretionary     22.8  
Health Care     18.6  
Financials     17.0  
Information Technology     12.4  
Industrials     9.0  
Communication Services     7.7  
Consumer Staples     4.1  
Energy     3.5  
Materials     3.3  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.8  

 

 
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)7  
Mega Cap (over $25B)     62.5  
Large Cap ($10B-$25B)     18.5  
Mid Cap ($3B-10B)     8.4  
Small Cap (under $3B)     8.9  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.8  

 

6

Not all countries where the Fund may invest are included in the benchmark index.

 

7

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

Matthews Asia Growth Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited) (continued)

licensing (ex-China) agreement with the U.S.’s Biogen to develop and market a BTK inhibitor for multiple sclerosis had been discontinued. As a result, we exited our position.

Among our top individual contributors were Legend Biotech and Shin-Etsu Chemical. China-based biopharmaceutical Legend Biotech has developed arguably a best-in-class CAR T-cell therapy for cancer—an area with few competitors. Given the company’s solid fundamentals, we like the outlook from here and its positioning in the space. Shares of Shin-Etsu Chemical, a premier Japanese semiconductor wafer company with large global market share, rose on the back of strength in semiconductor stocks. We favor the company’s solid fundamentals despite its exposure to the U.S. housing market as a dominant PVC maker.

Notable Portfolio Changes

During the last quarter, we initiated positions in Toyota and Mahindra & Mahindra. Japanese automaker Toyota has solid fundamentals, a long history as one of Japan’s premier companies and is exposed to the ongoing transition to electric vehicles (EVs). Similarly, Mahindra & Mahindra is an India-based automaker specializing in SUVs—a growing vehicle category in India which we expect to boost the company’s sales in the period ahead.

In addition to exiting InnoCare Pharma, we sold our positions in Taiwanese power management chip company Silergy and long-time holding Vietnam Dairy Products following conversations with both companies’ management teams which weakened our confidence in their outlooks. We opted to redeploy our capital into more compelling opportunities.

Outlook

We don’t have a crystal ball that can tell us what will happen in China, which continues to be the primary concern. Many have called a bottom several times in China’s market only to see it decline further. It’s hard to see much of a reason for sentiment in China to shift meaningfully in the near term. The likelihood the government can effect a quick turnaround seems low. We think, however, that an uptick in initial public offerings in the Hong Kong market should encourage global investors to participate in the market in the next three to six months.

Elsewhere, we are encouraged by the progress we’re seeing in Japan and expect it to continue along its current structural change path. Compounding our enthusiasm are valuations which, though certainly higher in the wake of the recent market rally, remain relatively cheap, in our view. By way of contrast, India, which also remains a relative bright spot, has much higher, and consequently less attractive, valuations. As we’ve gained confidence in Japan and its companies’ fundamentals, we’ve decreased our exposure to China while increasing our Japan holdings.

Over the next six months, we would like to think sentiment will gradually improve—and that perhaps the rate-hike cycle will conclude in the West and markets will find more reasons to continue climbing the proverbial wall of worry. We will certainly watch with interest and are prepared to position the portfolio accordingly as events unfold.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      25  


Table of Contents

Matthews Asia Growth Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 98.2%

 

     Shares     Value  
JAPAN: 43.7%    

Sony Group Corp.

    263,900       $23,822,309  

Hitachi, Ltd.

    369,300       22,961,784  

Keyence Corp.

    42,800       20,336,707  

Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.

    602,100       19,131,292  

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.

    520,500       17,394,046  

Toyota Motor Corp.

    1,064,300       17,105,524  

Japan Elevator Service Holdings Co., Ltd.

    1,194,100       15,710,262  

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.

    312,100       13,376,434  

Kyoritsu Maintenance Co., Ltd.

    306,500       11,653,107  

ORIX Corp.

    597,000       10,887,011  

SoftBank Group Corp.

    221,000       10,422,275  

Unicharm Corp.

    274,900       10,222,127  

SHIFT, Inc.b

    52,100       9,550,378  

Sega Sammy Holdings, Inc.

    413,200       8,851,896  

Disco Corp.

    54,800       8,688,321  

Amvis Holdings, Inc.

    332,100       7,559,887  

Asahi Intecc Co., Ltd.

    375,500       7,392,829  

OBIC Business Consultants Co., Ltd.

    182,000       6,668,669  

PeptiDream, Inc.b

    323,400       4,854,783  

giftee, Inc.b

    229,300       2,993,967  

Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.

    25,800       1,582,302  
   

 

 

 

Total Japan

      251,165,910  
   

 

 

 
   
     
CHINA/HONG KONG: 25.1%    

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

    559,400       23,719,220  

Innovent Biologics, Inc.b,c,d

    5,108,000       19,401,951  

Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd.b

    1,682,900       17,518,704  

BeiGene, Ltd. ADRb

    92,309       16,458,695  

Legend Biotech Corp. ADRb

    197,969       13,665,800  

Shenzhen Inovance Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    1,457,312       12,906,868  

BYD Co., Ltd. H Shares

    200,000       6,412,932  

Meituan B Sharesb,c,d

    379,660       5,953,417  

JD.com, Inc. Class A

    338,135       5,766,746  

H World Group, Ltd.b

    1,438,000       5,572,780  

JD Health International, Inc.b,c,d

    803,350       5,102,753  

PDD Holdings, Inc. ADRb

    65,408       4,522,309  

Wuxi Biologics Cayman, Inc.b,c,d

    898,500       4,318,240  

Hangzhou Tigermed Consulting Co., Ltd. H Sharesc,d

    510,600       2,917,628  
   

 

 

 

Total China/Hong Kong

      144,238,043  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDIA: 14.9%    

HDFC Bank, Ltd.

    1,372,120       28,475,355  

Bajaj Finance, Ltd.

    169,997       14,889,364  

Maruti Suzuki India, Ltd.

    109,176       13,057,319  

Reliance Industries, Ltd.

    350,058       10,911,689  

Mahindra & Mahindra, Ltd.

    599,040       10,643,371  

Dabur India, Ltd.

    1,156,571       8,090,372  
   

 

 

 

Total India

      86,067,470  
   

 

 

 
   
     Shares     Value  
INDONESIA: 5.2%    

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk

    81,846,800       $29,881,584  
   

 

 

 

Total Indonesia

      29,881,584  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TAIWAN: 4.5%    

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ADR

    140,119       14,140,809  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

    630,000       11,638,200  
   

 

 

 

Total Taiwan

      25,779,009  
   

 

 

 
   
     
AUSTRALIA: 3.6%    

CSL, Ltd.

    62,155       11,509,788  

Woodside Energy Group, Ltd.

    397,612       9,197,393  
   

 

 

 

Total Australia

      20,707,181  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SINGAPORE: 1.2%    

Sea, Ltd. ADRb

    120,393       6,987,610  
   

 

 

 

Total Singapore

      6,987,610  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 98.2%       564,826,807  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $546,332,239)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 1.8%
      10,204,543  
   

 

 

 
   

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $575,031,350  
   

 

 

 
   

 

a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Non-income producing security.

 

c

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration normally to qualified institutional buyers. The security has been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees. At June 30, 2023, the aggregate value is $37,693,989, which is 6.56% of net assets.

 

d

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

26    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Sharat Shroff, CFA   Inbok Song

Lead Manager

  Lead Manager
Winnie Chwang   Andrew Mattock, CFA

Co-Manager

 

Co-Manager

FUND FACTS        
    Investor   Institutional

Ticker

  MAPTX   MIPTX

CUSIP

  577130107   577130834

Inception

  9/12/94   10/29/10

NAV

  $19.91   $19.92

Initial Investment

  $2,500   $100,000

Gross Expense Ratio1

  1.10%   0.97%

After Fee Waiver and Reimbursement2

  1.09%   0.96%

Portfolio Statistics

 

Total # of Positions

  51

Net Assets

  $3.6 billion

Weighted Average Market Cap

  $126.2 billion

Portfolio Turnover3

  5.6%

Benchmark

MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation.

STRATEGY

 

 

Under normal market conditions, the 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 ex Japan, which 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.

Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited)

Period ended June 30, 2023

For the first half of 2023, the Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund returned –1.24% (Investor Class) and –1.19% (Institutional Class), while its benchmark, the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index, returned 3.19% over the same period. For the quarter ending June 30, 2023, the Fund returned –5.33% (Investor Class) and –5.32% (Institutional Class), while the benchmark returned –1.14%.

Market Environment

The Asian markets have been on a roller coaster largely because of the gyrations in Chinese equities as the post-COVID boost to the local economy is proving to be more gradual than previously expected. China lagged considerably as market participants remained underwhelmed with the pace of China’s recovery which has proven to be more ‘slow and steady’ than a ‘consumption led boom.’ As a result, Chinese equities were one of the worst performing during the quarter, and for the first half of the year. In addition, pessimistic sentiment in China has pushed the Chinese currency to its weakest level since October 2022, and close to its five-year low versus the U.S. dollar. Contrary to expectations earlier in the year, Taiwanese and South Korean equities outperformed the rest of the region on the back of hopes for a recovery in semiconductor demand, and benign valuations.

Property and consumer stocks were among the weaker sectors year-to-date, largely reflecting the tepid recovery in China. Small caps outperformed large caps as ongoing geopolitical risks continued to push up the embedded risk-premium in overseas listed Chinese American Depository Receipts (ADRs), many of which are larger sized stocks. Most of the Asian currencies weakened as rising interest rates spurred the U.S. dollar, while central banks in Asia have largely stopped raising rates.

Performance Contributors and Detractors

From a country perspective, stock selection in China was the biggest detractor to performance during the quarter and year-to-date period, as the portfolio’s consumer related holdings continued their underperformance amid overall macroeconomic concerns on the pace of consumption recovery. However, we believe these companies are well positioned to lead the economic recovery over time given their resilient earnings. Stock selection in the Philippines also detracted from relative performance during the first half. On the other hand, information technology companies in South Korea and Taiwan contributed positively. The positive performance was attributed to the combination of better-than-expected earnings and clear prospects in terms of demand as shown in the case of a Taiwan-based datacenter component manufacturer. Indian consumer discretionary companies also contributed positively with continued strong earning deliveries.

At the individual holdings level, the top detractors to both relative and absolute performance for the first half of the year came from China, including the leading Chinese duty free shop operator China Tourism Group. While the company went through the normalization process of operations after the pandemic, its earnings improvement was slower than sales as discounting and inventory management takes time. This could be a transitionary adjustment process rather than structural as the company’s market share is intact and management continues to make

(continued)

 
1

Prospectus expense ratios.

2

Matthews has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its advisory fee and administrative and shareholder services fee if the Fund’s average daily net assets are over $3 billion, as follows: for every $2.5 billion average daily net assets of the Fund that are over $3 billion, the advisory fee rate and the administrative and shareholder services fee rate for the Fund with respect to such excess average daily net assets will be each reduced by 0.01%, in each case without reducing such fee rate below 0.00%. Any amount waived by Matthews pursuant to this agreement may not be recouped by Matthews. This agreement will remain in place until April 30, 2024 and may be terminated (i) at any time by the Board of Trustees upon 60 days’ prior written notice to Matthews; or (ii) by Matthews at the annual expiration date of the agreement upon 60 days’ prior written notice to the Trust, in each case without payment of any penalty.

3

The lesser of fiscal year 2022 long-term purchase costs or sales proceeds divided by the average monthly market value of long-term securities.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      27  


Table of Contents
   
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023         
 

 

    

 

      

 

      

 

     Average Annual Total Returns       

 

 
    

3 Months

    

YTD

    

1 Year

    

3 Years

    

5 Years

    

10 Years

    

Since
Inception

    

Inception
Date

 

Investor Class (MAPTX)

     -5.33%        -1.24%        -5.73%        0.40%        0.06%        4.43%        7.28%        9/12/94  

Institutional Class (MIPTX)

     -5.32%        -1.19%        -5.60%        0.53%        0.20%        4.60%        4.12%        10/29/10  

MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index4

     -1.14%        3.19%        -0.76%        1.49%        1.25%        4.80%        4.09% 5    

Performance 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. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, visit matthewsasia.com.

 

 

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT SINCE INCEPTION—INVESTOR CLASS

 

LOGO

Plotted monthly. The performance data and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gains distributions or redemption of Fund shares. Values are in US$.

 

  4

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definition.

 

  5

Calculated from 8/31/94.

 

       
TOP TEN HOLDINGS6                     
Name    Sector      Country      % Net Assets  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

   Information Technology      Taiwan        7.3%  

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

   Information Technology      South Korea        6.2%  

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

   Communication Services      China/Hong Kong        4.7%  

Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd.

   Consumer Discretionary      China/Hong Kong        3.8%  

ICICI Bank, Ltd.

   Financials      India        3.6%  

Meituan

   Consumer Discretionary      China/Hong Kong        3.4%  

PT Bank Central Asia Tbk

   Financials      Indonesia        3.0%  

Central Pattana Public Co., Ltd.

   Real Estate      Thailand        3.0%  

China Resources Beer Holdings Co., Ltd.

   Consumer Staples      China/Hong Kong        2.6%  

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

   Consumer Discretionary      China/Hong Kong        2.6%  

TOTAL

       40.2%  

 

  6

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

 

28    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited) (continued)

efforts to improve the company’s product mix. Another notable detractor was the leading food delivery and local service company in China, Meituan. The company executed well during the pandemic and the reopening phase, accelerating its path towards profitability ahead of the management’s original target. However, negative sentiment around the China’s consumption recovery and potential competitive pressure has outweighed this progress, and Meituan’s share price did not react positively.

In contrast, one of the notable contributors was Taiwanese datacenter component manufacturer Accton Technology. As datacenter upgrades continue, especially from global cloud service providers, Accton has been a beneficiary of a secular demand in switches. As some of the supply chain bottlenecks that delayed the product delivery have been resolved, the company’s earning delivery has been robust. Another contributor during the period was India’s leading jeweler, Titan Company. The company delivered good results last year and, against the expectation of potential growth slowdown, Titan continued to deliver robust growth and brand value, helped by retail store expansion and continuous category expansion into watches and eyewear.

Notable Portfolio Changes

The second quarter was a relatively quiet quarter as no major directional shifts were made. We increased the portfolio’s relative concentration in high conviction China names by slowly decreasing the weightings of holdings with less certain growth prospects. With a broad valuation correction in China, we continue to assess new high-quality opportunities. Overall, the biggest active risk in the portfolio is from an overweight to domestic consumption in China. The portfolio remains underweight South Korea reflecting some concerns on the global growth outlook.

Outlook

Despite the divergence in Asia markets year-to-date performance, Asia equity markets are attractively positioned in terms of relative valuation especially with respect to earnings prospects. We expect double-digit earnings growth in China and India over the next two years. As post COVID activity continues to normalize in China, we believe there will be opportunities for domestically oriented growth. For Taiwan and South Korea, a mix of secular growth opportunities in the technology sector together with cyclicality continue to provide stock picking opportunities. With the U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest rate cycle coming into its final stages and a mixed backdrop on global demand, we expect that domestic demand in Asia should show resiliency.

 
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)7,8  

China/Hong Kong

    43.5  

Taiwan

    16.2  

India

    16.0  

South Korea

    10.6  

Indonesia

    3.0  

Thailand

    3.0  

Philippines

    2.5  

Vietnam

    1.7  

Singapore

    1.3  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    2.3  

 

 
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)8  

Information Technology

    24.1  

Consumer Discretionary

    18.0  

Financials

    17.9  

Consumer Staples

    8.9  

Real Estate

    8.9  

Industrials

    7.7  

Communication Services

    5.7  

Materials

    3.4  

Utilities

    1.9  

Health Care

    1.3  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    2.3  

 

 
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)8  

Mega Cap (over $25B)

    57.7  

Large Cap ($10B-$25B)

    22.2  

Mid Cap ($3B-10B)

    15.6  

Small Cap (under $3B)

    2.2  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    2.3  

 

7

Not all countries where the Fund may invest are included in the benchmark index.

 

8

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      29  


Table of Contents

Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 97.7%

 

     Shares     Value  
CHINA/HONG KONG: 43.5%    

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

    4,018,600       $170,393,379  

Meituan B Sharesb,c,d

    7,959,760       124,816,336  

Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd.c

    11,916,000       124,043,542  

China Resources Beer Holdings Co., Ltd.

    14,543,775       96,108,506  

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

    1,698,548       95,967,962  

Kweichow Moutai Co., Ltd. A Shares

    400,273       93,231,514  

AIA Group, Ltd.

    9,161,000       93,043,693  

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, Ltd.

    2,411,400       91,365,560  

CITIC Securities Co., Ltd. H Shares

    45,848,600       83,367,090  

Shenzhen Inovance Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    8,608,385       76,241,250  

China Resources Mixc Lifestyle Services, Ltd.b,d

    13,470,830       67,100,331  

JD.com, Inc. Class A

    3,650,157       62,251,851  

KE Holdings, Inc. ADRc

    3,935,772       58,446,214  

China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp., Ltd. A Shares

    3,399,073       51,839,053  

Shandong Sinocera Functional Material

   

Co., Ltd. A Shares

    11,964,928       45,184,672  

ENN Energy Holdings, Ltd.

    2,981,400       37,291,624  

Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai A Shares

    2,585,272       35,005,632  

StarPower Semiconductor, Ltd. A Shares

    1,079,889       32,084,009  

Sany Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. A Shares

    13,120,461       30,056,426  

Wuxi Biologics Cayman, Inc.b,c,d

    6,077,500       29,208,793  

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    882,671       27,867,028  

JD Logistics, Inc.b,c,d

    14,340,800       22,454,307  

Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. A Shares

    449,920       18,603,818  

Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd. ADRc

    160,220       13,354,337  

China Lesso Group Holdings, Ltd.

    11,633,000       7,666,346  
   

 

 

 

Total China/Hong Kong

      1,586,993,273  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TAIWAN: 16.2%    

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

    14,425,000       266,477,832  

Chailease Holding Co., Ltd.

    10,886,257       71,574,954  

Delta Electronics, Inc.

    5,162,182       57,209,015  

E Ink Holdings, Inc.

    7,174,000       52,185,978  

Accton Technology Corp.

    4,407,000       49,570,843  

MediaTek, Inc.

    1,945,000       43,054,237  

Uni-President Enterprises Corp.

    11,072,000       27,146,555  

Eclat Textile Co., Ltd.

    1,549,000       24,908,379  
   

 

 

 

Total Taiwan

      592,127,793  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDIA: 16.0%    

ICICI Bank, Ltd.

    11,542,014       132,144,370  

Titan Co., Ltd.

    2,353,563       87,633,709  

Pidilite Industries, Ltd.

    2,523,498       80,039,891  

Housing Development Finance Corp., Ltd.

    2,109,831       72,789,768  

Ashok Leyland, Ltd.

    31,526,160       64,484,364  

Tata Consultancy Services, Ltd.

    1,552,939       62,750,145  

Dabur India, Ltd.

    7,494,091       52,422,187  

Tata Power Co., Ltd.

    11,795,802       31,983,189  
   

 

 

 

Total India

      584,247,623  
   

 

 

 
   
     Shares     Value  
SOUTH KOREA: 10.6%    

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

    4,101,421       $225,837,702  

HL Mando Co., Ltd.

    1,732,314       71,261,939  

Samsung Engineering Co., Ltd.c

    2,467,042       53,202,438  

NAVER Corp.

    266,658       37,328,090  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      387,630,169  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDONESIA: 3.0%    

PT Bank Central Asia Tbk

    176,061,600       107,978,307  
   

 

 

 

Total Indonesia

      107,978,307  
   

 

 

 
   
     
THAILAND: 2.9%    

Central Pattana Public Co., Ltd.

    58,266,200       107,880,417  
   

 

 

 

Total Thailand

      107,880,417  
   

 

 

 
   
     
PHILIPPINES: 2.5%    

SM Prime Holdings, Inc.

    150,947,171       90,083,203  
   

 

 

 

Total Philippines

      90,083,203  
   

 

 

 
   
     
VIETNAM: 1.7%    

Vietnam Dairy Products JSC

    18,369,028       55,362,317  

FPT Corp.

    1,935,254       7,068,971  
   

 

 

 

Total Vietnam

      62,431,288  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SINGAPORE: 1.3%    

Venture Corp., Ltd.

    4,257,900       46,486,864  
   

 

 

 

Total Singapore

      46,486,864  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 97.7%       3,565,858,937  

(Cost $3,261,090,596)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 2.3%
      82,824,870  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $3,648,683,807  
   

 

 

 

 

a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration normally to qualified institutional buyers. The security has been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees. At June 30, 2023, the aggregate value is $243,579,767, which is 6.68% of net assets.

 

c

Non-income producing security.

 

d

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

 

JSC

Joint Stock Co.

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

30    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Michael J. Oh, CFA  

Lead Manager

   
Taizo Ishida   Inbok Song

Co-Manager

 

Co-Manager

FUND FACTS        
    Investor   Institutional

Ticker

  MATFX   MITEX

CUSIP

  577130883   577125859

Inception

  12/27/99   4/30/13

NAV

  $11.05   $11.24

Initial Investment

  $2,500   $100,000

Gross Expense Ratio1

  1.18%   1.04%

Portfolio Statistics

   

Total # of Positions

    50

Net Assets

    $459.1 million

Weighted Average Market Cap

  $193.5 billion

Portfolio Turnover2

  118.1%

Benchmark

   

MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index

 

 

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation.

STRATEGY

 

 

Under normal market conditions, the 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 ex Japan 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. Asia ex Japan consists of all countries and markets in Asia excluding Japan, but including developed, emerging, and frontier countries and markets in the Asian region.

Matthews Asia Innovators Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited)

Period ended June 30, 2023

For the first half of 2023, the Matthews Asia Innovators Fund returned –2.30% (Investor Class) and
–2.18% (Institutional Class), while its benchmark, the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index, returned 3.19% over the same period. For the quarter ended June 30, 2023, the Fund returned –4.66% (Investor Class) and –4.58% (Institutional Class), while the benchmark returned –1.14%.

Market Environment

The big event of 2023’s first half was undoubtedly China’s reopening—and more specifically, an economic rebound that has been slower to materialize than many investors anticipated. This especially weighed on consumer sentiment which remains relatively dour. Despite having ample cash balances, many Chinese consumers seem reluctant to resume spending at pre-pandemic levels. This has further complicated the government’s ability to effect meaningful changes as much of any fiscal stimulus would probably wind up in consumer savings accounts. China’s property market also remains weak and is adding to consumers’ sense of uncertainty, given many people’s wealth is tied to real estate. In addition, ongoing tensions with the U.S. weighed on sentiment and amplified uncertainty. Elsewhere, India remains a bright spot in Asia as it faces far fewer challenges in the current environment than China. South Korea and Taiwan have also outperformed as they are (to varying degrees) benefiting from the nascent artificial intelligence (AI) boom, high U.S. chip demand and overall strength in the American technology industry.

Performance Contributors and Detractors

Regionally, our overweight and stock selection in China and Hong Kong were the biggest detractors to relative performance in the first half amid an environment of negative economic and consumer sentiment. Conversely, the Fund’s allocation to the U.S.—which consists primarily of technology companies—was the biggest contributor. These stocks benefited as investors sought exposure to Asia via non-China-domiciled companies in order to manage geopolitical concerns.

From a sector perspective, the Fund’s overweight and stock selection in consumer discretionary was the biggest detractor in the face of headwinds in China. Stock selection in communication services was also a big detractor though mitigated by our overweight allocation to the sector. Selections in health care, consumer staples and industrials were also detractors. Conversely, IT was the top contributor because of strength in hardware and digital services companies, and stock selection in real estate and our underweight and selection in financials also contributed to relative performance.

At the individual holdings level, sportswear giant Li Ning and e-commerce platform JD.com were among the weakest performers in the first half. JD.com has faced stiff pressure from rival platforms Alibaba and PDD Holdings (Pinduoduo), both of which are portfolio holdings. Given these dynamics, we chose to exit our position in JD.com. While Alibaba and PDD were bigger detractors in the period than JD.com we retained our positions in them because in our view they are more diversified and have higher potential growth than JD.com.

Conversely, U.S. tech giant NVIDIA, a leading beneficiary of the AI upswing, was the strongest contributor in the first half. Taiwanese technology companies Alchip Technologies and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) were also strong performers. Alchip has performed particularly well as the nascent AI trend

(continued)

 
1

Prospectus expense ratios.

2

The lesser of fiscal year 2022 long-term purchase costs or sales proceeds divided by the average monthly market value of long-term securities.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      31  


Table of Contents
 
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023  
 

 

    

 

      

 

      

 

     Average Annual Total Returns       

 

 
    

3 Months

    

YTD

    

1 Year

    

3 Years

    

5 Years

    

10 Years

    

Since
Inception

    

Inception
Date

 

Investor Class (MATFX)

     -4.66%        -2.30%        -9.43%        -2.09%        4.41%        9.75%        4.27%        12/27/99  

Institutional Class (MITEX)

     -4.58%        -2.18%        -9.30%        -1.94%        4.58%        9.94%        9.58%        4/30/13  

MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index 3

     -1.14%        3.19%        -0.76%        1.49%        1.25%        4.80%        5.44% 4    

Performance 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. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, visit matthewsasia.com.

 

 

 

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT SINCE INCEPTION—INVESTOR CLASS

 

LOGO

Plotted monthly. The performance data and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gains distributions or redemption of Fund shares. Values are in US$.

 

  3

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definition.

 

  4

Calculated from 12/31/99.

 

       
TOP TEN HOLDINGS5                     
Name    Sector      Country      % Net Assets  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

   Information Technology      Taiwan        8.0%  

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

   Information Technology      South Korea        6.3%  

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

   Communication Services      China/Hong Kong        4.4%  

HDFC Bank, Ltd.

   Financials      India        4.3%  

Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd.

   Consumer Discretionary      China/Hong Kong        3.9%  

NVIDIA Corp.

   Information Technology      United States        3.3%  

ICICI Bank, Ltd.

   Financials      India        3.1%  

ASML Holding NV

   Information Technology      Netherlands        3.0%  

Trip.com Group, Ltd.

   Consumer Discretionary      China/Hong Kong        3.0%  

Meituan

   Consumer Discretionary      China/Hong Kong        2.9%  

TOTAL

               42.2%  

 

  5

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

 

32    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents
   
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)6,7      
China/Hong Kong     34.1  
India     18.3  
United States     11.5  
South Korea     11.1  
Taiwan     9.5  
Netherlands     3.0  
Indonesia     2.8  
Japan     2.5  
France     2.0  
Singapore     1.9  
Vietnam     1.1  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     2.0  

 

   
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)7      
Information Technology     30.9  
Consumer Discretionary     26.7  
Financials     13.0  
Communication Services     10.7  
Consumer Staples     4.6  
Industrials     4.4  
Health Care     3.7  
Energy     2.1  
Real Estate     2.0  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     2.0  

 

   
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)7      
Mega Cap (over $25B)     73.4  
Large Cap ($10B-$25B)     11.4  
Mid Cap ($3B-10B)     10.4  
Small Cap (under $3B)     2.7  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     2.0  

 

  6

Not all countries are included in the benchmark index.

 

  7

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

Matthews Asia Innovators Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited) (continued)

has picked up steam. TSMC has benefited from the ongoing semiconductor boom—particularly as geopolitical tensions with the U.S. have driven many companies to source chips outside of China. TSMC also manufactures chips for NVIDIA and so is well-positioned for the expanding AI market.

Notable Portfolio Changes

In the quarter, we initiated a new position in ASML Holding, a Netherlands-based semiconductor company. ASML derives most of its revenue from Asia where the majority of global chip manufacturing is located. It also has a very strong position in advanced chip-equipment production and is a beneficiary from some chip companies seeking to strengthen supply chains and move manufacturing away from China to the U.S. and Europe.

We also increased our exposure to PDD and Samsung Electronics. While the ongoing consumer malaise in China has challenged e-commerce companies and weighed on valuations, PDD is a company that is growing and taking share. We accordingly capitalized on its attractive valuation to add to our position. We increased our exposure to Samsung given the combination of its exposure to AI and its depressed valuation.

Conversely, we pared our exposure to Singapore-based Sea following a strong first-half performance in the stock. We trimmed our holding in H World Group given its higher valuation and as part of our ongoing reduction in our China exposure. We also hold Trip.com, which offers us similar exposure to H World though at a more attractive valuation and with, in our view, a better outlook. In addition to exiting JD.com in the period we also sold our holding in Li Ning.

Outlook

It seems clear to us that market movement in the second half will be heavily dependent on China’s performance. But China’s government has its work cut out. With the property market so depressed and consumers quite dour, it will be hard to kickstart the economy. That said, it also seems unlikely there is much room to the downside at this point—though we say that with caution as it seems many have called a bottom in China, only for it to sink further. Given the general sense of gloom surrounding China, it might not take much to spark a sentiment rally and turn things around. Time will naturally tell and we will continue monitoring how events develop in China.

Meanwhile, we remain positive on India. We are also positive on Indonesia in the long term but given there are currently relatively few innovative companies in Southeast Asia, our overall exposure to the region remains limited for now. We are also underweight in Taiwan. While fundamentals remain largely intact, strong performance has contributed to elevated valuations making Taiwan less attractive on a relative basis.

Uncertainty aside, we are finding innovative companies throughout Asia that are trading at attractive levels and will continue deploying our investment philosophy to uncover what we believe to be the next generation of companies able to innovate in business strategy, products and services, marketing and human capital.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      33  


Table of Contents

Matthews Asia Innovators Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 97.3%

 

     Shares     Value  
CHINA/HONG KONG: 34.1%    

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

    479,600       $20,335,606  

Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd. ADRb

    214,017       17,838,317  

Trip.com Group, Ltd. ADRb

    397,255       13,903,925  

Meituan B Sharesb,c,d

    852,730       13,371,588  

PDD Holdings, Inc. ADRb

    167,960       11,612,754  

KE Holdings, Inc. ADRb

    613,471       9,110,044  

OPT Machine Vision Tech Co., Ltd. A Shares

    314,356       7,148,974  

NARI Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    2,197,948       6,993,465  

BYD Co., Ltd. A Shares

    173,220       6,172,825  

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

    108,563       6,133,810  

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    191,898       6,058,460  

Baidu, Inc. ADRb

    43,346       5,934,501  

Proya Cosmetics Co., Ltd. A Shares

    342,829       5,307,729  

Hundsun Technologies, Inc. A Shares

    861,335       5,257,645  

China Resources Beer Holdings Co., Ltd.

    734,000       4,850,436  

BeiGene, Ltd. ADRb

    26,270       4,683,941  

Kuaishou Technologyb,c,d

    675,100       4,640,067  

Innovent Biologics, Inc.b,c,d

    997,000       3,786,951  

Legend Biotech Corp. ADRb

    49,863       3,442,043  
   

 

 

 

Total China/Hong Kong

      156,583,081  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDIA: 18.3%    

HDFC Bank, Ltd.

    947,300       19,659,143  

ICICI Bank, Ltd.

    1,234,245       14,130,855  

Bajaj Finance, Ltd.

    142,632       12,492,572  

Reliance Industries, Ltd.

    315,115       9,822,477  

Mahindra & Mahindra, Ltd.

    525,029       9,328,390  

Titan Co., Ltd.

    205,158       7,638,953  

Indian Hotels Co., Ltd.

    1,179,966       5,657,633  

Ashok Leyland, Ltd.

    2,605,640       5,329,639  
   

 

 

 

Total India

      84,059,662  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SOUTH KOREA: 10.4%    

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

    525,080       28,912,628  

Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.

    13,732       7,012,034  

Kia Corp.

    89,473       6,026,994  

Orion Corp.

    61,460       5,605,114  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      47,556,770  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TAIWAN: 9.5%    

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

    1,986,000       36,688,040  

Alchip Technologies, Ltd.

    122,000       7,066,756  
   

 

 

 

Total Taiwan

      43,754,796  
   

 

 

 
   
     
UNITED STATES: 9.2%    

NVIDIA Corp.

    35,541       15,034,554  

Netflix, Inc.b

    21,126       9,305,792  

Visa, Inc. Class A

    32,697       7,764,883  

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.

    10,374       5,604,346  

Lululemon Athletica, Inc.b

    12,220       4,625,270  
   

 

 

 

Total United States

      42,334,845  
   

 

 

 
   
     Shares     Value  
JAPAN: 3.6%    

Keyence Corp.

    14,100       $6,699,710  

Asahi Intecc Co., Ltd.

    252,700       4,975,147  

Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.b

    108,971       4,918,951  
   

 

 

 

Total Japan

      16,593,808  
   

 

 

 
   
     
NETHERLANDS: 3.1%    

ASML Holding NV

    19,276       13,970,281  
   

 

 

 

Total Netherlands

      13,970,281  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDONESIA: 2.8%    

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk

    14,857,600       5,424,386  

PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk

    6,942,900       5,244,512  

PT Astra International Tbk

    4,381,400       1,987,308  
   

 

 

 

Total Indonesia

      12,656,206  
   

 

 

 
   
     
FRANCE: 2.0%    

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE

    9,939       9,371,605  
   

 

 

 

Total France

      9,371,605  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SINGAPORE: 1.9%    

Sea, Ltd. ADRb

    153,433       8,905,251  
   

 

 

 

Total Singapore

      8,905,251  
   

 

 

 
   
     
BRAZIL: 1.2%    

MercadoLibre, Inc.b

    4,734       5,607,897  
   

 

 

 

Total Brazil

      5,607,897  
   

 

 

 
   
     
VIETNAM: 1.2%    

Mobile World Investment Corp.

    2,861,648       5,273,384  
   

 

 

 

Total Vietnam

      5,273,384  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL COMMON EQUITIES       446,667,586  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $437,126,619)

   
   

PREFERRED EQUITIES: 0.7%

 

     
SOUTH KOREA: 0.7%    

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Pfd.

    74,486       3,380,123  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      3,380,123  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL PREFERRED EQUITIES       3,380,123  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $3,411,265)

   
   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 98.0%       450,047,709  

(Cost $440,537,884)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 2.0%
      9,078,593  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $459,126,302  
   

 

 

 
 

 

34    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews Asia Innovators Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

 

a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Non-income producing security.

 

c

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration normally to qualified institutional buyers. The security has been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees. At June 30, 2023, the aggregate value is $21,798,606, which is 4.75% of net assets.

 

d

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

 

Pfd.

Preferred

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      35  


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Andrew Mattock, CFA  

Lead Manager

 
Winnie Chwang       Sherwood Zhang, CFA

Co-Manager

 

Co-Manager

FUND FACTS        
    Investor   Institutional

Ticker

  MCHFX   MICFX

CUSIP

  577130701   577130818

Inception

  2/19/98   10/29/10

NAV

  $12.66   $12.65

Initial Investment

  $2,500   $100,000

Gross Expense Ratio1

  1.12%   0.98%

Portfolio Statistics

Total # of Positions

  49

Net Assets

  $653.5 million

Weighted Average
Market Cap

  $95.1 billion

Portfolio Turnover2

  49.4%

Benchmarks

MSCI China Index

MSCI China All Shares Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation.

STRATEGY

 

 

Under normal market conditions, the 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 China. China includes its administrative and other districts, such as Hong Kong.

Matthews China Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited)

Period ended June 30, 2023

For the first half of 2023, the Matthews China Fund returned –12.69% (Investor Class) and –12.64% (Institutional Class), while its benchmark, the MSCI China Index, returned –5.39% over the same period. For the quarter ending June 30, 2023, the Fund returned –13.05% (Investor Class) and –13.06% (Institutional Class), while the benchmark returned –9.65%.

Market Environment

The overall environment for China remained challenging during the first half of the year with continued negative headlines related to U.S.—China relations, Taiwan—China tensions and an overall bumpy corporate earnings growth story. Financial results in the first quarter were uneven with some sectors and industries recovering faster than others. Given the disruption experienced with much of the population contracting COVID, first quarter earnings were generally still on the weaker side. In areas of faster earnings recovery, many questioned if the growth trajectory would be sustainable, as a lack of supportive policies continued to weigh on market sentiment. Given this environment, investors continue to be in profit taking mode despite the fact that some companies have delivered on earnings estimates. At the same time, the property market recovery has been volatile with general market conditions remaining soft. This part of China’s economy continues to be important in determining the stability of the country’s recovery and more monitoring of on-the-ground conditions are required.

Performance Contributors and Detractors

From a sector perspective, the portfolio’s allocation and stock selection in information technology and an underweight to the materials sector contributed to relative performance during the first half of the year. On the other hand, an overweight allocation and stock selection within the consumer discretionary sector and an underweight and stock selection within communication services detracted from performance.

Among individual holdings, Petrochina and Midea Group were among the top contributors to performance. Petrochina is one of China’s largest state-owned oil and gas companies. State-own enterprises (SOEs) in China have seen re-ratings this year due to their defensive nature and cheap valuations. In addition, there has been increased government support to improve valuations of SOEs. Many SOEs are increasingly becoming more market-oriented, and profit driven. This positive change could help with cementing the corporate earnings story for these companies and drive valuation re-rating. Midea is a dominant white goods manufacturer in China. Shares of the company have been defensive year to date due to resilient recovery in the sales of Midea’s air conditioning units, buoyed by a low base, pent-up demand and increased appetite for premiumization. Both valuations and dividend yields of the company are attractive as well, and while Midea is no longer growing at a fast pace, its dominance in the market and strong execution offers investors a stable rate of return, which is appreciated in the more volatile market environment we are experiencing today.

On the other hand, JD.com, China’s leading e-commerce platform company known for its authentic products as well as fast and efficient product delivery, was the weakest contributor to performance. The company’s weaker-than-expected first quarter estimates and a conservative outlook caused market concerns in the first quarter. In addition, JD’s major shopping day, June 18, showed only moderate gross merchandise value (GMV) growth. However, shopping campaigns are

(continued)

 
1

Prospectus expense ratios.

2

The lesser of fiscal year 2022 long-term purchase costs or sales proceeds divided by the average monthly market value of long-term securities.

 

36    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents
   
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023         
 

 

    

 

      

 

      

 

     Average Annual Total Returns       

 

 
    

3 Months

    

YTD

    

1 Year

    

3 Years

    

5 Years

    

10 Years

    

Since
Inception

    

Inception
Date

 

Investor Class (MCHFX)

     -13.05%        -12.69%        -23.98%        -9.64%        -2.59%        4.32%        7.70%        2/19/98  

Institutional Class (MICFX)

     -13.06%        -12.64%        -23.87%        -9.52%        -2.42%        4.49%        1.85%        10/29/10  

MSCI China Index3

     -9.65%        -5.39%        -16.69%        -10.13%        -5.14%        3.22        2.95% 4    

MSCI China All Shares Index3

     -9.79%        -5.27%        -17.90%        -6.73%        -2.18%        n.a 5       n.a. 5    

Performance 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. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, visit matthewsasia.com.

 

 

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT SINCE INCEPTION—INVESTOR CLASS

 

 

LOGO

Plotted monthly. The performance data and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gains distributions or redemption of Fund shares. Values are in US$.

 

  3

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definition.

 

  4

Calculated from 2/28/98.

 

  5

Index launched on 6/26/14.

 

       
TOP TEN HOLDINGS5                     
Name    Sector             % Net Assets  

Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd.

   Consumer Discretionary             7.7%  

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

   Communication Services             7.6%  

Meituan

   Consumer Discretionary             5.5%  

PDD Holdings, Inc.

   Consumer Discretionary             5.4%  

JD.com, Inc.

   Consumer Discretionary             4.7%  

China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd.

   Financials             4.3%  

China International Capital Corp., Ltd.

   Financials             3.6%  

KE Holdings, Inc.

   Real Estate             3.3%  

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd.

   Industrials             3.0%  

CITIC Securities Co., Ltd.

   Financials             2.6%  

TOTAL

               47.7%  

 

  5

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      37  


Table of Contents
 
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)6  
China/Hong Kong     97.9  
Macau     1.8  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     0.4  

 

 
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)6  
Consumer Discretionary     32.6  
Financials     18.9  
Communication Services     13.7  
Industrials     9.0  
Real Estate     6.4  
Information Technology     6.2  
Consumer Staples     5.5  
Health Care     4.7  
Energy     1.8  
Utilities     0.9  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     0.4  

 

 
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)6  
Mega Cap (over $25B)     59.8  
Large Cap ($10B-$25B)     27.0  
Mid Cap ($3B-10B)     7.9  
Small Cap (under $3B)     5.0  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     0.4  

 

6

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

Matthews China Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited) (continued)

year-round and consumers are also shopping year-round. While the company’s GMV growth continues to moderate, we find JD’s approach to focusing on optimizing various business units and providing best everyday prices to consumers to be balanced with its profitability goals and targets. The JD e-commerce platform continues to be an important one in China and market worries about competition is likely overdone. Meituan, China’s largest food delivery platform, also detracted from performance during the first half of the year. Meituan also has businesses catering to the promotional and advertising needs of restaurants, and travel and hotel booking services. The company’s shares have been under a lot of pressure given concerns about competition with ByteDance’s Douyin in both food delivery and in-store services. Given Douyin is a strong competitor, there could be some market share loss, but we feel that will be generally manageable. At the same time, Meituan could see operational improvements post COVID as food delivery might see less disruptions as more restaurants are up and running, and in-store dining and travel related services could see recovery.

Notable Portfolio Changes

Overall, the number of names in the portfolio has decreased and there has generally been a consolidation of smaller, less than 1% positions in more expensive areas of the portfolio. Market correction has given us the opportunity to add to quality areas where valuations have come off meaningfully. The portfolio’s A-share exposure has trended down from the high thirties to low thirties percentage given more attractive valuations in the Hong Kong market and we have been adding to the portfolio’s Hong Kong-listed names.

During the year-to-date period, we added SOE names such as China Construction Bank and PetroChina as we believe good quality SOEs could be more defensive and see valuations re-rating. We also added Kuaishou Technology and JD Health over the first half of the year. Platform companies such as Kuaishou and JD Health have seen valuations correct meaningfully, but the nature of these business still benefit from economies of scale and as these platforms stand to gain as they get more sizable. Further, many platform companies continue to be on track to delivering better quality earnings and monetization.

Outlook

Looking ahead, the earnings story should benefit from easier comparables with the second half of 2022. We expect earnings to continue to be a catalyst. However, given weak sentiment, China needs to deliver a very strong set of earnings to re-rate in a meaningful way, and we remain more cautious on that front and expect only a gradual recovery ahead. Variables to be mindful of include whether there will be more stimulus ahead and whether China’s property market conditions continue to improve. Sentiment on the ground remains weak, which could call for more supportive policies. At the same time, we continue to see more companies delivering on monetization and increased room for shareholder return as more companies consider buybacks and dividends. Geopolitics remains a relevant concern, and unfortunately, does not offer much optimism at the moment, leading to continued volatile market conditions.

Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), also referred to as gross merchandise volume, is the total amount of sales a company makes over a specified period of time, typically measured quarterly or yearly.

 

 

38    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews China Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 99.6%

 

     Shares     Value  
CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY: 32.5%

 

Broadline Retail: 17.8%

 

Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd.b

    4,842,200       $50,406,482  

PDD Holdings, Inc. ADRb

    511,016       35,331,646  

JD.com, Inc. Class A

    1,810,513       30,877,517  
   

 

 

 
      116,615,645  
   

 

 

 
   

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 8.4%

 

Meituan B Sharesb,c,d

    2,275,280       35,678,477  

Galaxy Entertainment Group, Ltd.b

    1,803,000       11,486,404  

H World Group, Ltd. ADRb

    204,333       7,924,034  
   

 

 

 
      55,088,915  
   

 

 

 
   

Household Durables: 2.9%

 

Midea Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    1,346,052       10,933,003  

Man Wah Holdings, Ltd.

    12,349,200       8,267,268  
   

 

 

 
      19,200,271  
   

 

 

 
   

Automobiles: 1.5%

 

Yadea Group Holdings, Ltd.c,d

    4,192,000       9,562,674  
   

 

 

 
   

Diversified Consumer Services: 1.0%

 

China Education Group Holdings, Ltd.d

    8,327,000       6,509,311  
   

 

 

 
   

Specialty Retail: 0.9%

 

China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp., Ltd. A Shares

    377,190       5,752,502  
   

 

 

 

Total Consumer Discretionary

      212,729,318  
   

 

 

 
   
 
FINANCIALS: 18.9%

 

Capital Markets: 9.7%

 

China International Capital Corp., Ltd. H Sharesc,d

    13,172,400       23,221,823  

CITIC Securities Co., Ltd. H Shares

    9,172,925       16,679,246  

China Merchants Securities Co., Ltd. H Sharesc,d

    11,745,800       11,090,059  

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, Ltd.

    178,100       6,748,033  

East Money Information Co., Ltd. A Shares

    2,866,920       5,619,856  
   

 

 

 
      63,359,017  
   

 

 

 
   

Banks: 6.7%

 

China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd. A Shares

    6,249,823       28,232,208  

China Construction Bank Corp. H Shares

    24,043,000       15,566,008  
   

 

 

 
      43,798,216  
   

 

 

 

Insurance: 2.5%

 

PICC Property & Casualty Co., Ltd. H Shares

    9,082,000       10,112,417  

Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China, Ltd. H Shares

    937,500       5,987,735  
   

 

 

 
      16,100,152  
   

 

 

 

Total Financials

      123,257,385  
   

 

 

 
   
 
COMMUNICATION SERVICES: 13.7%

 

Interactive Media & Services: 9.2%

 

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

    1,172,700       49,723,863  

Kuaishou Technologyb,c,d

    1,556,700       10,699,440  
   

 

 

 
      60,423,303  
   

 

 

 
     Shares     Value  

Media: 2.9%

 

Focus Media Information Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    14,189,557       $13,296,080  

Three’s Co Media Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    500,830       5,921,745  
   

 

 

 
      19,217,825  
   

 

 

 
   

Entertainment: 1.6%

 

Tencent Music Entertainment Group ADRb

    992,634       7,325,639  

Bilibili, Inc. ADRb

    189,880       2,867,188  
   

 

 

 
      10,192,827  
   

 

 

 

Total Communication Services

      89,833,955  
   

 

 

 
   
 
INDUSTRIALS: 9.0%

 

Electrical Equipment: 5.0%

 

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    610,960       19,288,772  

Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. A Shares

    823,374       13,252,596  
   

 

 

 
      32,541,368  
   

 

 

 
   

Machinery: 2.6%

 

Shenzhen Inovance Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    1,103,207       9,770,692  

Estun Automation Co., Ltd. A Shares

    1,944,344       7,513,586  
   

 

 

 
      17,284,278  
   

 

 

 
   

Transportation Infrastructure: 1.4%

 

Shanghai International Airport Co., Ltd. A Sharesb

    1,435,191       8,984,639  
   

 

 

 

Total Industrials

      58,810,285  
   

 

 

 
   
 
REAL ESTATE: 6.4%

 

Real Estate Management & Development: 6.4%

 

KE Holdings, Inc. ADRb

    1,443,351       21,433,762  

Country Garden Services Holdings Co., Ltd.

    6,795,000       8,817,594  

CIFI Holdings Group Co., Ltd.e

    104,961,520       7,833,269  

Times China Holdings, Ltd.b

    42,755,000       3,899,943  
   

 

 

 

Total Real Estate

      41,984,568  
   

 

 

 
   
 
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: 6.2%

 

Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 2.4%

 

Zhejiang Supcon Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    1,066,296       9,239,562  

Wingtech Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    931,617       6,288,477  
   

 

 

 
      15,528,039  
   

 

 

 
   

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 2.2%

 

NAURA Technology Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    165,313       7,252,316  

Zhejiang Jingsheng Mechanical & Electrical Co., Ltd. A Shares

    718,158       7,029,213  
   

 

 

 
      14,281,529  
   

 

 

 
   

Software: 1.6%

 

Shanghai Baosight Software Co., Ltd. A Shares

    1,485,334       10,402,677  
   

 

 

 

Total Information Technology

      40,212,245  
   

 

 

 
   
 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      39  


Table of Contents

Matthews China Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

COMMON EQUITIES (continued)

 

     Shares     Value  
CONSUMER STAPLES: 5.5%    

Beverages: 4.1%

 

Wuliangye Yibin Co., Ltd. A Shares

    505,729       $11,408,012  

Tsingtao Brewery Co., Ltd. H Shares

    1,024,000       $9,349,091  

Shanxi Xinghuacun Fen Wine Factory Co., Ltd. A Shares

    241,022       6,143,517  
   

 

 

 
      26,900,620  
   

 

 

 
   

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail: 1.4%

 

JD Health International, Inc.b,c,d

    1,458,650       9,265,116  
   

 

 

 

Total Consumer Staples

      36,165,736  
   

 

 

 
   
 
HEALTH CARE: 4.7%

 

Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 1.9%

 

Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. A Shares

    295,014       12,198,584  
   

 

 

 
   

Life Sciences Tools & Services: 1.7%

 

Wuxi Biologics Cayman, Inc.b,c,d

    2,330,500       11,200,509  
   

 

 

 
   

Health Care Providers & Services: 1.1%

 

Sinopharm Group Co., Ltd. H Shares

    2,377,600       7,443,063  
   

 

 

 

Total Health Care

      30,842,156  
   

 

 

 
   
 
ENERGY: 1.8%

 

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 1.8%

 

PetroChina Co., Ltd. H Shares

    16,546,000       11,488,845  
   

 

 

 

Total Energy

      11,488,845  
   

 

 

 
   
 
UTILITIES: 0.9%

 

Gas Utilities: 0.9%

 

ENN Energy Holdings, Ltd.

    472,300       5,907,572  
   

 

 

 

Total Utilities

      5,907,572  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 99.6%       651,232,065  

(Cost $862,429,012)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 0.4%
      2,305,325  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $653,537,390  
   

 

 

 
a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Non-income producing security.

 

c

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration normally to qualified institutional buyers. The security has been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees. At June 30, 2023, the aggregate value is $110,718,098, which is 16.94% of net assets.

 

d

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

e

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. The aggregate value of Level 3 security is $7,833,269 and 1.20% of net assets.

 

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

40    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS    
Winnie Chwang   Andrew Mattock, CFA

Lead Manager

 

Lead Manager

FUND FACTS    
    Investor   Institutional  

Ticker

  MCSMX   MICHX

CUSIP

  577125404   577125842

Inception

  5/31/11   11/30/17

NAV

  $9.92   $9.93

Initial Investment

  $2,500   $100,000

Gross Expense Ratio1

  1.55%   1.38%

After Fee Waiver and Reimbursement2

  1.41%   1.20%

Portfolio Statistics

 

Total # of Positions

  47

Net Assets

  $127.5 million

Weighted Average Market Cap

  $4.8 billion

Portfolio Turnover3

  59.0%

Benchmark

 

MSCI China Small Cap Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation.

STRATEGY

 

 

Under normal market conditions, the 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 Small Companies located in China. China includes its administrative and other districts, such as Hong Kong. The Fund defines Small Companies as companies with market capitalization no higher than the greater of $5 billion or the market capitalization of the largest company included in the Fund’s primary benchmark, the MSCI China Small Cap Index.

Matthews China Small Companies Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited)

Period ended June 30, 2023

For the first half of 2023, the Matthews China Small Companies Fund returned –10.71% (Investor Class) and –10.70% (Institutional Class), while its benchmark, the MSCI China Small Cap Index, returned –17.55% over the same period. For the quarter ending June 30, 2023, the Fund returned
–10.95% (Investor Class) and –10.94% (Institutional Class), while the benchmark returned –14.02%.

Market Environment

The overall environment for China remained challenging during the first half of the year with continued negative headlines related to U.S.—China relations, Taiwan—China tensions and an overall bumpy corporate earnings growth story. Earnings in the first quarter were uneven with some sectors and industries recovering faster than others. Given the disruption experienced with much of the population contracting COVID, first quarter earnings were generally still on the weaker side. In areas of faster earnings recovery, many questioned if earnings growth would be sustainable, as a lack of supportive policies continued to weigh on market sentiment. Given this environment, the market continues to be in profit taking mode despite the fact that some companies have delivered on earnings estimates. At the same time, the property market recovery has been volatile with general market conditions being still soft. This part of China’s economy continues to be important in determining the stability of the country’s recovery and more monitoring of on-the-ground conditions are required.

Performance Contributors and Detractors

From a sector perspective, the portfolio’s stock selection in information technology and consumer discretionary contributed the most to the portfolio’s relative performance during the first half of the year. On the other hand, stock selection within industrials and an underweight and stock selection within communication services were the biggest detractors to performance.

Turning to individual holdings, Alchip, an integrated circuit (IC) backend design company, was the top contributor to performance. Alchip’s stock was severely impacted last year by geopolitical worries that it could no longer ship to its major Chinese super-computing customers. Since then, the company has diversified its customer base and has continued to execute well in shipment delivery to tier-one customers. At the same time, market exuberance around the prospect of artificial intelligence (AI) and the need for more customized, AI chips have driven a re-rating in Alchip’s share price. Another contributor to performance was Legend Biotech, a global, commercial-stage company with a pipeline of cell therapy platforms which include Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell and non-gene editing CAR technologies. The company continues to publish promising data which further improves its prospects of being able to successfully commercialize.

On the other hand, Hainan Meilan Airport and Kanzhun were among the detractors to performance. Hainan Meilan is one of two airport operators on the island of Hainan. The stock has been under pressure due to profit taking in the tourism space given some concerns on a second wave of COVID in China, and also on worries of whether increased outbound travel in China would affect domestic duty-free purchases. Hainan remains China’s largest duty-free shopping region and

(continued)

 
1

Prospectus expense ratios.

2

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 1.20% first by waiving class specific expenses (i.e., 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 1.20% 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 1.20%. If the operating expenses fall below the expense limitation within three years after Matthews has made a waiver or reimbursement, the Fund may reimburse Matthews up to an amount that does not cause the expenses for that year to exceed the lesser of (i) the expense limitation applicable at the time of that fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement or (ii) the expense limitation in effect at the time of recoupment. This agreement will remain in place until April 30, 2024 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.

3

The lesser of fiscal year 2022 long-term purchase costs or sales proceeds divided by the average monthly market value of long-term securities.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      41  


Table of Contents
   
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023         
 

 

    

 

      

 

      

 

     Average Annual Total Returns       

 

      

 

 
    

3 Months

    

YTD

    

1 Year

    

3 Years

    

5 Years

    

10 Years

    

Since
Inception

    

Inception
date

 

Investor Class (MCSMX)

     -10.95%        -10.71%        -22.55%        -11.84%        2.01%        8.21%        5.12%        05/31/11  

Institutional Class (MICHX)

     -10.94%        -10.70%        -22.45%        -11.64%        2.23%        n.a.        4.72%        11/30/17  

MSCI China Small Cap Index4

     -14.02%        -17.55%        -25.81%        -9.03%        -8.86%        -1.14%        -2.60% 5    

Performance 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. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, visit matthewsasia.com.

 

 

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT SINCE INCEPTION—INVESTOR CLASS

 

 

LOGO

Plotted monthly. The performance data and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gains distributions or redemption of Fund shares. Values are in US$.

 

  4

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definition.

 

  5

Calculated from 5/31/11

 

       
TOP TEN HOLDINGS6                   
Name    Sector           % Net Assets  

China Overseas Property Holdings, Ltd.

   Real Estate           4.5%  

Alchip Technologies, Ltd.

   Information Technology           4.4%  

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings, Ltd.

   Industrials           3.9%  

KE Holdings, Inc.

   Real Estate           3.7%  

Yadea Group Holdings, Ltd.

   Consumer Discretionary           3.4%  

Jason Furniture Hangzhou Co., Ltd.

   Consumer Discretionary           3.2%  

Zhejiang Shuanghuan Driveline Co., Ltd.

   Consumer Discretionary           3.2%  

ENN Natural Gas Co., Ltd.

   Utilities           3.2%  

Shenzhen Topband Co., Ltd.

   Information Technology           3.1%  

Elite Material Co., Ltd.

   Information Technology           3.1%  

TOTAL

             35.7%  

 

  6

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

 

42    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews China Small Companies Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited) (continued)

increased talks about making the whole island of Hainan duty-free also gives rise to concerns about market share losses at Meilan Airport. We remain long-term believers of Hainan’s presence as China’s duty-free mecca. Even if there might be some market share losses, we think the pie will expand and as an asset owner in the duopoly airport market in Hainan, we think Meilan’s current valuations are attractive and remain invested in the name. Kanzhun is a leading recruitment platform company in China. The company’s shares have been under pressure as the overall economic recovery in China remains bumpy and uneven. Small businesses have generally been more cautious about hiring and are awaiting more stability in the economic recovery. However, Kanzhun continues to gain share as online penetration of recruiting increases and has seen a pickup across both blue and white collared jobs.

Notable Portfolio Changes

Overall, the number of names in the portfolio has decreased and there has generally been a consolidation of smaller, less than 1% positions in more expensive areas of the portfolio. The market correction has given us the opportunity to add to quality areas where valuations have come off meaningfully. The portfolio’s A-share exposure has trended down from the high thirties to the low thirties percentage given more attractive valuations in the Hong Kong market and we have been adding to the portfolio’s Hong Kong-listed names.

During the year-to-date period, we added names such as Elite Material, Centre Testing, OPT Machine. Elite Materials is a copper clad laminate producer with exposure to high-end server chips. The company is a beneficiary of the overall growth and penetration of high-performance server chips and traded at an attractive valuation. Centre Testing is the leading testing agency in China and saw shares pull back from high multiples to more reasonable levels. We continue to find that the testing and certification business is one that can deliver resilient and stable growth and we added to the position. OPT Machine provides factory automation solutions and uses its vision-related solutions to optimize operations in identifying product deficiencies. We believe the company has proven that its solutions can continue to penetrate new industries, and therefore enables the company to sustainably deliver on growth.

Outlook

Looking ahead, the earnings story should continue to benefit from easier comparables from the second half of 2022. We expect earnings to continue to be a catalyst. However, given weak sentiment, China needs to deliver a very strong set of earnings to re-rate in a meaningful way, and unfortunately, we remain more cautious on that front and expect only a gradual recovery ahead. Variables to be mindful of include whether there will be more stimulus ahead and whether China’s property market conditions continue to improve. Sentiment on the ground remains weak, which could call for more supportive policies. At the same time, we continue to see more companies delivering on monetization and increased room for shareholder return as more companies consider buybacks and dividends. Geopolitics remains a relevant concern, and unfortunately, does not offer much optimism at the moment, leading to a continued volatile market conditions.

 
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)7  

China/Hong Kong

    82.5  

Taiwan

    10.2  

United States

    6.4  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    0.9  

 

 
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)7  

Industrials

    25.9  

Information Technology

    20.4  

Consumer Discretionary

    19.4  

Health Care

    9.6  

Real Estate

    8.7  

Consumer Staples

    5.1  

Financials

    3.6  

Utilities

    3.2  

Communication Services

    2.4  

Materials

    0.7  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    0.9  

 

   
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)7,8      
Mega Cap (over $25B)     0.0  
Large Cap ($10B-$25B)     10.0  
Mid Cap ($3B-10B)     51.7  
Small Cap (under $3B)     37.4  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     0.9  

 

7

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

 

8

The Fund defines Small Companies as companies with market capitalization no higher than the greater of $5 billion or the market capitalization of the largest company included in the Fund’s primary benchmark, the MSCI China Small Cap Index.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      43  


Table of Contents

Matthews China Small Companies Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 99.1%

 

     Shares     Value  
INDUSTRIALS: 26.0%    

Machinery: 9.2%

 

 

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings, Ltd.

    4,518,200       $5,026,855  

Morimatsu International Holdings Co., Ltd.b,c

    3,835,000       3,162,873  

Airtac International Group

    59,191       1,956,182  

Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric Co., Ltd.

    436,800       1,631,580  
   

 

 

 
      11,777,490  
   

 

 

 
   

Electrical Equipment: 4.2%

 

 

Hongfa Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    596,257       2,618,483  

Zhejiang HangKe Technology, Inc., Co. A Shares

    351,710       1,481,717  

Ginlong Technologies Co., Ltd. A Sharesb

    86,655       1,245,919  
   

 

 

 
      5,346,119  
   

 

 

 
   

Construction & Engineering: 2.7%

 

 

Greentown Management Holdings Co., Ltd.c,d

    3,009,000       2,398,267  

China State Construction International Holdings, Ltd.

    950,000       1,085,879  
   

 

 

 
      3,484,146  
   

 

 

 
   

Transportation Infrastructure: 2.5%

 

 

Beijing Capital International Airport Co., Ltd. H Sharesb

    3,352,000       2,175,442  

Hainan Meilan International Airport Co., Ltd. H Sharesb

    839,000       1,044,235  
   

 

 

 
      3,219,677  
   

 

 

 
   

Ground Transportation: 2.3%

 

 

Full Truck Alliance Co., Ltd. ADRb

    463,034       2,880,072  
   

 

 

 
   

Professional Services: 2.2%

 

 

Centre Testing International Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    1,037,500       2,786,615  
   

 

 

 
   

Air Freight & Logistics: 1.9%

 

 

Milkyway Chemical Supply Chain Service Co., Ltd. A Shares

    193,530       2,373,467  
   

 

 

 
   

Marine Transportation: 1.0%

 

 

SITC International Holdings Co., Ltd.

    659,500       1,207,657  
   

 

 

 

Total Industrials

      33,075,243  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: 20.4%    

Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 10.4%

 

Shenzhen Topband Co., Ltd. A Shares

    2,230,300       4,014,700  

Elite Material Co., Ltd.

    507,000       3,982,098  

BOE Varitronix, Ltd.

    2,311,000       3,337,837  

OPT Machine Vision Tech Co., Ltd. A Shares

    83,956       1,909,298  
   

 

 

 
      13,243,933  
   

 

 

 
   

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 7.8%

 

Alchip Technologies, Ltd.

    96,000       5,560,726  

ACM Research, Inc. Class Ab

    235,039       3,074,310  

StarPower Semiconductor, Ltd. A Shares

    42,692       1,268,400  
   

 

 

 
      9,903,436  
   

 

 

 

Software: 2.2%

 

 

Longshine Technology Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    898,644       2,887,684  
   

 

 

 

Total Information Technology

      26,035,053  
   

 

 

 
   
     Shares     Value  
CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY: 19.4%    

Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods: 5.2%

 

 

Samsonite International SAb,c,d

    1,197,600       $3,386,566  

Xtep International Holdings, Ltd.

    3,182,000       3,256,981  
   

 

 

 
      6,643,547  
   

 

 

 
   

Automobiles: 3.4%

 

 

Yadea Group Holdings, Ltd.c,d

    1,878,000       4,284,041  
   

 

 

 
   

Household Durables: 3.2%

 

 

Jason Furniture Hangzhou Co., Ltd. A Shares

    788,000       4,138,356  
   

 

 

 
   

Automobile Components: 3.2%

 

 

Zhejiang Shuanghuan Driveline Co., Ltd. A Shares

    817,603       4,092,263  
   

 

 

 
   

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 2.7%

 

 

Melco International Development, Ltd.b

    3,656,000       3,408,083  
   

 

 

 
   

Diversified Consumer Services: 1.7%

 

 

China Education Group Holdings, Ltd.c

    2,712,000       2,120,001  
   

 

 

 

Total Consumer Discretionary

      24,686,291  
   

 

 

 
   
     
HEALTH CARE: 9.6%    

Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 4.1%

 

AK Medical Holdings, Ltd.c,d

    2,790,000       2,431,176  

STAAR Surgical Co.b

    32,097       1,687,339  

Peijia Medical, Ltd.b,c,d

    1,426,000       1,124,497  
   

 

 

 
      5,243,012  
   

 

 

 
   

Biotechnology: 2.7%

 

 

Legend Biotech Corp. ADRb

    49,612       3,424,716  
   

 

 

 
   

Life Sciences Tools & Services: 1.8%

 

 

Joinn Laboratories China Co., Ltd. H Sharesc,d

    923,020       2,328,836  
   

 

 

 
   

Health Care Technology: 1.0%

 

 

Medlive Technology Co., Ltd.c,d

    1,403,500       1,257,051  
   

 

 

 

Total Health Care

      12,253,615  
   

 

 

 
   
     
REAL ESTATE: 8.7%    

Real Estate Management & Development: 8.7%

 

China Overseas Property Holdings, Ltd.

    5,650,000       5,710,068  

KE Holdings, Inc. A Sharesb

    961,500       4,749,320  

CIFI Ever Sunshine Services Group, Ltd.c,e

    2,258,000       676,305  
   

 

 

 

Total Real Estate

      11,135,693  
   

 

 

 
   
     
CONSUMER STAPLES: 5.1%    

Food Products: 2.6%

 

Chacha Food Co., Ltd. A Shares

    330,400       1,892,390  

Anjoy Foods Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    71,047       1,437,468  
   

 

 

 
      3,329,858  
   

 

 

 
   

Beverages: 2.5%

 

 

Anhui Yingjia Distillery Co., Ltd. A Shares

    364,500       3,205,031  
   

 

 

 

Total Consumer Staples

      6,534,889  
   

 

 

 
   
     
FINANCIALS: 3.6%    

Financial Services: 2.7%

   

Chailease Holding Co., Ltd.

    519,712       3,417,002  
   

 

 

 
   

Capital Markets: 0.9%

   

Orient Securities Co., Ltd. H Sharesc,d

    2,177,600       1,196,651  
   

 

 

 

Total Financials

      4,613,653  
   

 

 

 
   
 

 

44    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews China Small Companies Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

COMMON EQUITIES (continued)

 

     Shares     Value  
UTILITIES: 3.2%    

Gas Utilities: 3.2%

   

ENN Natural Gas Co., Ltd. A Shares

    1,552,742       $4,062,701  
   

 

 

 

Total Utilities

      4,062,701  
   

 

 

 
   
     
COMMUNICATION SERVICES: 2.4%    

Interactive Media & Services: 2.4%

   

Kanzhun, Ltd. ADRb

    204,401       3,076,235  
   

 

 

 

Total Communication Services

      3,076,235  
   

 

 

 
   
     
MATERIALS: 0.7%    

Chemicals: 0.7%

   

Jiangsu Cnano Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    143,814       907,244  
   

 

 

 

Total Materials

      907,244  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 99.1%       126,380,617  

(Cost $143,468,418)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 0.9%
      1,162,071  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $127,542,688  
   

 

 

 
a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Non-income producing security.

 

c

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

d

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration normally to qualified institutional buyers. The security has been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees. At June 30, 2023, the aggregate value is $18,407,085, which is 14.43% of net assets.

 

e

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. The aggregate value of Level 3 security is $676,305 and 0.53% of net assets.

 

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      45  


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Peeyush Mittal,CFA  

Lead Manager

 
Sharat Shroff, CFA  

Co-Manager

 
FUND FACTS
    Investor   Institutional

Ticker

  MINDX   MIDNX

CUSIP

  577130859   577130768

Inception

  10/31/05   10/29/10

NAV

  $24.64   $25.17

Initial Investment

  $2,500   $100,000

Gross Expense Ratio1

  1.15%   1.01%

Portfolio Statistics

   

Total # of Positions

  50

Net Assets

  $652.0 million

Weighted Average Market Cap

  $43.8 billion

Portfolio Turnover2

  41.4%

Benchmarks

 

S&P Bombay Stock Exchange 100 Index

MSCI India Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation.

STRATEGY

 

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, which include borrowings for investment purposes, in publicly traded common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities of companies located in India.

Matthews India Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited)

Period ended June 30, 2023

For the first half of 2023, the Matthews India Fund returned 11.54% (Investor Class) and 11.67% (Institutional Class), while its benchmark, the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange 100 Index, returned 7.93% over the same period. For the quarter ending June 30, 2023, the Fund returned 13.13% (Investor Class) and 13.17% (Institutional Class), while the benchmark returned 11.94%.

Market Environment

Indian markets performed well in the first half of 2023 on the back of strong net equity flows from domestic and foreign portfolio investments (FPI). Foreign inflows are approaching US15 billion this year which isn’t far short of the total negative FPI outflow of 2022.

The turnaround in FPI has occurred amid the general consensus that global monetary tightening has either peaked or will be peaking soon. The Reserve Bank of India has held interest rates unchanged since April likely indicating an end to its rate hikes. The moderation in inflation data in the U.S. and India supports this view. In India, wholesale producer price inflation has turned negative and consumer price inflation (CPI) has trended within the RBI’s target zone of 2%-6% in last three months.

Despite what are elevated interest rates, India’s economy has continued to perform well. The 6.1% gross domestic product (GDP) growth reported for the first quarter exceeded consensus expectations of 5%. Expansion was largely led by government and private capital spending as consumption growth continued to be muted. Gross fixed capital formation delivered growth of 8.9% in the period while infrastructure development, along with revival in commercial and residential real estate, is driving a surge in construction activity in the country.

Performance Contributors and Detractors

At the sector level, strong stock selection in financials was the biggest contributor to relative performance in the first half. Our overweight and stock selection in health care and stock selection in materials and industrials were also positive contributors, as was our underweight to energy. On the flip side, stock selection in consumer staples was the biggest detractor. Selection in consumer discretionary also hurt relative performance, mitigated by our overweight position. Lack of exposure to utilities also detracted.

At the holdings level, the two biggest contributors to relative and absolute performance were Shriram Finance and Neuland Laboratories. Shriram Finance, an auto and consumer finance services provider, gained as the outlook for margins for non-banking financial companies continued to improve with the bulk of interest rate-hikes likely behind us. In the second quarter, long-standing issues related to stock ownership were also addressed which also helped drive stock performance. Neuland Laboratories continues to shift focus away from generic active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) manufacturing to working more closely with innovator pharma companies. This is not only helping the company grow predictably but also expand margins, in our view.

In contrast, Restaurant Brands Asia (RBA), a fast-food chain, was among the biggest detractors. RBA has continued to grow well on back of footprint expansion by opening more locations across the country, however its per-store-unit economics remain muted compared to peers as the company seems to be struggling to drive higher traffic through the same outlets.

(continued)

 
1

Prospectus expense ratios.

2

The lesser of fiscal year 2022 long-term purchase costs or sales proceeds divided by the average monthly market value of long-term securities.

 

46    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents
                 
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023                                                        
 

 

    

 

      

 

      

 

     Average Annual Total Returns       

 

 
    

3 Months

    

YTD

    

1 Year

    

3 Years

    

5 Years

    

10 Years

    

Since
Inception

    

Inception
Date

 

Investor Class (MINDX)

     13.13%        11.54%        17.99%        19.68%        5.31%        11.03%        9.97%        10/31/05  

Institutional Class (MIDNX)*

     13.17%        11.67%        18.15%        19.86%        5.47%        11.22%        6.22%        10/29/10  

S&P Bombay Stock Exchange 100 Index3

     11.94%        7.93%        19.23%        21.74%        9.69%        10.88%        10.31% 5    

MSCI India Index4

     12.36%        5.30%        14.72%        19.84%        9.04%        9.02%        9.17% 5    

Performance 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. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, visit matthewsasia.com.

 

  *

Performance results include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

 

 

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT SINCE INCEPTION—INVESTOR CLASS

 

 

LOGO

Plotted monthly. The performance data and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gains distributions or redemption of Fund shares. Values are in US$.

 

  3

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from S&P BSE 100 Index and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definition.

 

  4

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definition.

 

  5

Calculated from 10/31/05.

 

       
TOP TEN HOLDINGS6                     
Name    Sector             % Net Assets  
HDFC Bank, Ltd.    Financials             7.5%  
ICICI Bank, Ltd.    Financials             6.0%  
Shriram Finance, Ltd.    Financials             5.8%  
Reliance Industries, Ltd.    Energy             4.5%  
Infosys, Ltd.    Information Technology             4.1%  
Hindustan Unilever, Ltd.    Consumer Staples             3.8%  
Axis Bank, Ltd.    Financials             3.5%  
IndusInd Bank, Ltd.    Financials             3.0%  
Tata Consultancy Services, Ltd.    Information Technology             2.9%  
Maruti Suzuki India, Ltd.    Consumer Discretionary             2.8%  
TOTAL                43.9%  

 

  6

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      47  


Table of Contents
 
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)7  

India

    99.8  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    0.2  

 

 
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)7  
Financials     37.6  
Consumer Discretionary     12.9  
Information Technology     11.9  
Health Care     10.2  
Consumer Staples     9.2  
Materials     7.0  
Industrials     6.5  
Energy     4.5  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     0.2  

 

 
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)7  

Mega Cap (over $25B)

    47.9  

Large Cap ($10B-$25B)

    13.0  

Mid Cap ($3B-10B)

    26.6  

Small Cap (under $3B)

    12.4  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    0.2  

 

7

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

Matthews India Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited) (continued)

Notable Portfolio Changes

We continued to shift the portfolio toward fast-growing business segments and away from end markets where we think competition seems to be ramping up. We exited Pidilite Industries, an adhesives manufacturing company, as growth has slowed down over the years and incremental return on capital is consistently going down. In our view, increasing competitive intensity will likely continue to negatively impact financial performance while the stock has continued to trade at a very lofty valuation.

Similarly we exited engineering company Greaves Cotton. While Greaves Cotton is operating in the electric vehicle (EV) space, an industry that will grow leaps and bounds in India, from its recent capital allocations, we believe the company is not taking the strategic steps it needs to make in order to be successful.

We initiated a new investment in Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services. Following the turnaround of its flagship auto business, Mahindra & Mahindra seems to be taking the right steps to rejuvenate performance of its non-banking financial business. It has injected new talent and is addressing segments of the market where credit quality issues are less adverse and more predictable. We think the company will not just grow fast but also trade at a better valuation in the future compared to where it has been historically.

Outlook

Given the strong run in Indian equities in last few months it is time to be cautious and allow markets to consolidate for some time to come. Valuations have again gotten stretched and equity risk premium has dropped, indicating risk-reward is turning adverse from a near-term perspective. Indian equity markets at current valuations are also not discounting the risks that the economy faces in coming quarters. Among those is the risk to political stability. India is going to have general elections early next year and to assume that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain power would be foolhardy. We have seen how opposition parties are planning to present a united front against Modi and hence, we believe, the outcome of the election isn’t a forgone conclusion. India’s economy also depends on export-oriented growth and the slowdown in the developed world we think is going to have a negative impact. We also believe a steep commodity price-correction is likely and this, together with the elections, may inject caution and delays into decision-making as it relates to gross capital formation in the private sector.

Equity risk premium: the excess return that investing in the stock market provides over a risk-free rate.

 

 

 

 

 

48    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews India Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 99.8%

 

     Shares     Value  
FINANCIALS: 37.6%

 

Banks: 24.6%

   

HDFC Bank, Ltd.

    2,365,291       $49,086,451  

ICICI Bank, Ltd.

    3,397,020       38,892,438  

Axis Bank, Ltd.

    1,903,879       22,972,878  

IndusInd Bank, Ltd.

    1,150,993       19,360,303  

Kotak Mahindra Bank, Ltd.

    682,976       15,403,482  

Bandhan Bank, Ltd.b,c,d

    4,922,200       14,564,129  
   

 

 

 
      160,279,681  
   

 

 

 
   

Consumer Finance: 12.1%

   

Shriram Finance, Ltd.

    1,784,781       37,833,682  

Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co., Ltd.

    1,158,600       16,164,438  

Bajaj Finance, Ltd.

    170,376       14,922,559  

Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services, Ltd.

    2,413,176       9,922,185  
   

 

 

 
      78,842,864  
   

 

 

 
   

Insurance: 0.9%

   

PB Fintech, Ltd.c

    706,417       6,015,408  
   

 

 

 

Total Financials

      245,137,953  
   

 

 

 
   
 
CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY: 12.9%

 

Automobiles: 4.5%

   

Maruti Suzuki India, Ltd.

    154,862       18,521,310  

TVS Motor Co., Ltd.

    686,363       11,121,691  
   

 

 

 
      29,643,001  
   

 

 

 
   

Automobile Components: 3.3%

 

Bosch, Ltd.

    50,306       11,696,655  

Sona Blw Precision Forgings, Ltd.b,d

    1,021,283       6,439,444  

Divgi Torqtransfer Systems, Ltd.c

    327,748       3,689,131  
   

 

 

 
      21,825,230  
   

 

 

 
   

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 2.4%

 

Restaurant Brands Asia, Ltd.c

    6,007,166       7,898,999  

Lemon Tree Hotels, Ltd.b,c,d

    6,653,252       7,620,690  
   

 

 

 
      15,519,689  
   

 

 

 
   

Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods: 2.2%

 

Titan Co., Ltd.

    321,690       11,977,962  

Page Industries, Ltd.

    4,531       2,083,453  
   

 

 

 
      14,061,415  
   

 

 

 
   

Specialty Retail: 0.5%

   

Shankara Building Products, Ltd.

    363,880       3,229,871  
   

 

 

 

Total Consumer Discretionary

      84,279,206  
   

 

 

 
   
 
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: 11.9%

 

IT Services: 11.9%

   

Infosys, Ltd.

    1,631,506       26,573,795  

Tata Consultancy Services, Ltd.

    469,622       18,976,179  

LTIMindtree, Ltd.b,d

    165,134       10,504,225  

HCL Technologies, Ltd.

    555,191       8,071,118  

Persistent Systems, Ltd.

    118,456       7,263,678  

Coforge, Ltd.

    106,963       6,166,546  
   

 

 

 

Total Information Technology

      77,555,541  
   

 

 

 
    Shares     Value  
 
HEALTH CARE: 10.2%

 

Pharmaceuticals: 4.3%

   

Neuland Laboratories, Ltd.

    522,353       $18,050,988  

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd.

    779,211       9,997,263  
   

 

 

 
      28,048,251  
   

 

 

 
   

Life Sciences Tools & Services: 3.5%

 

Syngene International, Ltd.b,d

    1,556,544       14,539,135  

Divi’s Laboratories, Ltd.

    192,769       8,435,346  
   

 

 

 
      22,974,481  
   

 

 

 
   

Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 2.4%

 

Poly Medicure, Ltd.

    1,090,503       15,297,198  
   

 

 

 

Total Health Care

      66,319,930  
   

 

 

 
   
 
CONSUMER STAPLES: 9.2%

 

Personal Care Products: 5.2%

 

Hindustan Unilever, Ltd.

    753,854       24,647,254  

Dabur India, Ltd.

    1,288,984       9,016,619  
   

 

 

 
      33,663,873  
   

 

 

 
   

Food Products: 4.0%

 

Britannia Industries, Ltd.

    229,805       14,091,086  

Nestle India, Ltd.

    44,360       12,397,004  
   

 

 

 
      26,488,090  
   

 

 

 

Total Consumer Staples

      60,151,963  
   

 

 

 
   
 
MATERIALS: 7.0%

 

Chemicals: 3.8%

 

PI Industries, Ltd.

    263,654       12,623,174  

Asian Paints, Ltd.

    245,661       10,087,791  

Carborundum Universal, Ltd.

    129,734       1,897,784  
   

 

 

 
      24,608,749  
   

 

 

 
   

Metals & Mining: 1.7%

   

APL Apollo Tubes, Ltd.

    715,848       11,409,085  
   

 

 

 
   

Construction Materials: 1.5%

 

Ramco Cements, Ltd.

    855,004       9,654,466  
   

 

 

 

Total Materials

      45,672,300  
   

 

 

 
   
 
INDUSTRIALS: 6.5%

 

Machinery: 3.3%

 

Ashok Leyland, Ltd.

    6,374,760       13,039,087  

Cummins India, Ltd.

    354,455       8,413,588  
   

 

 

 
      21,452,675  
   

 

 

 
   

Transportation Infrastructure: 1.4%

 

Gujarat Pipavav Port, Ltd.

    5,896,635       8,849,317  
   

 

 

 
   

Industrial Conglomerates: 0.7%

   

Siemens, Ltd.

    102,509       4,714,588  
   

 

 

 
   

Electrical Equipment: 0.6%

   

ABB India, Ltd.

    49,952       2,698,079  

TD Power Systems, Ltd.

    382,626       1,155,509  
   

 

 

 
      3,853,588  
   

 

 

 
   

Professional Services: 0.5%

   

Latent View Analytics, Ltd.c

    803,985       3,460,447  
   

 

 

 

Total Industrials

      42,330,615  
   

 

 

 
 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      49  


Table of Contents

Matthews India Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

COMMON EQUITIES (continued)

 

    Shares     Value  
 
ENERGY: 4.5%

 

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 4.5%

 

Reliance Industries, Ltd.

    945,197       $29,462,818  
   

 

 

 

Total Energy

      29,462,818  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL COMMON EQUITIES       650,910,326  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $509,997,853)

   
   

NON-CONVERTIBLE CORPORATE BONDS: 0.0%

 

     Face Amount*         
CONSUMER STAPLES: 0.0%    

Food Products: 0.0%

   

Britannia Industries, Ltd., Series N3 5.500%, 06/03/2024

    INR 1,996,476       23,852  
   

 

 

 

Total Consumer Staples

      23,852  
   

 

 

 
   
   
TOTAL NON-CONVERTIBLE CORPORATE BONDS

 

    23,852  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $27,435)

   
   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 99.8%       650,934,178  

(Cost $510,025,288)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 0.2%
      1,054,292  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $651,988,470  
   

 

 

 
a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration normally to qualified institutional buyers. The security has been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees. At June 30, 2023, the aggregate value is $53,667,623, which is 8.23% of net assets.

 

c

Non-income producing security.

 

d

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

*

All Values in USD unless otherwise specified.

 

INR

Indian Rupee

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

50    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

Taizo Ishida   Shuntaro Takeuchi

Lead Manager

 

Lead Manager

Donghoon Han  

Co-Manager

 
FUND FACTS
    Investor   Institutional

Ticker

  MJFOX   MIJFX

CUSIP

  577130800   577130792

Inception

  12/31/98   10/29/10

NAV

  $16.90   $16.94

Initial Investment

  $2,500   $100,000

Gross Expense Ratio1

  1.05%   0.97%

Portfolio Statistics

   

Total # of Positions

  56

Net Assets

  $690.2 million

Weighted Average Market Cap

  $42.5 billion

Portfolio Turnover2

  83.4%

Benchmark

MSCI Japan Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation.

STRATEGY

 

 

Under normal market conditions, the 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 Japan.

Matthews Japan Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited)

Period ended June 30, 2023

For the first half of 2023, the Matthews Japan Fund returned 13.42% (Investor Class) and 13.46% (Institutional Class), while its benchmark, the MSCI Japan Index, returned 13.24% over the same period. For the quarter ending June 30, 2023, the Fund returned 4.90% (Investor Class) and 4.89% (Institutional Class), while the benchmark returned 6.45%.

Market Environment

Japan equity markets posted double digit returns for the first half of 2023, along with other developed markets, outpacing emerging markets. Japanese stocks continued their march higher during the second quarter as government policy and activist pressure pushed undervalued companies to increase their payout and buy-back ratios. Hopes over China’s reopening waned quickly but the U.S. Federal Reserve’s pace of rate hike slowing amid inflation rates starting to peak out spurred a general risk-on environment. The Japanese yen traded in a range bound for the first three months of the year but in the second quarter, as U.S. 10-year bond yield rose towards 4%, the yen weakened towards 145 yen against the U.S. dollar.

Japan enjoys several tailwinds for the first time in years including a positive earnings cycle driven by moderate inflation, meaningful wage gains and policy driven reforms which are pushing companies to increase their corporate value via capital efficiencies and shareholder payouts. In addition, the recovery in inbound tourism plus the fact that Japan lacks the geopolitical headwinds of China is creating positive foreign inflows into Japan.

Performance Contributors and Detractors

In the first half, strong stock selections were able to overcome the detraction from an allocation effect versus the benchmark index. From a sector perspective, our stock selection in information technology and consumer staples were the two largest contributors to relative performance year to date. On the other hand, the portfolio’s underweight and stock selection in industrials was the biggest detractor.

At the holdings level semiconductor company Renesas Electronics was the largest contributor to investment results. Shares reacted positively after earnings results in February, with progress being made in inventory adjustments showed the company’s solid execution during downturns. We continue to see Renesas constructively as its valuation level still remains compelling even after the strong performance year to date, and the potential for the company to improve shareholder returns. Electronic materials and chemical product company Shin-Etsu Chemical was another top contributor. The company continues to impress the market with solid execution capability during economic downturns and inventory adjustment periods related to both semiconductor wafers and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) demand. Over the long term, we remain bullish on the semiconductor market as well as the wafer market, where Shin-Etsu is a solid global leader with pricing power.

On the other hand, debt guarantor eGuarantee was the largest detractor year to date. The company’s shares weakened as small-cap growth companies faced unfavorable style movements in markets but eGuarantee is poised to benefit from a rise in bankruptcies as COVID-related relief funds have started to expire. eGuarantee is in the business of guaranteeing various types of credit that arise between companies doing business with each other. The credit guarantee business is a niche market, but it is a growing market in which eGuarantee is the leader. Furniture retailer Nitori was also a major detractor to investment results. The company has

(continued)

 
1

Prospectus expense ratios.

2

The lesser of fiscal year 2022 long-term purchase costs or sales proceeds divided by the average monthly market value of long-term securities.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      51  


Table of Contents
   
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023         
 

 

    

 

      

 

      

 

     Average Annual Total Returns       

 

 
     3 Months      YTD      1 Year      3 Years      5 Years      10 Years      Since
Inception
     Inception
Date
 
Investor Class (MJFOX)      4.90%        13.42%        15.51%        1.36%        0.94%        6.20%        5.49%        12/31/98  
Institutional Class (MIJFX)      4.89%        13.46%        15.48%        1.42%        0.99%        6.28%        7.44%        10/29/10  
MSCI Japan Index3      6.45%        13.24%        18.62%        6.09%        3.51%        5.59%        3.70% 4    

Performance 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. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, visit matthewsasia.com.

 

 

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT SINCE INCEPTION—INVESTOR CLASS

 

LOGO

Plotted monthly. The performance data and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gains distributions or redemption of Fund shares. Values are in US$.

 

  3

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definitions.

 

  4

Calculated from 12/31/98.

 

       
TOP TEN HOLDINGS5                       
Name    Sector               % Net Assets  

Keyence Corp.

   Information Technology             4.1%  

Sony Group Corp.

   Consumer Discretionary             4.0%  

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.

   Materials             4.0%  

Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc

   Financials             3.8%  

Renesas Electronics Corp.

   Information Technology             3.7%  

ITOCHU Corp.

   Industrials             3.3%  

Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

   Consumer Staples             3.1%  

ORIX Corp.

   Financials             3.1%  

Hitatchi, Ltd.

   Industrials             3.1%  

Denso Coprp.

   Consumer Discretionary             2.9%  

TOTAL

               35.1%  

 

  5

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

 

52    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews Japan Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited) (continued)

high exposure to currency rates, as it manufactures furniture overseas while the majority of its retail operations are in Japan. Yen weakness resumed especially in the second quarter, which pushed down the company’s own efforts to raise prices and introduce new products that can adapt to current currency environment.

Notable Portfolio Changes

During the second quarter, we initiated a position in credit card company Credit Saison. The company, in our view, could offer double digit profit growth coupled with increased shareholder return potential. While total card membership numbers are not growing, revolving loan total has turned positive year over year (YoY) post COVID and cashing loans has started to bottom out. Credit Saison’s India subsidiary (Kisetsu Saison Finance India) is growing above expectations and starting to contribute to earnings.

We have also re-initiated Toyota Motor after a year of hiatus. The stock has underperformed the overall market over the past year due to production constraints stemming from semiconductor shortage but the shortage has been largely resolved while the company has been quietly increasing its market share in Europe and Chinese markets with its hybrid vehicles.

To fund these positions, we exited Daikin Industries, IHI, Lasertec, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Nippon Telegraph & Telephone, and SMS Company.

Outlook

While the market seems ready for the Fed to pivot its interest-rate policy and for inflation to peak out, we believe the Fed is hesitant to prematurely remove its hawkish policies to contain inflation. With this backdrop, we don’t see a sudden reversal of growth underperformance in Japan anytime soon, although we also think that we have seen the worst in terms of style shift. We continue to prefer taking a more balanced approach towards multiple stages of growth and valuation levels. For the year of 2023, companies’ earnings growth and cash flow-generation ability will be ever more important as financial estimates for Japanese corporates have started to be revised down.

Over the long term, we continue to believe the earnings capability of Japanese companies has improved meaningfully over the past economic cycle. Last year, the Japanese equity market outperformed both developed markets (MSCI World) and emerging markets (MSCI Emerging Market) in U.S. dollar terms. With the yen at a near quarter-century-low to the dollar, Japanese companies are in good health and, importantly, the country is firmly open for tourism. We continue to believe this is the time for investors to add a long-term exposure to the market.

The MSCI World Index captures large and mid-cap representation across 23 Developed Markets (DM) countries. With 1,512 constituents, the index covers approximately 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each country.

 
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)6  

Japan

    95.9  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    4.1  

 

   
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)6      

Consumer Discretionary

    22.3  

Information Technology

    18.2  

Industrials

    18.1  

Financials

    10.9  

Health Care

    8.0  

Communication Services

    6.6  

Consumer Staples

    6.3  

Materials

    4.7  

Real Estate

    0.7  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    4.1  

 

   
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)6      

Mega Cap (over $25B)

    44.4  

Large Cap ($10B-$25B)

    26.4  

Mid Cap ($3B-10B)

    17.8  

Small Cap (under $3B)

    7.2  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    4.1  

 

6

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      53  


Table of Contents

Matthews Japan Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 95.9%

 

     Shares     Value  
CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY: 22.3%

 

 

Automobiles: 5.2%

   

Toyota Motor Corp.

    1,174,700       $18,879,883  

Suzuki Motor Corp.

    465,200       16,869,456  
   

 

 

 
      35,749,339  
   

 

 

 
   

Household Durables: 4.0%

   

Sony Group Corp.

    304,100       27,451,171  
   

 

 

 
   

Specialty Retail: 3.5%

   

Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.

    54,900       14,080,467  

Nitori Holdings Co., Ltd.

    90,900       10,207,550  
   

 

 

 
      24,288,017  
   

 

 

 
   

Leisure Products: 3.1%

   

Sega Sammy Holdings, Inc.

    616,000       13,196,437  

Bandai Namco Holdings, Inc.

    348,100       8,061,062  
   

 

 

 
      21,257,499  
   

 

 

 
   

Automobile Components: 2.9%

   

Denso Corp.

    299,900       20,228,895  
   

 

 

 
   

Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods: 2.6%

 

 

Asics Corp.

    578,400       17,899,185  
   

 

 

 
   

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 1.0%

   

Kyoritsu Maintenance Co., Ltd.

    182,100       6,923,428  
   

 

 

 

Total Consumer Discretionary

      153,797,534  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: 18.2%    

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 5.3%

 

 

Renesas Electronics Corp.b

    1,338,700       25,264,368  

Disco Corp.

    70,400       11,161,638  
   

 

 

 
      36,426,006  
   

 

 

 
   

Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 5.2%

 

Keyence Corp.

    59,200       28,129,277  

Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd.

    266,700       7,634,621  
   

 

 

 
      35,763,898  
   

 

 

 
   

IT Services: 5.0%

   

OBIC Co., Ltd.

    97,600       15,665,621  

Nomura Research Institute, Ltd.

    447,800       12,371,569  

SHIFT, Inc.b

    27,900       5,114,310  

Simplex Holdings, Inc.

    75,800       1,389,257  
   

 

 

 
      34,540,757  
   

 

 

 
   

Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: 1.9%

 

 

FUJIFILM Holdings Corp.

    227,300       13,543,253  
   

 

 

 
   

Software: 0.8%

   

Appier Group, Inc.b

    454,900       5,580,736  
   

 

 

 

Total Information Technology

      125,854,650  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDUSTRIALS: 18.1%    

Trading Companies & Distributors: 5.2%

 

 

ITOCHU Corp.

    571,300       22,692,925  

Toyota Tsusho Corp.

    271,100       13,548,522  
   

 

 

 
      36,241,447  
   

 

 

 
   

Industrial Conglomerates: 4.9%

 

 

Hitachi, Ltd.

    338,600       21,052,966  

Hikari Tsushin, Inc.

    87,600       12,573,388  
   

 

 

 
      33,626,354  
   

 

 

 
   
     Shares     Value  

Electrical Equipment: 2.4%

 

 

Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

    1,186,500       $16,773,369  
   

 

 

 
   

Construction & Engineering: 1.8%

   

Taisei Corp.

    191,600       6,694,190  

JGC Holdings Corp.

    236,600       3,076,376  

Kajima Corp.

    184,400       2,784,186  
   

 

 

 
      12,554,752  
   

 

 

 
   

Machinery: 1.8%

 

 

Miura Co., Ltd.

    335,500       8,769,372  

NTN Corp.

    1,616,500       3,424,052  
   

 

 

 
      12,193,424  
   

 

 

 
   

Commercial Services & Supplies: 1.2%

 

 

TOPPAN, Inc.

    367,700       7,946,614  
   

 

 

 
   

Professional Services: 0.8%

 

 

BayCurrent Consulting, Inc.

    155,400       5,843,344  
   

 

 

 

Total Industrials

      125,179,304  
   

 

 

 
   
     
FINANCIALS: 10.9%    

Financial Services: 3.8%

 

 

ORIX Corp.

    1,172,800       21,387,414  

eGuarantee, Inc.

    349,400       4,661,572  
   

 

 

 
      26,048,986  
   

 

 

 
   

Insurance: 3.7%

 

 

Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.

    1,126,000       25,958,318  
   

 

 

 
   

Consumer Finance: 1.9%

 

 

Credit Saison Co., Ltd.

    835,900       12,854,978  
   

 

 

 
   

Banks: 1.5%

 

 

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.

    238,300       10,213,406  
   

 

 

 

Total Financials

      75,075,688  
   

 

 

 
   
     
HEALTH CARE: 8.0%    

Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 4.1%

 

 

Olympus Corp.

    809,200       12,805,877  

Hoya Corp.

    84,200       10,075,898  

Asahi Intecc Co., Ltd.

    276,100       5,435,846  
   

 

 

 
      28,317,621  
   

 

 

 
   

Pharmaceuticals: 2.7%

 

 

Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.

    370,200       11,762,838  

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

    211,000       6,630,160  
   

 

 

 
      18,392,998  
   

 

 

 
   

Health Care Providers & Services: 0.8%

 

 

Amvis Holdings, Inc.

    236,700       5,388,212  
   

 

 

 

Biotechnology: 0.4%

 

 

PeptiDream, Inc.b

    197,700       2,967,813  
   

 

 

 

Total Health Care

      55,066,644  
   

 

 

 
   
   
COMMUNICATION SERVICES: 6.6%

 

 

Entertainment: 3.2%

   

Capcom Co., Ltd.

    328,200       13,009,995  

Toho Co., Ltd.

    241,300       9,190,996  
   

 

 

 
      22,200,991  
   

 

 

 
   

Wireless Telecommunication Services: 2.9%

 

 

KDDI Corp.

    352,600       10,889,388  

SoftBank Group Corp.

    197,000       9,290,444  
   

 

 

 
      20,179,832  
   

 

 

 
   
 

 

54    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews Japan Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

COMMON EQUITIES (continued)

 

     Shares     Value  

Diversified Telecommunication Services: 0.5%

 

 

Internet Initiative Japan, Inc.

    180,100       $3,394,926  
   

 

 

 

Total Communication Services

      45,775,749  
   

 

 

 
   
   
CONSUMER STAPLES: 6.3%

 

 

Food Products: 4.6%

   

Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

    542,500       21,611,493  

Nissin Foods Holdings Co., Ltd.

    122,400       10,120,652  
   

 

 

 
      31,732,145  
   

 

 

 
   

Household Products: 1.7%

 

 

Unicharm Corp.

    323,900       12,044,187  
   

 

 

 

Total Consumer Staples

      43,776,332  
   

 

 

 
   
     
MATERIALS: 4.8%    

Chemicals: 4.8%

   

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.

    817,900       27,332,546  

Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.

    115,700       3,410,346  

Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.

    32,500       1,993,210  
   

 

 

 

Total Materials

      32,736,102  
   

 

 

 
   
     
REAL ESTATE: 0.7%    

Real Estate Management & Development: 0.7%

 

 

TKP Corp.b

    241,900       4,620,249  
   

 

 

 

Total Real Estate

      4,620,249  
   

 

 

 
   
   
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 95.9%

 

    661,882,252  

(Cost $583,404,372)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 4.1%
      28,357,271  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $690,239,523  
   

 

 

 
a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Non-income producing security.

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      55  


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Michael J. Oh, CFA   Elli Lee

Lead Manager

  Lead Manager
Sojung Park    

Co-Manager

   
FUND FACTS
        Institutional  

Ticker

    MIKOX

CUSIP

    577130826

Inception

    10/29/10

NAV

    $24.88

Initial Investment

    $100,000

Gross Expense Ratio1

      1.08%

Portfolio Statistics

Total # of Positions

  36

Net Assets

  $65.0 million

Weighted Average
Market Cap

  $93.1 billion

Portfolio Turnover2

  56.9%

Benchmarks

Korea Composite Stock Price Index

MSCI Korea Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation.

STRATEGY

 

 

Under normal market conditions, the 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 South Korea.

Matthews Korea Fund*

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited)

Period ended June 30, 2023

For the first half of 2023, the Matthews Korea Fund returned 9.14% (Institutional Class), while its benchmark, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), returned 10.10% over the same period. For the quarter ended June 30, 2023, the Fund returned 3.25% (Institutional Class), while the benchmark returned 2.43%.

Market Environment

Regionally, the first six months of the year were turbulent. 2023 started with expectations that China’s lifting of its zero-COVID policy would generate a reopening boost though that didn’t play out as many expected. China’s market has been volatile and negative and its challenges have had implications for macro-related stocks in Korea, especially the more commodities- and oil-oriented sectors. From a global perspective, the environment feels polarized, with the U.S. still in better economic shape than China and Europe—resulting in stronger performance for companies with U.S. exposure compared with those without. Within Korea, technology did quite well, as did automotive companies given their exposure to the U.S. market where auto demand has remained resilient and has generated healthy operating profits for businesses with exposure.

Performance Contributors and Detractors

At the sector level, the Fund’s underweight and stock selection to industrials was the biggest detractor to relative performance in the first half. This was primarily due to our lack of exposure to battery-cell maker LG Energy Solutions. We believe the company’s high valuation outweighs it positives. An overweight and stock selection in energy also detracted as did an overweight to consumer staples which weighed on relative returns as the sector consolidated gains following a positive 2022. Conversely, our underweight and stock selection in financials was the top contributor and our overweight in IT was the biggest single contributor. Korea has started building an ecosystem around semiconductor production equipment (SPE) and has made itself into a destination for memory and foundry manufacturing. We have accordingly been accumulating positions in companies that can take share among Korean and global customers alike. Stock selection in consumer discretionary also contributed.

At the individual holdings level, S-Oil, a refiner, and BGF Retail, an operator of convenience stories, were among the biggest detractors. We like S-Oil’s management and its shareholder returns policy but against a backdrop of deteriorating crude prices its earnings visibility remains low and has pressured shares. BGF benefited from stellar performance during COVID and into 2022, however, given higher earnings expectations and a higher valuation, the stock pared some of its gains in the period. Growing concerns around food inflation are pressuring the government to act on prices and there is increasing regulatory risk in the sector. These headwinds aside, BGF is taking share with superior merchandising capabilities.

On the flip side, SK Hynix and HPSP were the strongest contributors. Shares of semiconductor provider SK Hynix have appreciated as we increasingly see signs of a bottom in memory inventory levels and improvements in supply chain issues. The company is also getting AI-related orders from NVIDIA. HPSP makes high-pressure, heat treatment semiconductor equipment. The company’s specialized technology helps its customers produce the most advanced node migration in semiconductor manufacturing.

(continued)

 
*

The Matthews Korea Fund reorganized into the Matthews Korea Active ETF on July 14, 2023.

Investor Class shares of the Fund were converted into Institutional Class shares on June 20, 2023.

1

Prospectus expense ratios.

2

The lesser of fiscal year 2022 long-term purchase costs or sales proceeds divided by the average monthly market value of long-term securities.

 

56    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents
                 
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023                                                        
 

 

    

 

      

 

      

 

     Average Annual Total Returns       

 

 
    

3 Months

    

YTD

    

1 Year

    

3 Years

    

5 Years

    

10 Years

    

Since
Inception

    

Inception
Date

 

Institutional Class (MIKOX)

     3.25%        9.14%        8.64%        6.14%        0.96%        5.68%        5.62%        10/29/10  

Korea Composite Stock Price Index3

     2.43%        10.10%        9.63%        5.64%        0.69%        3.69%        3.00%     
MSCI Korea Index4      4.52%        14.61%        13.60%        5.46%        1.58%        4.69%        3.99%     

Performance 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. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, visit matthewsasia.com.

 

 

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT SINCE INCEPTION—INSTITUTIONAL CLASS

 

 

LOGO

Plotted monthly. The performance data and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gains distributions or redemption of Fund shares. Values are in US$.

 

  3

Korea Composite Stock Price Index performance data may be readjusted periodically by the Korea Exchange due to certain factors, including the declaration of dividends. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Korea Composite Stock Price Index and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definition.

 

  4

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definitions.

 

       
TOP TEN HOLDINGS5                     
Name    Sector             % Net Assets  
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Pfd.    Information Technology             14.8%  
SK Hynix, Inc.    Information Technology             8.0%  
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.    Information Technology             6.0%  
Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.    Information Technology             4.1%  
Yuhan Corp.    Health Care             3.6%  
BGF Retail Co., Ltd.    Consumer Staples             3.6%  
S-Oil Corp.    Energy             3.1%  
Kia Corp.    Consumer Discretionary             2.8%  
KoMiCo., Ltd.    Information Technology             2.7%  
Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.    Consumer Discretionary             2.6%  
TOTAL             51.3%  

 

  5

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      57  


Table of Contents
   
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)6      
South Korea     95.7  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     4.3  

 

   
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)6      

Information Technology

    42.3  

Consumer Discretionary

    11.3  

Consumer Staples

    8.2  

Health Care

    7.3  

Industrials

    6.9  

Materials

    6.0  

Communication Services

    5.7  

Financials

    4.9  

Energy

    3.1  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    4.3  

 

   
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)6      

Mega Cap (over $25B)

    44.5  

Large Cap ($10B-$25B)

    8.7  

Mid Cap ($3B-10B)

    20.5  

Small Cap (under $3B)

    22.0  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    4.3  

 

6

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

Matthews Korea Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited) (continued)

Notable Portfolio Changes

In the last quarter, we capitalized on recent volatility to initiate a new position in Eugene Technology, a manufacturer of critical wafer components and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Given the ongoing development of Korea’s SPE ecosystem, Eugene Technology is poised to benefit and take share from global competitors Samsung and SK Hynix. We anticipate local demand will only grow and that Eugene Technology’s product offering will gradually replace those of U.S. and Japanese players.

Conversely, we exited Leeno Industrial, a long-term holding and manufacturer of critical testing components for integrated circuit production. The last few years have been very positive for Leeno as key customers deployed ample R&D spending for new products, generating demand for Leeno’s test pins and sockets. Though we maintain our confidence in company management, the valuation is now elevated, and we chose to exit in favor of companies better positioned to take share as Korea’s SPE activity builds out. However, we will continue monitoring the company and should an opportunity present itself at an attractive valuation, we would consider reinitiating a position.

Outlook

We think a lot of the negative sentiment around China’s economic malaise is largely reflected in prices. Within the Fund, we own industrials, materials and energy names with strong capability for generating cash flow despite a difficult environment and that cater to global demand—many of which have been challenged year-to-date. But if we reach a bottom soon regarding negativity toward China, we anticipate these stocks will do better given their cash flow-generative capabilities and their fundamentals, which remain relatively intact.

In the interim, we will remain focused on what we do best, which is taking an active approach to security selection, focusing on innovative companies we believe are well-positioned to generate strong cash flows and capitalize on an improving global economic environment. We continue looking for businesses that can not only benefit from domestic consumption but can effectively compete and innovate in the global economy.

 

 

58    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews Korea Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 81.0%

 

     Shares     Value  
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: 27.6%    

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 14.3%

 

 

SK Hynix, Inc.

    58,997       $5,183,736  

KoMiCo., Ltd.

    36,712       1,727,403  

HPSP Co., Ltd.

    59,124       1,289,219  

Eugene Technology Co., Ltd.

    41,531       1,079,205  
   

 

 

 
      9,279,563  
   

 

 

 
   

Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 7.3%

 

Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.

    5,269       2,690,533  

Park Systems Corp.

    9,336       1,338,263  

Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.

    6,702       739,925  
   

 

 

 
      4,768,721  
   

 

 

 
   

Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: 6.0%

 

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

    70,347       3,873,537  
   

 

 

 

Total Information Technology

      17,921,821  
   

 

 

 
   
     
CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY: 11.3%    

Automobiles: 5.1%

   

Kia Corp.

    27,092       1,824,945  

Hyundai Motor Co.

    9,428       1,482,971  
   

 

 

 
      3,307,916  
   

 

 

 
   

Automobile Components: 3.9%

   

Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.

    9,451       1,673,272  

HL Mando Co., Ltd.

    20,863       858,238  
   

 

 

 
      2,531,510  
   

 

 

 
   

Broadline Retail: 2.3%

 

Coupang, Inc.b

    86,555       1,506,057  
   

 

 

 

Total Consumer Discretionary

      7,345,483  
   

 

 

 
   
     
CONSUMER STAPLES: 8.2%    

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail: 3.6%

 

 

BGF Retail Co., Ltd.

    17,433       2,315,730  
   

 

 

 
   

Tobacco: 2.5%

 

 

KT&G Corp.

    25,799       1,620,603  
   

 

 

 
   

Food Products: 2.1%

 

 

Orion Corp.

    15,140       1,380,758  
   

 

 

 

Total Consumer Staples

      5,317,091  
   

 

 

 
   
     
HEALTH CARE: 7.3%    

Pharmaceuticals: 5.1%

   

Yuhan Corp.

    51,216       2,351,036  

DongKook Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

    90,730       989,461  
   

 

 

 
      3,340,497  
   

 

 

 
   

Life Sciences Tools & Services: 2.2%

 

 

Samsung Biologics Co., Ltd.b,c,d

    2,533       1,434,128  
   

 

 

 

Total Health Care

      4,774,625  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDUSTRIALS: 6.9%    

Marine Transportation: 2.5%

 

 

Pan Ocean Co., Ltd.

    403,728       1,595,930  
   

 

 

 
   

Machinery: 2.4%

 

 

Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co., Ltd.b

    24,440       1,565,400  
   

 

 

 
   
     Shares     Value  

Construction & Engineering: 2.0%

 

 

Samsung Engineering Co., Ltd.b

    61,010       $1,315,698  
   

 

 

 

Total Industrials

      4,477,028  
   

 

 

 
   
     
MATERIALS: 6.0%    

Chemicals: 3.2%

   

LG Chem, Ltd.

    2,679       1,363,777  

PI Advanced Materials Co., Ltd.

    23,665       685,824  
   

 

 

 
      2,049,601  
   

 

 

 
   

Metals & Mining: 2.8%

   

POSCO Holdings, Inc.

    3,429       1,014,819  

Korea Zinc Co., Ltd.

    2,205       819,012  
   

 

 

 
      1,833,831  
   

 

 

 

Total Materials

      3,883,432  
   

 

 

 
   
     
COMMUNICATION SERVICES: 5.7%    

Interactive Media & Services: 3.1%

   

NAVER Corp.

    10,175       1,424,346  

Kakao Corp.

    14,810       556,263  
   

 

 

 
      1,980,609  
   

 

 

 
   

Diversified Telecommunication Services: 1.3%

 

 

KINX, Inc.

    17,313       859,798  
   

 

 

 
   

Wireless Telecommunication Services: 1.3%

 

 

SK Telecom Co., Ltd.

    23,698       838,571  
   

 

 

 

Total Communication Services

      3,678,978  
   

 

 

 
   
     
FINANCIALS: 4.9%    

Insurance: 1.8%

 

 

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co., Ltd.

    6,822       1,190,476  
   

 

 

 
   

Capital Markets: 1.6%

 

 

Macquarie Korea Infrastructure Fund

    106,357       1,026,557  
   

 

 

 
   

Banks: 1.5%

 

 

KB Financial Group, Inc.

    26,983       979,340  
   

 

 

 

Total Financials

      3,196,373  
   

 

 

 
   
     
ENERGY: 3.1%    

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 3.1%

 

 

S-Oil Corp.

    39,893       2,027,003  
   

 

 

 

Total Energy

      2,027,003  
   

 

 

 
   
   
TOTAL COMMON EQUITIES

 

    52,621,834  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $49,405,239)

   
   
 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      59  


Table of Contents

Matthews Korea Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

PREFERRED EQUITIES: 14.7%

 

     Shares     Value  
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: 14.7%    

Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: 14.7%

 

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Pfd.

    211,344       $9,590,644  
   

 

 

 

Total Information Technology

      9,590,644  
   

 

 

 
   
   
TOTAL PREFERRED EQUITIES

 

    9,590,644  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $6,695,847)

   
   

RIGHTS: 0.0%

   
   
     
FINANCIALS: 0.0%    

Capital Markets: 0.0%

   

Macquarie Korea Infrastructure Fund, Rights, Expires 08/09/2023b

    8,127       1,036  
   

 

 

 

Total Financials

      1,036  
   

 

 

 
   
   
TOTAL RIGHTS

 

    1,036  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $0)

   
   
   
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 95.7%

 

    62,213,514  

(Cost $56,101,086)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 4.3%
      2,777,613  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $64,991,127  
   

 

 

 
a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Non-income producing security.

 

c

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration normally to qualified institutional buyers. The security has been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees. At June 30, 2023, the aggregate value is $1,434,128, which is 2.21% of net assets.

 

d

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

Pfd.

Preferred

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

60    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Robert J. Horrocks, PhD   Kenneth Lowe, CFA

Lead Manager

  Lead Manager
Siddarth Bhargava   Elli Lee

Co-Manager

    Co-Manager
FUND FACTS
    Investor   Institutional

Ticker

  MACSX   MICSX

CUSIP

  577130206   577130842

Inception

  9/12/94   10/29/10

NAV

  $12.89   $12.86

Initial Investment

  $2,500   $100,000

Gross Expense Ratio1

  1.13%   1.01%

Portfolio Statistics

 

Total # of Positions

  47

Net Assets

  $538.6 million

Weighted Average Market Cap

  $111.9 billion

Portfolio Turnover2

  13.2%

Benchmark

 

MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation. The Fund also seeks to provide some current income.

STRATEGY

 

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, which include borrowings for investment purposes, in dividend-paying common stock, preferred stock and other equity securities, and convertible securities as well as fixed-income securities, of any duration or quality, including high yield securities, of companies located in Asia, which consists of all countries and markets in Asia, including developed, emerging and frontier countries and markets in the Asian region.

Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited)

Period ended June 30, 2023

For the first half of 2023, the Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund returned 4.44% (Investor Class) and 4.43% (Institutional Class), while its benchmark, the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index, returned 3.19% over the same period. For the quarter ending June 30, 2023, the Fund returned –1.25% (Investor Class) and –1.27% (Institutional Class), while the benchmark returned –1.14%.

Market Environment

2023 began with a continuation of the rally in Asian markets but a rally that quickly petered out. For the rest of the six months up to mid-year, the MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index, the portfolio’s benchmark, struggled. Much of the region’s relatively soft performance has focused on China where issues such as the continued U.S.—China political tensions and arguably underwhelming macroeconomic data have weighed on sentiment. It’s perhaps the market’s own disappointment at the pace of the recovery in China’s domestic demand that has contributed the most to lackluster returns. The government’s reluctance to aggressively stimulate the economy has further disappointed some.

The best performing countries over the period were Taiwan and South Korea, helped by both geographies having large information technology (IT) weights within their markets. IT was the strongest performing sector during the period helped by expectations of inventories clearing as well as the long-term potential presented by artificial intelligence (AI).

Performance Contributors and Detractors

At the country level, the portfolio’s stock selection in China and Hong Kong was the top contributor to relative performance over the past six months amid gains in gaming stocks, select energy/power-related companies and convertible bonds. Our overweight to U.S. and French companies with business activities in the region and our selections in Indonesia and the Philippines were also positive contributors. Indonesia has achieved much more monetary stability recently and this may have been beneficial for the financial sector.

Conversely, the portfolio’s underweight and stock selection in South Korea was the biggest detractor. Our underweight in Taiwan also detracted. In India, both stock selection and an underweight to what we deem to be an expensive market hurt relative performance.

From a sector perspective, stock selection in utilities and financials were among the top contributors to relative performance while both an underweight and stock selection in consumer discretionary also helped. In contrast, the biggest relative detractors included our slight underweight in IT and our overweight in real estate although this was almost entirely offset by good stock selection.

At the individual holdings level, the overall impact of the technology sector was significantly positive on an absolute basis because of our holdings in global industry leaders like Samsung, Advantech, TSMC and particularly Broadcom, recently buoyed by AI optimism. Bank Rakyat Indonesia was also a top performer in the period on the back of solid loan growth and stable margins and asset quality. Online gaming stocks, such as Tencent, and in particular NetEase, were also strong performers. China-based NetEase saw solid earnings delivery, a robust game pipeline and an aim to continue to grow its overseas business, all of which may have helped the stock.

(continued)

 
1

Prospectus expense ratios.

2

The lesser of fiscal year 2022 long-term purchase costs or sales proceeds divided by the average monthly market value of long-term securities.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      61  


Table of Contents
                 
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023                                                        
 

 

    

 

      

 

      

 

     Average Annual Total Returns       

 

 
    

3 Months

    

YTD

    

1 Year

    

3 Years

    

5 Years

    

10 Years

    

Since
Inception

    

Inception
Date

 

Investor Class (MACSX)

     -1.25%        4.44%        0.16%        2.04%        1.93%        2.22%        7.79%        9/12/94  

Institutional Class (MICSX)

     -1.27%        4.43%        0.26%        2.14%        2.07%        2.37%        3.25%        10/29/10  

MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index3

     -1.14%        3.19%        -0.76%        1.49%        1.25%        4.80%        4.09% 4    

Performance 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. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, visit matthewsasia.com.

 

               
INCOME DISTRIBUTION HISTORY                                                         
       2023           2022  
      

June

      

December

      

Total

         

June

      

December

      

Total

 

Investor (MACSX)

     $ 0.17          n.a.          n.a.       $ 0.08        $ 0.13        $ 0.21  

Inst’l (MICSX)

     $ 0.17          n.a.          n.a.       $ 0.09        $ 0.14        $ 0.23  

Note: This table does not include capital gains distributions. Totals may differ by $0.02 due to rounding. For income distribution history, visit matthewsasia.com.

 

   

30-DAY YIELD:

 

2.55% (Investor Class); 2.72% (Institutional Class)

 

The 30-Day Yield represents net investment income earned by the Fund over the 30-day period ended 6/30/23, 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.

   

DIVIDEND YIELD: 3.29%

 

The dividend yield (trailing) for the portfolio is the weighted average sum of the dividends paid by each equity security held by the Fund over the 12 months ended 6/30/23 divided by the current price of each equity as of 6/30/23. The annualized dividend yield for the Fund is for the equity-only portion of the portfolio. Please note that this is based on gross equity portfolio holdings and does not reflect the actual yield an investor in the Fund would receive. Past yields are no guarantee of future yields.

 

Source: FactSet Research Systems, Bloomberg, MICM

 

 

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT SINCE INCEPTION—INVESTOR CLASS

 

LOGO

Plotted monthly. The performance data and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gains distributions or redemption of Fund shares. Values are in US$.

 

  3

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definition.

 

  4

Calculated from 8/31/94.

 

       
TOP TEN HOLDINGS5                     
Name    Sector      Country      % Net Assets  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

   Information Technology      Taiwan        8.1%  

AIA Group, Ltd.

   Financials      China/Hong Kong        4.9%  

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

   Communication Services      China/Hong Kong        4.4%  

Housing Development Finance Corp., Ltd.

   Financials      India        3.9%  

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

   Information Technology      South Korea        3.6%  

ESR Group, Ltd., Cnv., 1.500%, 09/30/2025

   Real Estate      China/Hong Kong        2.3%  

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk

   Financials      Indonesia        2.3%  

Macquarie Korea Infrastructure Fund

   Financials      South Korea        2.3%  

HKT Trust & HKT, Ltd.

   Communication Services      China/Hong Kong        2.1%  

Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd.

   Consumer Staples      China/Hong Kong        2.1%  

TOTAL

       36.0%  

 

  5

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

 

62    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited) (continued)

In contrast, our exposure to JD.com, a direct competitor of Alibaba, was the biggest detractor to relative performance at the holdings level. Despite reasonable earnings delivery, the stock faltered as concerns remained around the competitive intensity of the industry as well as the strength of consumption in China. Fellow Chinese consumer stock Zhongsheng Group also fell. The auto dealer was impacted by weak sentiment and uncertainty over new car margins. Chinese health-care company Haier Biomedical also detracted from returns, as did Hong Kong-based life insurer AIA Group and Link REIT.

Notable Portfolio Changes

There was fairly limited activity in the portfolio during the quarter. We exited drug manufacturer Sanofi India as profitability may be structurally impacted with the inclusion of the company’s biggest diabetes treatment brand in the price-controlled National List of Essential Medicines. Combined with limited product launches and reasonably tepid performance from existing brands, we see better opportunities elsewhere.

Outlook

Fears of a global recession, geopolitics and an uneven recovery in China continue to weigh on earnings growth expectations and sentiment for some of the region. The markets await clarity from the government in China on how it can increase consumer confidence and stimulate private investment. However, this uncertainty may be being priced in as the MSCI China Index trades at a fairly low multiple of 9x price-to-earnings. Further, it should be remembered that a lack of inflationary pressure in China allows room for some policy easing. Elsewhere, countries like India and Indonesia continue to see healthy consumer demand while the former can benefit from the relocation of supply chains and benign inflation. At a portfolio level, we continue to prefer investing in companies that we believe can strike a balance for the portfolio between shareholder returns and sustainable growth, aiming to deliver solid total returns through the economic cycle. This is a strategy that we believe is reasonably placed against what is an uncertain macroeconomic backdrop.

 
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)6,7  

China/Hong Kong

    46.8  

Taiwan

    11.5  

India

    10.2  

South Korea

    9.3  

Singapore

    7.1  

France

    3.0  

Indonesia

    2.3  

Philippines

    1.8  

Thailand

    1.7  

United States

    1.6  

Australia

    1.5  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    3.1  

 

 
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)7  

Financials

    20.5  

Information Technology

    20.1  

Communication Services

    12.2  

Industrials

    11.9  

Consumer Discretionary

    11.4  

Real Estate

    7.2  

Consumer Staples

    5.6  

Health Care

    5.2  

Utilities

    2.9  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    3.1  

 

 
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)7  

Mega Cap (over $25B)

    48.8  

Large Cap ($10B-$25B)

    14.0  

Mid Cap ($3B-10B)

    26.9  

Small Cap (under $3B)

    7.3  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    3.1  

 

 
ASSET TYPE BREAKDOWN (%)7,8  

Common Equities and ADRs

    88.9  

Convertible Corporate Bonds

    8.1  

Preferred Equities

    0.0  

Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities

    3.1  

 

6

Not all countries where the Fund may invest are included in the benchmark index.

 

7

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

 

8

Bonds are not included in the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index.

 

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      63  


Table of Contents

Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 88.8%

 

     Shares     Value  
CHINA/HONG KONG: 38.7%    

AIA Group, Ltd.

    2,580,400       $26,207,832  

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

    564,600       23,939,706  

HKT Trust & HKT, Ltd.

    9,901,000       11,528,446  

Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    2,905,275       11,327,582  

Midea Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    1,384,430       11,244,720  

NetEase, Inc. ADR

    115,749       11,191,771  

JD.com, Inc. Class A

    652,102       11,121,318  

Techtronic Industries Co., Ltd.

    964,000       10,541,930  

NARI Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    2,996,190       9,533,324  

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

    166,510       9,407,815  

CK Hutchison Holdings, Ltd.

    1,501,172       9,162,169  

BOC Hong Kong Holdings, Ltd.

    2,795,000       8,562,000  

Zhongsheng Group Holdings, Ltd.

    2,192,000       8,414,862  

Wuliangye Yibin Co., Ltd. A Shares

    367,674       8,293,828  

Link REIT

    1,445,040       8,044,715  

Jiangsu Expressway Co., Ltd. H Shares

    8,596,000       7,927,255  

Guangdong Investment, Ltd.

    9,136,000       7,891,089  

ENN Natural Gas Co., Ltd. A Shares

    2,864,177       7,494,030  

Qingdao Haier Biomedical Co., Ltd. A Shares

    943,264       6,680,533  
   

 

 

 

Total China/Hong Kong

      208,514,925  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TAIWAN: 11.6%    

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

    2,351,187       43,434,261  

Advantech Co., Ltd.

    762,884       10,043,906  

Chailease Holding Co., Ltd.

    1,327,160       8,725,810  
   

 

 

 

Total Taiwan

      62,203,977  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDIA: 10.2%    

Housing Development Finance Corp., Ltd.

    607,642       20,963,821  

Tata Consultancy Services, Ltd.

    264,710       10,696,229  

Computer Age Management Services, Ltd.

    303,611       8,152,895  

Embassy Office Parks REIT

    2,177,183       7,725,353  

Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals, Ltd.

    2,094,413       7,404,389  
   

 

 

 

Total India

      54,942,687  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SOUTH KOREA: 9.3%    

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

    354,482       19,518,942  

Macquarie Korea Infrastructure Fund

    1,291,597       12,466,479  

SK Telecom Co., Ltd.

    285,610       10,106,519  

LEENO Industrial, Inc.

    69,717       7,833,841  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      49,925,781  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SINGAPORE: 7.1%    

United Overseas Bank, Ltd.

    528,200       10,960,815  

CapitaLand Ascendas REIT

    5,168,684       10,432,337  

Singapore Technologies Engineering, Ltd.

    3,423,825       9,342,485  

Venture Corp., Ltd.

    710,500       7,757,091  
   

 

 

 

Total Singapore

      38,492,728  
   

 

 

 
    Shares     Value  
     
FRANCE: 3.0%    

Pernod Ricard SA

    46,620       $10,301,841  

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE

    6,262       5,904,517  
   

 

 

 

Total France

      16,206,358  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDONESIA: 2.3%    

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk

    34,433,672       12,571,447  
   

 

 

 

Total Indonesia

      12,571,447  
   

 

 

 
   
     
PHILIPPINES: 1.8%    

Bank of the Philippine Islands

    4,960,566       9,795,198  
   

 

 

 

Total Philippines

      9,795,198  
   

 

 

 
   
     
THAILAND: 1.7%    

Digital Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund F Shares

    29,199,600       9,141,604  
   

 

 

 

Total Thailand

      9,141,604  
   

 

 

 
   
     
UNITED STATES: 1.6%    

Broadcom, Inc.

    10,175       8,826,100  
   

 

 

 

Total United States

      8,826,100  
   

 

 

 
   
     
AUSTRALIA: 1.5%    

Aristocrat Leisure, Ltd.

    308,358       7,978,092  
   

 

 

 

Total Australia

      7,978,092  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL COMMON EQUITIES       478,598,897  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $456,582,933)

   
   

CONVERTIBLE CORPORATE BONDS: 8.1%

 

     Face Amount*     Value  
CHINA/HONG KONG: 8.1%

 

ESR Group, Ltd., Cnv.
1.500%, 09/30/25b

    12,866,000       12,608,680  

Pharmaron Beijing Co., Ltd., Cnv.
0.000%, 06/18/26b

    12,100,000       11,072,588  

Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Cnv.
0.000%, 01/22/26b

    10,756,000       10,331,138  

China Conch Venture Holdings International, Ltd., Cnv.
0.000%, 09/05/23b

    HKD 66,000,000       9,509,189  
   

 

 

 

Total China/Hong Kong

      43,521,595  
   

 

 

 
   
   
TOTAL CONVERTIBLE CORPORATE BONDS

 

    43,521,595  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $45,817,721)

   
 

 

64    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

RIGHTS: 0.0%

 

     Shares     Value  
SOUTH KOREA: 0.0%    

Macquarie Korea Infrastructure Fund, Rights, Expires 08/09/23c

    98,695       $12,579  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      12,579  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL RIGHTS       12,579  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $0)

   
   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 96.9%       522,133,071  

(Cost $502,400,654)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 3.1%
      16,449,514  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $538,582,585  
   

 

 

 
a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

c

Non-income producing security.

 

*

All Values in USD unless otherwise specified.

 

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

 

Cnv.

Convertible

 

HKD

Hong Kong Dollar

 

REIT

Real Estate Investment Trust

 

USD

U.S. Dollar

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      65  


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Robert Horrocks, PhD   Kenneth Lowe, CFA

Lead Manager

  Lead Manager
Siddarth Bhargava     Winnie Chwang

Co-Manager

    Co-Manager
Elli Lee    

Co-Manager

   
FUND FACTS
    Investor   Institutional

Ticker

  MAPIX   MIPIX

CUSIP

  577125107   577130750

Inception

  10/31/06   10/29/10

NAV

  $13.58   $13.57

Initial Investment

  $2,500   $100,000

Gross Expense Ratio1

  1.10%   0.99%

Portfolio Statistics

Total # of Positions

  60

Net Assets

  $1.5 billion

Weighted Average Market Cap

  $76.2 billion

Portfolio Turnover2

  50.8%

Benchmark

   

MSCI AC Asia Pacific Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Total return with an emphasis on providing current income.

STRATEGY

 

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, which include borrowings for investment purposes, in dividend-paying equity securities of companies located in Asia. Asia consists of all countries and markets in Asia, and includes developed, emerging and frontier countries and markets in the Asian region. The Fund may also invest in convertible debt and equity securities of companies located in Asia.

 

Matthews Asia Dividend Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited)

Period ended June 30, 2023

For the first half of 2023, the Matthews Asia Dividend Fund returned 2.93% (Investor Class) and 2.97% (Institutional Class), while its benchmark, the MSCI All Country Asia Pacific Index, returned 6.35% over the same period. For the quarter ending June 30, 2023, the Fund returned 0.07% (Investor Class) and 0.07% (Institutional Class), while the benchmark returned 1.43%.

Market environment

2023 began with a continuation of the rally in Asian markets but a rally that quickly petered out. The remainder of the first half of the year saw a diverging performance across countries in the Asia Pacific region. Hopes for a rapid recovery in China post reopening were disappointed with relatively weak economic data and underwhelming stimulus measures. U.S.—China political tensions and the implementation of semiconductor trade sanctions by the U.S. also weighed on sentiment. This helped drive China/Hong Kong to be the third weakest performing market during the quarter ahead of only Thailand and Malaysia. Conversely, technology-focused stocks boosted the markets of South Korea and Taiwan, driven by expectations of inventories clearing through the rest of the year as well as the long-term potential presented by artificial intelligence. Stocks in Japan rallied on continued corporate reform with capital return policies improving.

Performance Contributors and Detractors

From a country perspective, the portfolio’s mild overweight and stock selection in China/Hong Kong was the biggest detractor to relative performance in the first half as slowing industrial output and disappointing retail sales, alongside disappointing stimulus and a prolonged property downturn, weighed on stocks. Stock selection was impacted particularly by weakness in select domestically focused businesses. In Japan, stock selection was also a large detractor as certain holdings in areas such as real estate fell. Turning to India, stock selection in what we deem to be a fairly expensive market hurt relative performance. On the flip side, stock selection in in Australia and Indonesia benefited performance, with gains in the commercial banking sector helping the latter.

From a sector perspective, stock selections within consumer discretionary, health care and industrials were big detractors from relative performance while selections in financials and IT were strong contributors.

At the individual holdings level, a number of the Fund’s largest detractors came from China. JD.com, a leading e-commerce player, China Tourism Group, a leading duty-free licensed operator, and Wuliangye Yibin, a prominent baijiu company, all slumped given an underwhelming consumer recovery post reopening. There are also concerns over increasing competition for JD.com and China Tourism in their respective sectors. Milkyway Chemical Supply Chain Service, a logistics and distribution company, fell on soft earnings as end markets were likely weaker than had been hoped. In contrast, some of the largest contributors to returns came from Japan, with semiconductor equipment manufacturer Disco benefiting from the strength in the broader IT sector and as certain end markets look to bottom out as well, with growth in areas such as power semiconductors. Trading company Itochu gained on robust earnings and an improving shareholder return policy.

(continued)

 

 

1

Prospectus expense ratios.

2

The lesser of fiscal year 2022 long-term purchase costs or sales proceeds divided by the average monthly market value of long-term securities.

 

66    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents
 
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023  
 

 

    

 

      

 

      

 

     Average Annual Total Returns       

 

 
     3 Months      YTD      1 Year      3 Years      5 Years      10 Years      Since
Inception
     Inception
Date
 
Investor Class (MAPIX)      0.07%        2.93%        -4.65%        -1.72%        -1.46%        3.27%        6.17%        10/31/06  
Institutional Class (MIPIX)      0.07%        2.97%        -4.66%        -1.65%        -1.37%        3.38%        4.05%        10/29/10  
MSCI AC Asia Pacific Index3      1.43%        6.35%        6.44%        3.81%        2.38%        5.04%        3.99% 4    

Performance 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. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, visit matthewsasia.com.

 

                   
INCOME DISTRIBUTION HISTORY                                                               
    2023

 

          2022

 

 
    Q1      Q2      Q3      Q4      Total           Q1      Q2      Q3      Q4      Total  
Investor (MAPIX)   $ 0.05      $ 0.00        n.a.        n.a.        n.a.       $ 0.05      $ 0.04      $ 0.02      $ 0.01      $ 0.11  
Inst’l (MIPIX)   $ 0.05      $ 0.00        n.a.        n.a.        n.a.       $ 0.06      $ 0.04      $ 0.02      $ 0.01      $ 0.13  

Note: This table does not include capital gains distributions. Totals may differ by $0.02 due to rounding and a return of capital. For distribution history please visit matthewsasia.com.

 

   

30-DAY YIELD:

Investor Class 1.90% (1.90% excluding waivers)

Institutional Class 2.06% (2.06% excluding waivers)

 

The 30-Day Yield represents net investment income earned by the Fund over the 30-day period ended 6/30/23, 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.

   

DIVIDEND YIELD: 2.73%

 

The dividend yield (trailing) for the portfolio is the weighted average sum of the dividends paid by each equity security held by the Fund over the 12 months ended 6/30/23 divided by the current price of each equity as of 6/30/23. The annualized dividend yield for the Fund is for the equity-only portion of the portfolio. Please note that this is based on gross equity portfolio holdings and does not reflect the actual yield an investor in the Fund would receive. Past yields are no guarantee of future yields.

 

Source: FactSet Research Systems, Bloomberg, MICM.

 

 

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT SINCE INCEPTION—INVESTOR CLASS

 

 

LOGO

Plotted monthly. The performance data and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gains distributions or redemption of Fund shares. Values are in US$.

 

  3

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definition.

 

  4

Calculated from 10/31/06.

 

       
TOP TEN HOLDINGS5                     
Name    Sector      Country      % Net Assets  
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.    Information Technology      Taiwan        5.0%  
Tencent Holdings, Ltd.    Communication Services      China/Hong Kong        2.5%  
ITOCHU Corp.    Industrials      Japan        2.5%  
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.    Information Technology      South Korea        2.4%  
Housing Development Finance Corp., Ltd.    Financials      India        2.3%  
PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk    Financials      Indonesia        2.2%  
AIA Group, Ltd.    Financials      China/Hong Kong        2.2%  
Power Grid Corp. of India, Ltd.    Utilities      India        2.1%  
United Overseas Bank, Ltd.    Financials      Singapore        2.0%  
Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.    Materials      Japan        2.0%  
TOTAL        25.2%  

 

  5

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      67  


Table of Contents
 
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)6,7  
Japan     31.5  
China/Hong Kong     25.6  
Australia     9.7  
Taiwan     8.1  
India     7.6  
South Korea     6.0  
Singapore     3.5  
Indonesia     2.2  
Vietnam     1.7  
Thailand     1.5  
Bangladesh     0.6  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.9  

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)7  
Financials     19.2  
Information Technology     17.1  
Consumer Discretionary     13.9  
Communication Services     11.7  
Industrials     10.0  
Consumer Staples     9.3  
Real Estate     4.7  
Health Care     4.3  
Materials     3.6  
Utilities     2.5  
Energy     1.9  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.9  

 

MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)7  
Mega Cap (over $25B)     45.8  
Large Cap ($10B-$25B)     24.4  
Mid Cap ($3B-10B)     19.0  
Small Cap (under $3B)     8.9  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.9  

 

6

Not all countries where the Fund may invest are included in the benchmark index.

 

7

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

Matthews Asia Dividend Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited) (continued)

Notable portfolio changes

The portfolio had several changes during the quarter with alterations in both Japanese and Chinese holdings. We exited our holding in the health care sector in China where life science-service company Pharmaron Beijing has faced earnings challenges. In Japan, we sold real estate-services provider Katitas as a changing mix in its business model and a tax dispute are expected to weigh on margins in the medium term. We also exited precision machinery parts-distributor Misumi Group amid heightened competition in overseas markets.

These exits funded new positions including in Japanese telecom provider KDDI. The stock offers meaningful share buybacks, a healthy dividend yield of over 3% and a multi-decade track record of dividend increases. We believe that it may also benefit from reduced competition. We also initiated a position in Guangdong Investment, a utility company that is a leading provider of water to Hong Kong, given its relatively stable cash generating ability and 9% dividend yield. Elsewhere in Japan, Suzuki Motor was added to the portfolio. The company derives significant value from its stake in India’s leading auto producer, Maruti Suzuki India, that has a reasonable new-model cycle as well as solid growth prospects in the medium term on rising volumes. We believe the stock is attractively valued at around 5x EV/EBITDA and offering over a 2% dividend yield.

Outlook

Fears of a global recession, geopolitics, and a spotty recovery in China continue to weigh on earnings growth expectations and sentiment for some of the Asian region. With a quick recovery delayed, markets await clarity from the government in China on how it can increase consumer confidence and stimulate private investment. However, this uncertainty may be being priced in as the MSCI China Index trades at a fairly low multiple of 9x forward P/E. Further, it should be remembered that a lack of inflationary pressure in China allows room for some policy easing. Elsewhere in the region, countries like India and Indonesia, continue to see consumer demand while the former can benefit from the relocation of supply chains. If China has been one of the more challenged markets in Asia then it is Japan that remains one of the brighter spots, supported by what may be a return in inflation and improving shareholder return policies that have attracted broader interest in equities.

At a micro level, valuations remain reasonable at around 13x 2023 earnings expectations for the Asia Pacific market, with growth anticipated to be somewhat muted this year before rebounding to double digit growth in 2024. We continue to prefer investing in companies that allow the portfolio to balance dividend yields with dividend growth, aiming to deliver solid total returns through the economic cycle. This is a strategy that we hope is reasonably placed against what remains an uncertain macroeconomic backdrop.

Dividend yield: A financial ratio that shows how much a company pays out in dividends each year relative to its share price.

Earnings growth: The change in a company’s reported net income over a period of time, such as from quarter to quarter or from year to year.

MSCI China Index: An index capturing large and mid cap representation across China A shares, H shares, B shares, Red chips, P chips and foreign listings, like ADRs. Currently the index includes Large Cap A and Mid Cap A shares represented at 20% of their free float-adjusted market capitalization.

Price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio: A valuation ratio of a company’s current share price compared to its per-share earnings.

Enterprise value to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EV/EBITDA) ratio: A ratio used to determine the value of a company. The enterprise multiple looks at a firm as a potential acquirer would, because it takes debt into account - an item which other multiples like the P/E ratio do not include.

 

 

68    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews Asia Dividend Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 98.1%

 

     Shares     Value  
JAPAN: 31.5%    

ITOCHU Corp.

    955,100       $37,938,058  

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.

    917,600       30,664,316  

Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.

    1,291,000       29,762,157  

ORIX Corp.

    1,570,600       28,641,774  

KDDI Corp.

    886,500       27,377,886  

Disco Corp.

    165,900       26,302,781  

Dai-ichi Life Holdings, Inc.

    1,318,700       25,081,542  

Suzuki Motor Corp.

    674,500       24,459,260  

Kakaku.com, Inc.

    1,692,900       24,386,324  

Toray Industries, Inc.

    4,372,700       24,379,613  

Nissin Foods Holdings Co., Ltd.

    294,700       24,367,288  

Bandai Namco Holdings, Inc.

    1,047,800       24,264,236  

Capcom Co., Ltd.

    603,100       23,907,154  

GLP J-Reit

    23,991       23,663,449  

Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

    592,900       23,619,271  

Hikari Tsushin, Inc.

    162,300       23,295,215  

Nomura Research Institute, Ltd.

    836,800       23,118,646  

Keyence Corp.

    48,300       22,950,069  

Olympus Corp.

    1,201,200       19,009,416  
   

 

 

 

Total Japan

      487,188,455  
   

 

 

 
   
     
CHINA/HONG KONG: 25.6%    

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

    912,400       38,686,836  

AIA Group, Ltd.

    3,307,600       33,593,638  

Midea Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    3,630,641       29,512,404  

NetEase, Inc.

    1,452,700       28,137,222  

Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    7,147,643       27,868,451  

NARI Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    8,632,368       27,466,602  

Techtronic Industries Co., Ltd.

    2,506,000       27,404,643  

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

    463,961       26,213,797  

Link REIT

    4,523,120       25,180,765  

JD.com, Inc. Class A

    1,406,433       23,986,107  

Minth Group, Ltd.

    8,721,000       23,978,676  

Wuliangye Yibin Co., Ltd. A Shares

    1,024,900       23,119,244  

Yuexiu Transport Infrastructure, Ltd.

    44,930,000       22,283,892  

Milkyway Chemical Supply Chain Service Co., Ltd. A Shares

    1,387,974       17,022,223  

China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp., Ltd. A Shares

    978,424       14,921,884  

Guangdong Investment, Ltd.

    7,230,000       6,244,809  
   

 

 

 

Total China/Hong Kong

      395,621,193  
   

 

 

 
   
     
AUSTRALIA: 9.7%    

Ampol, Ltd.

    1,501,743       29,999,485  

AUB Group, Ltd.

    1,376,897       27,081,377  

Lottery Corp., Ltd.

    7,229,095       24,783,230  

CSL, Ltd.

    130,215       24,113,057  

Breville Group, Ltd.

    1,731,760       23,147,867  

Treasury Wine Estates, Ltd.

    2,887,014       21,650,175  
   

 

 

 

Total Australia

      150,775,191  
   

 

 

 
    Shares     Value  
     
TAIWAN: 8.1%    

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ADR

    387,426       $39,099,032  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

    2,044,469       37,768,157  

Chailease Holding Co., Ltd.

    3,779,000       24,846,166  

Delta Electronics, Inc.

    2,193,000       24,303,554  
   

 

 

 

Total Taiwan

      126,016,909  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDIA: 7.7%    

Housing Development Finance Corp., Ltd.

    1,033,497       35,655,940  

Power Grid Corp. of India, Ltd.

    10,201,014       31,801,057  

Tata Consultancy Services, Ltd.

    669,060       27,034,940  

Hindustan Unilever, Ltd.

    729,314       23,844,919  
   

 

 

 

Total India

      118,336,856  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SOUTH KOREA: 6.0%    

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

    677,373       37,298,381  

SK Telecom Co., Ltd.

    828,504       29,317,219  

Macquarie Korea Infrastructure Fund

    2,734,972       26,397,918  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      93,013,518  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SINGAPORE: 3.5%    

United Overseas Bank, Ltd.

    1,516,600       31,471,359  

Capitaland India Trust

    27,571,100       23,288,650  
   

 

 

 

Total Singapore

      54,760,009  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDONESIA: 2.2%    

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk

    94,237,384       34,405,283  
   

 

 

 

Total Indonesia

      34,405,283  
   

 

 

 
   
     
VIETNAM: 1.7%    

FPT Corp.

    7,376,540       26,944,548  
   

 

 

 

Total Vietnam

      26,944,548  
   

 

 

 
   
     
THAILAND: 1.5%    

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Public Co., Ltd. F Shares

    29,008,800       22,748,008  
   

 

 

 

Total Thailand

      22,748,008  
   

 

 

 
   
     
BANGLADESH: 0.6%    

GrameenPhone, Ltd.

    3,714,111       8,981,433  
   

 

 

 

Total Bangladesh

      8,981,433  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL COMMON EQUITIES       1,518,791,403  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $1,523,706,454)

   
   

RIGHTS: 0.0%

   
     
SINGAPORE: 0.0%    

Capitaland India Trust, Rights, Expires 07/17/23b

    3,280,960       199,759  
   

 

 

 

Total Singapore

      199,759  
   

 

 

 
 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      69  


Table of Contents

Matthews Asia Dividend Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

RIGHTS (continued)

 

    Shares     Value  
     
SOUTH KOREA: 0.0%    

Macquarie Korea Infrastructure Fund, Rights, Expires 08/09/23b

    208,989       26,637  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      26,637  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL RIGHTS       226,396  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $0)

   
   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 98.1%       1,519,017,799  

(Cost $1,523,706,454)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 1.9%
      29,157,520  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $1,548,175,319  
   

 

 

 
a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Non-income producing security.

 

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

 

REIT

Real Estate Investment Trust

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

70    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Sherwood Zhang, CFA   Winnie Chwang

Lead Manager

  Lead manager
Elli Lee   Andrew Mattock, CFA

Co-Manager

 

Co-Manager

FUND FACTS        
    Investor   Institutional

Ticker

  MCDFX   MICDX

CUSIP

  577125305   577130735

Inception

  11/30/09   10/29/10

NAV

  $12.44   $12.44

Initial Investment

  $2,500   $100,000

Gross Expense Ratio1

  1.20%   1.06%

Portfolio Statistics

 

Total # of Positions

  36

Net Assets

  $185.3 million

Weighted Average Market Cap

  $86.0 billion

Portfolio Turnover2

  67.1%

Benchmark

   

MSCI China Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Total return with an emphasis on providing current income.

STRATEGY

 

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, which include borrowings for investment purposes, in dividend-paying equity securities of companies located in China. China includes its administrative and other districts, such as Hong Kong. The Fund may also invest in convertible debt and equity securities of companies located in China.

Matthews China Dividend Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited)

Period ended June 30, 2023

For the first half of 2023, the Matthews China Dividend Fund returned –8.79% (Investor Class) and –8.70% (Institutional Class), while its benchmark, the MSCI China Index, returned -5.39% over the same period. For the quarter ending June 30, 2023, the Fund returned –11.33% (Investor Class) and –11.24% (Institutional Class), while the benchmark returned –9.65%.

Market Environment

Chinese equities performed sluggishly in the first half after the post-zero-COVID reopening rally fizzled out in February as consumption data in the period disappointed the market. During the second-quarter holiday festivals of Qing Ming in April, May Day and Duan Wu in June, there was surging demand for travel, and tourist numbers and hotel room rates recovered back to pre-COVID levels. However, spending during the periods remained below pre-COVID levels indicating that Chinese consumers lacked the confidence to spend.

The real estate market is also creating worries as new home sales shrank during the first six months of the year. This has generated calls for the government to further relax the cooling measures it put in place toward the end of the sector’s almost 20-year-long boom. Chinese equities rallied a number of times in the first half on speculation the government was considering certain stimulus policies. However, we think there is limited room to ease monetary policy as the U.S. economy continues to defy the risk of recession. China’s central bank cannot cut interest rates too aggressively as that could create further depreciation pressure on an already weakened Chinese renminbi. A cheap renminbi is good for China’s exports but not for encouraging inward capital flows.

In addition to China’s uneven recovery, the impact of geopolitical tensions was also present, as the U.S. further tightened restrictions on exports to China of key semiconductor manufacturing equipment and materials.

Performance Contributors and Detractors

At the sector level, stock selection in IT, communication services and consumer staples were the biggest contributors to relative performance. On the other hand, our overweight and stock selection in real estate was the biggest detractor and we are revaluating our positions and allocation in the sector. Our underweight and stock selection in financials and stock selection in industrials also detracted.

At the holdings level, CITIC Telecom was the top performer in the first half. The Macau telecom operator has a stable local business while the returning mainland tourists provide a rebound of roaming revenue. Yadea Group was the second-best performer. We have confidence in the prospects of the electric scooter manufacturer which is developing sodium-ion battery to help solidify its market leadership position. Tencent was the third-best performer. The internet platform reported better-than-expected earnings and management has said it is confident that all its units will recover strongly in 2023. The 50% increase in its annual dividend payment also shows confidence in its financial strength. However, Tencent’s largest shareholder’s plan to further divest shares will create more volatility for the stock.

In contrast, China’s largest duty-free shopping operator China Tourism Group Duty Free, and Hainan Meilan International Airport, which also has significant exposure to duty-free shopping revenue, were among the bottom performers in the period. As Chinese tourists can now go outside the border, Hainan has lost its

(continued)

 

 

1

Prospectus expense ratios.

2

The lesser of fiscal year 2022 long-term purchase costs or sales proceeds divided by the average monthly market value of long-term securities.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      71  


Table of Contents
 
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023  
 

 

    

 

      

 

      

 

     Average Annual Total Returns       

 

 
     3 Months      YTD      1 Year      3 Year      5 Year      10 Years      Since
Inception
     Inception
Date
 
Investor Class (MCDFX)      -11.33%        -8.79%        -11.93%        -3.37%        -1.18%        5.92%        6.72%        11/30/09  
Institutional Class (MICDX)      -11.24%        -8.70%        -11.77%        -3.22%        -1.03%        6.09%        5.86%        10/29/10  
MSCI China Index3      -9.65%        -5.39%        -16.69%        -10.13%        -5.14%        3.22%        1.94% 4    

Performance 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. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, visit matthewsasia.com.

 

               
INCOME DISTRIBUTION HISTORY                                                         
       2023           2022  
       June        December        Total           June        December        Total  
Investor (MCDFX)      $ 0.33          n.a.          n.a.       $ 0.42        $ 0.11        $ 0.52  
Inst’l (MICDX)      $ 0.34          n.a.          n.a.       $ 0.43        $ 0.12        $ 0.54  

Note: This table does not include capital gains distributions. Totals may differ by $0.02 due to rounding. For income distribution history, visit matthewsasia.com.

 

   

30 DAY YIELD:

 

Investor Class 1.76% (1.76% excluding waivers)

Institutional Class 1.96% (1.96% excluding waivers)

 

The 30-Day Yield represents net investment income earned by the Fund over the 30-day period ended 6/30/23, 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.

   

DIVIDEND YIELD: 3.32%

 

The dividend yield (trailing) for the portfolio is the weighted average sum of the dividends paid by each equity security held by the Fund over the 12 months ended 6/30/23 divided by the current price of each equity as of 6/30/23. The annualized dividend yield for the Fund is for the equity-only portion of the portfolio. Please note that this is based on gross equity portfolio holdings and does not reflect the actual yield an investor in the Fund would receive. Past yields are no guarantee of future yields.

 

Source: FactSet Research Systems, Bloomberg, MICM.

 

 

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT SINCE INCEPTION—INVESTOR CLASS

 

 

LOGO

Plotted monthly. The performance data and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on dividends, capital gains distributions or redemption of Fund shares. Values are in US$.

 

  3

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 76 for index definition.

 

  4

Calculated from 11/30/09.

 

 

       
TOP TEN HOLDINGS5                     
Name    Sector             % Net Assets  
Tencent Holdings, Ltd.    Communication Services             9.9%  
Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd.    Consumer Discretionary             7.7%  
CITIC Telecom International Holdings, Ltd.    Communication Services             6.1%  
Tsingtao Brewery Co., Ltd.    Consumer Staples             3.9%  
Postal Savings Bank of China Co., Ltd.    Financials             3.6%  
Yadea Group Holdings, Ltd.    Consumer Discretionary             3.4%  
Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China, Ltd.    Financials             3.3%  
China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd.    Financials             3.0%  
Wuliangye Yibin Co., Ltd.    Consumer Staples             3.0%  
Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings, Ltd.    Industrials             2.6%  
TOTAL                46.5%  

 

  5

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

 

72    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews China Dividend Fund

Portfolio Manager Commentary  (unaudited) (continued)

monopoly status in duty-free shopping. In addition, Chinese consumers are spending less on discretionary items such as cosmetics. We are evaluating the situation carefully.

Notable Portfolio Changes

During the second quarter, we initiated a new position in the Hong Kong shares of CSC Financial, a brokerage house and investment bank more commonly known as China Securities. The firm, which is less well-known among foreign investors, has been consistently ranked among the top three domestic brokers, especially in terms of securities underwriting. We believe it will benefit from new capital market reforms and its valuation on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio basis and discount to its mainland-listed A-shares are very attractive.

We have exited our position in Meituan as the company is facing new competition from ByteDance and is also entering new markets such as Hong Kong. These competitive threats and new investment will make Meituan less likely to achieve near-term profitability, which was our original expectation. In addition, we also exited Hainan Meilan International Airport, as the recovery of both of its traffic and duty-free business is proving challenging.

Outlook

While we share some near-term concern over the Chinese economy with many observers, such as unemployment of young people and private enterprises’ low appetite for expansion, we continue to believe the elements of the country’s economic success are still in place. And the current market valuation of Chinese equities is not reflecting an economic revival—many Chinese consumer company shares, for example, have plunged back to last October’s levels. We continue to believe therefore that holding high-quality Chinese companies has the potential to offer very attractive rewards for investors over the long term.

Price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio: Is a valuation ratio of a company’s current share price compared to its per-share earnings.

 
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)6,7  
China/Hong Kong     95.8  
Taiwan     2.3  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.9  

 

   
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)7      
Consumer Discretionary     27.4  
Communication Services     16.0  
Financials     13.9  
Consumer Staples     8.8  
Information Technology     6.9  
Industrials     6.2  
Health Care     6.2  
Real Estate     5.9  
Materials     5.1  
Energy     1.9  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.9  

 

 
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)7  
Mega Cap (over $25B)     38.6  
Large Cap ($10B-$25B)     16.4  
Mid Cap ($3B-10B)     24.1  
Small Cap (under $3B)     19.0  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.9  

 

6

Not all countries where the Fund may invest are included in the benchmark index.

 

7

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      73  


Table of Contents

Matthews China Dividend Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 98.1%

 

    Shares     Value  
 
CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY: 27.4%

 

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 8.7%

 

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

    80,794       $4,564,861  

Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Ltd. ADRb

    327,330       3,996,699  

Shanghai Jinjiang International Hotels Co., Ltd. B Shares

    2,091,400       3,806,229  

Tam Jai International Co., Ltd.

    15,983,000       3,682,030  
   

 

 

 
      16,049,819  
   

 

 

 
   

Broadline Retail: 7.7%

 

Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd.b

    1,362,900       14,187,558  
   

 

 

 
   

Automobiles: 3.4%

 

Yadea Group Holdings, Ltd.c,d

    2,758,000       6,291,473  
   

 

 

 
   

Household Durables: 2.5%

 

Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. D Shares

    3,713,926       4,648,373  
   

 

 

 
   

Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods: 2.2%

 

Xtep International Holdings, Ltd.

    4,084,000       4,180,236  
   

 

 

 
   

Diversified Consumer Services: 1.7%

 

China Education Group Holdings, Ltd.d

    4,055,000       3,169,840  
   

 

 

 
   

Specialty Retail: 1.2%

 

China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp., Ltd. H Sharesb,c,d

    165,700       2,248,209  
   

 

 

 

Total Consumer Discretionary

      50,775,508  
   

 

 

 
   
 
COMMUNICATION SERVICES: 15.9%

 

Interactive Media & Services: 9.8%

 

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

    430,500       18,253,708  
   

 

 

 
   

Diversified Telecommunication Services: 6.1%

 

CITIC Telecom International Holdings, Ltd.

    29,494,000       11,306,014  
   

 

 

 

Total Communication Services

      29,559,722  
   

 

 

 
   
 
FINANCIALS: 13.9%

 

Banks: 6.6%

 

Postal Savings Bank of China Co., Ltd. H Sharesc,d

    10,745,000       6,625,986  

China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd. A Shares

    1,241,884       5,609,939  
   

 

 

 
      12,235,925  
   

 

 

 
   

Capital Markets: 4.0%

   

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, Ltd.

    98,700       3,739,645  

CSC Financial Co., Ltd. H Sharesc,d

    3,509,500       3,630,735  
   

 

 

 
      7,370,380  
   

 

 

 
   

Insurance: 3.3%

   

Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China, Ltd. H Shares

    964,000       6,156,988  
   

 

 

 

Total Financials

      25,763,293  
   

 

 

 
   
     
CONSUMER STAPLES: 8.8%    

Beverages: 6.9%

   

Tsingtao Brewery Co., Ltd. H Shares

    796,000       7,267,458  

Wuliangye Yibin Co., Ltd. A Shares

    246,600       5,562,694  
   

 

 

 
      12,830,152  
   

 

 

 
   
     Shares     Value  

Food Products: 1.9%

   

Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    885,600       $3,452,928  
   

 

 

 

Total Consumer Staples

      16,283,080  
   

 

 

 
   
 
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: 6.8%

 

Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 4.6%

 

E Ink Holdings, Inc.

    598,000       4,350,044  

OPT Machine Vision Tech Co., Ltd. A Shares

    185,055       4,208,456  
   

 

 

 
      8,558,500  
   

 

 

 
   

Software: 2.2%

   

Longshine Technology Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    1,289,600       4,143,974  
   

 

 

 

Total Information Technology

      12,702,474  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDUSTRIALS: 6.2%    

Machinery: 4.1%

   

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings, Ltd.

    4,392,700       4,887,226  

Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric Co., Ltd.

    742,200       2,772,342  
   

 

 

 
      7,659,568  
   

 

 

 
   

Air Freight & Logistics: 2.1%

   

ZTO Express Cayman, Inc. ADR

    155,269       3,894,146  
   

 

 

 

Total Industrials

      11,553,714  
   

 

 

 
   
     
HEALTH CARE: 6.2%    

Pharmaceuticals: 4.6%

   

Livzon Pharmaceutical Group, Inc. H Sharesb

    1,367,600       4,716,773  

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, Ltd.

    4,356,000       3,790,935  
   

 

 

 
      8,507,708  
   

 

 

 
   

Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 1.6%

 

AK Medical Holdings, Ltd.c,d

    3,396,000       2,959,238  
   

 

 

 

Total Health Care

      11,466,946  
   

 

 

 
   
     
REAL ESTATE: 5.9%    

Real Estate Management & Development: 5.9%

 

Wharf Real Estate Investment Co., Ltd.

    906,000       4,545,727  

China Vanke Co., Ltd. H Shares

    2,805,000       3,778,635  

Onewo, Inc. H Shares

    782,730       2,536,025  
   

 

 

 

Total Real Estate

      10,860,387  
   

 

 

 
   
     
MATERIALS: 5.1%    

Construction Materials: 3.8%

   

China Jushi Co., Ltd. A Shares

    1,861,907       3,632,528  

Huaxin Cement Co., Ltd. H Shares

    3,798,992       3,298,350  
   

 

 

 
      6,930,878  
   

 

 

 
   

Metals & Mining: 1.3%

   

Tiangong International Co., Ltd.

    10,114,000       2,459,233  
   

 

 

 

Total Materials

      9,390,111  
   

 

 

 
   
 

 

74    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Matthews China Dividend Fund

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

COMMON EQUITIES (continued)

 

    Shares     Value  
     
ENERGY: 1.9%    

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 1.9%

   

China Suntien Green Energy Corp., Ltd. H Shares

    9,801,000       $3,525,136  
   

 

 

 

Total Energy

      3,525,136  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 98.1%       181,880,371  

(Cost $204,476,841)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 1.9%
      3,435,268  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $185,315,639  
   

 

 

 
a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Non-income producing security.

 

c

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration normally to qualified institutional buyers. The security has been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees. At June 30, 2023, the aggregate value is $21,755,641, which is 11.74% of net assets.

 

d

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      75  


Table of Contents

Index Definitions

 

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, Kuwait, 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 Small Cap Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted small cap index of the stock markets of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

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 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 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 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 ex-exchanges, and 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 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, and 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 S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) 100 Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization-weighted index of the 100 stocks listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

MSCI India Index is a free float–adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the performance of the large and mid -cap segments of the Indian market.

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 Korea Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index of Korean equities listed in Korea.

 

 

76    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Disclosures

 

Fund Holdings: The Fund holdings shown in this report are as of June 30, 2023. Holdings are subject to change at any time, so holdings shown in this report may not reflect current Fund holdings. The Funds file complete schedules of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-PORT. The Funds’ Form N-PORTs are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Complete schedules of investments are also available without charge, upon request, from the Funds by calling us at 800.789.ASIA (2742).

Proxy Voting Record: The Funds’ Statement of Additional Information containing a description of the policies and procedures that the Funds have used to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities, along with each Fund’s proxy voting record relating

to portfolio securities held during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, is available upon request, at no charge, at the Funds’ website at matthewsasia.com or by calling 800.789.ASIA (2742), or on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Shareholder Reports and Prospectuses: To reduce the Funds’ expenses, we try to identify related shareholders in a household and send only one copy of the Funds’ prospectus and financial reports to that address. This process, called “householding,” will continue indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. At any time you may view the Funds’ current prospectus, summary prospectus and financial reports on our website. If you prefer to receive individual copies of the Funds’ prospectus or financial reports, please call us at 800.789.ASIA (2742).

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      77  


Table of Contents

Disclosure of Fund Expenses (unaudited)

 

We believe it is important for you to understand the impact of fees regarding your investment. All mutual funds have operating expenses. As a shareholder of a mutual fund, you incur ongoing costs, which include costs for portfolio management, administrative services, and shareholder reports (like this one), among others. Operating expenses, which are deducted from a fund’s gross income, directly reduce the investment return of the fund. A fund’s operating expenses are expressed as a percentage of its average net assets. This figure is known as the expense ratio. The following examples are intended to help you understand the ongoing fees (in dollars) of investing in your fund and to compare these costs with those of other mutual funds. The examples are based on an investment of $1,000 made at the beginning of the period shown and held for the entire period.

This table illustrates your fund’s costs in two ways:

Actual Fund Return: This section helps you to estimate the actual operating expenses, after any applicable fee waivers, that you paid over the period. The “Ending Account Value” shown is derived from the fund’s actual return for the past six month period, the “Expense Ratio” column shows the period’s annualized expense ratio, and the “Operating Expenses Paid During Period” column shows the dollar amount that would have been paid by an investor who started with $1,000 in the fund at the beginning of the period. You may use the information here, together with your account value, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. To do so, simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an

$8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number given for your fund in the first line under the heading entitled “Operating Expenses Paid During Period.”

Hypothetical 5% Return: This section is intended to help you compare your fund’s costs with those of other mutual funds. It assumes that the fund had an annual return of 5% before operating expenses, but that the expense ratio is unchanged. In this case, because the return used is not the fund’s actual return, the results do not apply to your investment. This example is useful in making comparisons to other mutual funds because the Securities and Exchange Commission requires all mutual funds to calculate expenses based on an assumed 5% annual return. You can assess your fund’s costs by comparing this hypothetical example with the hypothetical examples that appear in shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that the operating expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight and help you compare your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs such as sales charges (loads), redemption fees, or exchange fees.

Matthews Asia Funds does not charge any sales loads, exchange fees, or 12b-1 fees, but these may be present in other funds to which you compare this data. Therefore, the hypothetical portions of the table are useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds.

 

 

78    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

June 30, 2023

Disclosure of Fund Expenses (unaudited) (continued)

 

    Investor           Institutional  
    

Beginning
Account

Value

1/1/23

    

Ending
Account

Value

6/30/23

     Expense
Ratio
     Operating
Expenses
Paid During
Period
1/1/23–
6/30/23
          

Beginning
Account

Value

1/1/23

    

Ending
Account

Value

6/30/23

     Expense
Ratio
     Operating
Expenses
Paid During
Period
1/1/23–
6/30/23
 
GLOBAL EMERGING MARKETS STRATEGIES                                                                              

Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund

                       

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $1,060.20        1.15%        $5.87         $1,000.00        $1,061.10        0.90%        $4.60  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,019.09        1.15%        $5.76               $1,000.00        $1,020.33        0.90%        $4.51  

Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund

                       

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $1,082.30        1.20%        $6.20         $1,000.00        $1,083.90        1.04%        $5.37  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,018.84        1.20%        $6.01               $1,000.00        $1,019.64        1.04%        $5.21  

Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund

                       

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $1,140.00        1.32%        $7.00         $1,000.00        $1,141.10        1.15%        $6.11  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,018.25        1.32%        $6.61         $1,000.00        $1,019.09        1.15%        $5.76  
ASIA GROWTH STRATEGIES                                                                              

Matthews Asia Growth Fund

                       

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $989.90        1.17%        $5.77         $1,000.00        $990.50        1.00%        $4.94  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,018.99        1.17%        $5.86               $1,000.00        $1,019.84        1.00%        $5.01  

Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund

                       

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $987.60        1.14%        $5.62         $1,000.00        $988.10        0.99%        $4.88  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,019.14        1.14%        $5.71               $1,000.00        $1,019.89        0.99%        $4.96  

Matthews Asia Innovators Fund

                       

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $977.00        1.19%        $5.83         $1,000.00        $978.20        1.04%        $5.10  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,018.89        1.19%        $5.96               $1,000.00        $1,019.64        1.04%        $5.21  

Matthews China Fund

                       

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $873.10        1.16%        $5.39         $1,000.00        $873.60        1.01%        $4.69  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,019.04        1.16%        $5.81               $1,000.00        $1,019.79        1.01%        $5.06  

Matthews China Small Companies Fund

                       

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $892.90        1.45%        $6.81         $1,000.00        $893.00        1.20%        $5.63  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,017.60        1.45%        $7.25               $1,000.00        $1,018.84        1.20%        $6.01  

Matthews India Fund

                       

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $1,115.40        1.16%        $6.08         $1,000.00        $1,116.70        1.01%        $5.30  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,019.04        1.16%        $5.81               $1,000.00        $1,019.79        1.01%        $5.06  

Matthews Japan Fund

                       

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $1,134.20        1.09%        $5.77         $1,000.00        $1,134.60        1.02%        $5.40  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,019.39        1.09%        $5.46               $1,000.00        $1,019.74        1.02%        $5.11  

Matthews Korea Fund

                       

Actual Fund Return

                 $1,000.00        $1,091.40        1.54%        $7.99  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

                                               $1,000.00        $1,017.16        1.54%        $7.70  
ASIA GROWTH AND INCOME STRATEGIES                                                                              

Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund

                       

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $1,044.40        1.18%        $5.98         $1,000.00        $1,044.30        1.05%        $5.32  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,018.94        1.18%        $5.91               $1,000.00        $1,019.59        1.05%        $5.26  

Matthews Asia Dividend Fund

                       

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $1,029.30        1.18%        $5.94         $1,000.00        $1,029.70        1.04%        $5.23  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,018.94        1.18%        $5.91               $1,000.00        $1,019.64        1.04%        $5.21  

Matthews China Dividend Fund

                       

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $912.10        1.18%        $5.59         $1,000.00        $913.00        1.01%        $4.79  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,018.94        1.18%        $5.91               $1,000.00        $1,019.79        1.01%        $5.06  

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      79  


Table of Contents
Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited)   June 30, 2023

 

       

Matthews Emerging

Markets Equity Fund

      

Matthews Emerging

Markets Sustainable
Future Fund

       Matthews
Emerging Markets
Small Companies
Fund
 

ASSETS:

              

Investments at value (A) (Note 2-A and 7):

              

Unaffiliated issuers

       $23,261,838          $245,112,049          $501,529,175  

Cash

       270,613          1,318,776          7,494,660  

Segregated foreign currency at value

       525          8,789          580  

Foreign currency at value (B)

       38,767          62,023          105,116  

Dividends and interest receivable

       32,824          354,559          1,014,013  

Receivable for securities sold

       26,401                   16,901  

Receivable for capital shares sold

       12,607          441,338          1,592,166  

Other receivable

                10,206          61,817  

Prepaid expenses

       38,415          91,725          36,861  

TOTAL ASSETS

       23,681,990          247,399,465          511,851,289  

LIABILITIES:

              

Payable for securities purchased

       66,923                    

Payable for capital shares redeemed

       31,417          41,767          1,296,976  

Deferred foreign capital gains tax liability (Note 2-E)

                1,293,067          3,572,511  

Due to Advisor (Note 5)

       3,178          134,282          341,737  

Administration and accounting fees payable (Note 5)

       465          4,579          8,999  

Administration and shareholder servicing fees payable (Note 5)

       3,355          34,155          69,437  

Custodian fees payable

       26,119          20,721          65,616  

Intermediary service fees payable (Note 5)

       9,570                   42,822  

Professional fees payable

                11,964          10,125  

Transfer agent fees payable

       260                   1,509  

Accrued other expenses payable

       16,645          10,359          37,380  

TOTAL LIABILITIES

       157,932          1,550,894          5,447,112  

NET ASSETS

       $23,524,058          $245,848,571          $506,404,177  

NET ASSETS:

              

Investor Class

       $10,408,822          $37,878,552          $209,043,375  

Institutional Class

       13,115,236          207,970,019          297,360,802  

TOTAL

       $23,524,058          $245,848,571          $506,404,177  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

80    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents
Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)   June 30, 2023

 

       

Matthews Emerging

Markets Equity Fund

      

Matthews Emerging

Markets Sustainable
Future Fund

       Matthews
Emerging Markets
Small Companies
Fund
 

SHARES OUTSTANDING:

              

(shares of beneficial interest issued and outstanding, respectively, unlimited number of shares authorized with a $0.001 par value)

              

Investor Class

       881,002          2,797,464          7,946,677  

Institutional Class

       1,110,203          15,337,068          11,312,580  

TOTAL

       1,991,205          18,134,532          19,259,257  

NET ASSET VALUE:

              

Investor Class, offering price and redemption price

       $11.81          $13.54          $26.31  

Institutional Class, offering price and redemption price

       $11.81          $13.56          $26.29  

NET ASSETS CONSISTS OF:

              

Capital paid-in

       $31,509,724          $235,680,073          $524,323,237  

Total distributable earnings/(accumulated loss)

       (7,985,666        10,168,498          (17,919,060

NET ASSETS

       $23,524,058          $245,848,571          $506,404,177  

(A) Investments at cost:

              

Unaffiliated Issuers

       $25,273,996          $232,886,244          $457,050,303  

(B) Foreign Currency at Cost

       $38,984          $62,654          $105,759  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      81  


Table of Contents
Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)   June 30, 2023

 

 

       

Matthews Asia

Growth Fund

      

Matthews Pacific

Tiger Fund

      

Matthews Asia

Innovators Fund

 

ASSETS:

              

Investments at value (A) (Note 2-A and 7):

              

Unaffiliated issuers

       $564,826,807          $3,565,858,937          $450,047,709  

Cash

       2,516,112          100,254,253          3,926,318  

Segregated foreign currency at value

                23,317          1,529  

Foreign currency at value (B)

       445,207          5,552,227          3,950,312  

Dividends and interest receivable

       567,046          10,243,839          535,494  

Receivable for securities sold

       9,048,790          50,512          12,910,961  

Receivable for capital shares sold

       164,183          4,894,885          366,400  

Other receivable

       7,714          1,054,368           

Prepaid expenses

       17,114          44,372          26,783  

TOTAL ASSETS

       577,592,973          3,687,976,710          471,765,506  

LIABILITIES:

              

Payable for securities purchased

       16,413          521,694          9,166,515  

Payable for capital shares redeemed

       538,771          7,785,268          1,638,606  

Deferred foreign capital gains tax liability (Note 2-E)

       1,030,588          25,782,237          1,029,878  

Due to Advisor (Note 5)

       333,920          2,018,055          261,620  

Administration and accounting fees payable (Note 5)

       12,105          75,413          9,586  

Administration and shareholder servicing fees payable (Note 5)

       84,235          519,333          65,807  

Custodian fees payable

       118,560          745,827          136,563  

Intermediary service fees payable (Note 5)

       149,440          794,015          129,979  

Professional fees payable

       33,885          76,820          17,738  

Transfer agent fees payable

       6,666          8,789          7,104  

Accrued other expenses payable

       237,040          965,452          175,808  

TOTAL LIABILITIES

       2,561,623          39,292,903          12,639,204  

NET ASSETS

       $575,031,350          $3,648,683,807          $459,126,302  

NET ASSETS:

              

Investor Class

       $202,106,289          $985,087,025          $249,812,727  

Institutional Class

       372,925,061          2,663,596,782          209,313,575  

TOTAL

       $575,031,350          $3,648,683,807          $459,126,302  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

82    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents
Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)   June 30, 2023

 

       

Matthews Asia

Growth Fund

      

Matthews Pacific

Tiger Fund

      

Matthews Asia

Innovators Fund

 

SHARES OUTSTANDING:

              

(shares of beneficial interest issued and outstanding, respectively, unlimited number of shares authorized with a $0.001 par value)

              

Investor Class

       9,796,735          49,484,501          22,603,157  

Institutional Class

       17,834,510          133,701,959          18,620,680  

TOTAL

       27,631,245          183,186,460          41,223,837  

NET ASSET VALUE:

              

Investor Class, offering price and redemption price

       $20.63          $19.91          $11.05  

Institutional Class, offering price and redemption price

       $20.91          $19.92          $11.24  

NET ASSETS CONSISTS OF:

              

Capital paid-in

       $754,783,019          $3,432,223,637          $843,417,217  

Total distributable earnings/(accumulated loss)

       (179,751,669        216,460,170          (384,290,915

NET ASSETS

       $575,031,350          $3,648,683,807          $459,126,302  

(A) Investments at cost:

              

Unaffiliated Issuers

       $546,332,239          $3,261,090,596          $440,537,884  

(B) Foreign Currency at Cost

       $444,915          $5,557,266          $3,987,621  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      83  


Table of Contents
Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)   June 30, 2023

 

 

        Matthews
China Fund
       Matthews China
Small Companies
Fund
       Matthews
India Fund
 

ASSETS:

              

Investments at value (A) (Note 2-A and 7):

              

Unaffiliated issuers

       $651,232,065          $126,380,617          $650,934,178  

Cash

       278,551          364,845          22,328,442  

Segregated foreign currency at value

       18,981          3,091           

Foreign currency at value (B)

       1,749          1,132,662          447,038  

Dividends and interest receivable

       2,614,056          373,606          1,405,646  

Receivable for securities sold

                         151,641  

Receivable for capital shares sold

       1,883,841          39,934          3,254,405  

Other receivable

                1,305          13,529  

Prepaid expenses

       31,872          14,242          6,808  

TOTAL ASSETS

       656,061,115          128,310,302          678,541,687  

LIABILITIES:

              

Payable for securities purchased

                         3,389,938  

Payable for capital shares redeemed

       1,383,971          469,291          488,211  

Deferred foreign capital gains tax liability (Note 2-E)

                         21,706,083  

Due to Advisor (Note 5)

       379,523          95,017          365,743  

Administration and accounting fees payable (Note 5)

       14,308          2,783          11,986  

Administration and shareholder servicing fees payable (Note 5)

       95,912          18,156          88,918  

Custodian fees payable

       55,466          42,964          128,944  

Foreign capital gains tax payable (Note 2-E)

                         15,650  

Intermediary service fees payable (Note 5)

       189,502          50,678          123,025  

Professional fees payable

       22,957          16,056          44,805  

Transfer agent fees payable

       11,901          5,905          9,632  

Accrued other expenses payable

       370,185          66,764          180,282  

TOTAL LIABILITIES

       2,523,725          767,614          26,553,217  

NET ASSETS

       $653,537,390          $127,542,688          $651,988,470  

NET ASSETS:

              

Investor Class

       $375,664,099          $92,128,935          $542,421,501  

Institutional Class

       277,873,291          35,413,753          109,566,969  

TOTAL

       $653,537,390          $127,542,688          $651,988,470  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

84    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents
Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)   June 30, 2023

 

        Matthews
China Fund
       Matthews China
Small Companies
Fund
       Matthews
India Fund
 

SHARES OUTSTANDING:

              

(shares of beneficial interest issued and outstanding, respectively, unlimited number of shares authorized with a $0.001 par value)

              

Investor Class

       29,673,474          9,289,236          22,015,057  

Institutional Class

       21,965,549          3,565,180          4,353,939  

TOTAL

       51,639,023          12,854,416          26,368,996  

NET ASSET VALUE:

              

Investor Class, offering price and redemption price

       $12.66          $9.92          $24.64  

Institutional Class, offering price and redemption price

       $12.65          $9.93          $25.17  

NET ASSETS CONSISTS OF:

              

Capital paid-in

       $1,112,057,613          $277,130,605          $545,722,272  

Total distributable earnings/(accumulated loss)

       (458,520,223        (149,587,917        106,266,198  

NET ASSETS

       $653,537,390          $127,542,688          $651,988,470  

(A) Investments at cost:

              

Unaffiliated Issuers

       $862,429,012          $143,468,418          $510,025,288  

(B) Foreign Currency at Cost

       $1,754          $1,161,664          $447,005  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      85  


Table of Contents
Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)   June 30, 2023

 

 

        Matthews
Japan Fund
       Matthews
Korea Fund
 

ASSETS:

         

Investments at value (A) (Note 2-A and 7):

         

Unaffiliated issuers

       $661,882,252          $62,213,514  

Cash

       26,526,148          2,116,174  

Foreign currency at value (B)

       1,780,700           

Dividends and interest receivable

       237,044          222,647  

Receivable for securities sold

       6,466,837          834,119  

Receivable for capital shares sold

       1,508,950          651  

Prepaid expenses

       35,893           

TOTAL ASSETS

       698,437,824          65,387,105  

LIABILITIES:

         

Payable for securities purchased

       6,640,739          3,339  

Payable for capital shares redeemed

       614,494          195,491  

Due to Advisor (Note 5)

       378,523          38,381  

Administration and accounting fees payable (Note 5)

       13,002          1,344  

Administration and shareholder servicing fees payable (Note 5)

       95,838          9,725  

Custodian fees payable

       9,309          23,040  

Intermediary service fees payable (Note 5)

       83,397          40,844  

Professional fees payable

       17,690          19,741  

Transfer agent fees payable

       13,222          7,508  

Accrued other expenses payable

       332,087          56,565  

TOTAL LIABILITIES

       8,198,301          395,978  

NET ASSETS

       $690,239,523          $64,991,127  

NET ASSETS:

         

Investor Class

       $238,490,580          $—  

Institutional Class

       451,748,943          64,991,127  

TOTAL

       $690,239,523          $64,991,127  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

86    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents
Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)   June 30, 2023

 

        Matthews
Japan Fund
       Matthews
Korea Fund
 

SHARES OUTSTANDING:

         

(shares of beneficial interest issued and outstanding, respectively, unlimited number of shares authorized with a $0.001 par value)

         

Investor Class

       14,113,329           

Institutional Class

       26,662,862          2,612,082  

TOTAL

       40,776,191          2,612,082  

NET ASSET VALUE:

         

Investor Class, offering price and redemption price

       $16.90          $—  

Institutional Class, offering price and redemption price

       $16.94          $24.88  

NET ASSETS CONSISTS OF:

         

Capital paid-in

       $802,170,788          $58,999,936  

Total distributable earnings/(accumulated loss)

       (111,931,265        5,991,191  

NET ASSETS

       $690,239,523          $64,991,127  

(A) Investments at cost:

         

Unaffiliated Issuers

       $583,404,372          $56,101,086  

(B) Foreign Currency at Cost

       $1,776,637          $—  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      87  


Table of Contents
Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)   June 30, 2023

 

 

        Matthews Asian
Growth and
Income Fund
       Matthews Asia
Dividend Fund
       Matthews China
Dividend Fund
 

ASSETS:

              

Investments at value (A) (Note 2-A and 7):

              

Unaffiliated issuers

       $522,133,071          $1,519,017,799          $181,880,371  

Cash

       20,072,700          38,205,720          2,601,640  

Segregated foreign currency at value

       12          13,837          4,461  

Foreign currency at value (B)

       463          4,784,380          267,481  

Dividends and interest receivable

       2,480,669          3,480,548          1,047,345  

Receivable for securities sold

       531,212          7,614,596          88,208  

Receivable for capital shares sold

       130,838          672,130          283,838  

Other receivable

       20,830          1,854,145           

Prepaid expenses

                22,105           

TOTAL ASSETS

       545,369,795          1,575,665,260          186,173,344  

LIABILITIES:

              

Payable for securities purchased

       4,264,844          19,525,931           

Payable for capital shares redeemed

       1,072,304          3,831,749          488,859  

Deferred foreign capital gains tax liability (Note 2-E)

       392,330          1,117,670           

Due to Advisor (Note 5)

       368,031          876,120          108,150  

Administration and accounting fees payable (Note 5)

       11,468          32,907          4,188  

Administration and shareholder servicing fees payable (Note 5)

       78,296          224,310          27,411  

Custodian fees payable

       73,759          589,275          42,286  

Intermediary service fees payable (Note 5)

       189,425          498,230          50,198  

Professional fees payable

       26,575          24,774          15,317  

Transfer agent fees payable

       6,909          9,084          1,660  

Accrued other expenses payable

       303,269          759,891          119,636  

TOTAL LIABILITIES

       6,787,210          27,489,941          857,705  

NET ASSETS

       $538,582,585          $1,548,175,319          $185,315,639  

NET ASSETS:

              

Investor Class

       $303,026,588          $526,271,244          $118,887,269  

Institutional Class

       235,555,997          1,021,904,075          66,428,370  

TOTAL

       $538,582,585          $1,548,175,319          $185,315,639  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

88    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents
Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)   June 30, 2023

 

        Matthews Asian
Growth and
Income Fund
       Matthews Asia
Dividend Fund
       Matthews China
Dividend Fund
 

SHARES OUTSTANDING:

              

(shares of beneficial interest issued and outstanding, respectively, unlimited number of shares authorized with a $0.001 par value)

              

Investor Class

       23,502,482          38,763,344          9,557,080  

Institutional Class

       18,310,160          75,282,623          5,341,694  

TOTAL

       41,812,642          114,045,967          14,898,774  

NET ASSET VALUE:

              

Investor Class, offering price and redemption price

       $12.89          $13.58          $12.44  

Institutional Class, offering price and redemption price

       $12.86          $13.57          $12.44  

NET ASSETS CONSISTS OF:

              

Capital paid-in

       $555,016,886          $1,905,414,173          $249,774,716  

Total distributable earnings/(accumulated loss)

       (16,434,301        (357,238,854        (64,459,077

NET ASSETS

       $538,582,585          $1,548,175,319          $185,315,639  

(A) Investments at cost:

              

Unaffiliated Issuers

       $502,400,654          $1,523,706,454          $204,476,841  

(B) Foreign Currency at Cost

       $460          $4,790,101          $267,524  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      89  


Table of Contents
Statements of Operations (unaudited)   Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2023

 

       

Matthews Emerging

Markets Equity Fund

      

Matthews Emerging

Markets Sustainable

Future Fund

      

Matthews

Emerging Markets
Small Companies
Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME:

              

Dividends—Unaffiliated Issuers

       $340,098          $1,077,668          $2,950,216  

Interest

                9           

Foreign withholding tax

       (28,022        (114,629        (418,802

TOTAL INVESTMENT INCOME

       312,076          963,048          2,531,414  

EXPENSES:

              

Investment advisory fees (Note 5)

       87,509          734,492          2,131,709  

Administration and accounting fees (Note 5)

       1,029          8,636          17,054  

Administration and shareholder servicing fees (Note 5)

       22,030          185,186          365,729  

Accounting out-of-pocket fees

       16,747          16,674          17,491  

Custodian fees

       24,077          42,064          82,124  

Printing fees

       7,761          13,740          18,037  

Intermediary service fees (Note 5)

       21,035          75,476          220,845  

Professional fees

       17,704          20,081          26,833  

Registration fees

       9,178          23,043          20,965  

Transfer agent fees

       2,343          3,258          13,114  

Trustees fees

       1,985          8,918          21,268  

Other expenses

       8,219          19,822          23,545  

TOTAL EXPENSES

       219,617          1,151,390          2,958,714  

Advisory fees waived and expenses waived or reimbursed (Note 5)

       (90,872                 (362,583

NET EXPENSES

       128,745          1,151,390          2,596,131  

NET INVESTMENT INCOME (LOSS)

       183,331          (188,342        (64,717
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS, FOREIGN CURRENCY RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND FOREIGN CAPITAL GAINS TAXES:               

Net realized gain (loss) on investments—Unaffiliated Issuers

       (1,056,118        2,789,183          13,684,032  

Net realized foreign capital gains tax

                (378,024        (612,471

Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency related transactions

       (539        (21,800        (54,241

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments—Unaffiliated Issuers

       2,845,688          13,497,563          44,665,478  

Net change in deferred foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       (1,759        (162,471        (1,032,678

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on foreign currency related translations

       (387        (420        823  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments, foreign currency related transactions, and foreign capital gains taxes

       1,786,885          15,724,031          56,650,943  

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

       $1,970,216          $15,535,689          $56,586,226  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

90    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents
Statements of Operations (unaudited) (continued)   Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2023

 

 

       

Matthews Asia

Growth Fund

      

Matthews Pacific

Tiger Fund

      

Matthews Asia

Innovators Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME:

              

Dividends—Unaffiliated Issuers

       $5,308,921          $37,061,052          $2,734,910  

Foreign withholding tax

       (574,468        (3,899,656        (336,795

TOTAL INVESTMENT INCOME

       4,734,453          33,161,396          2,398,115  

EXPENSES:

              

Investment advisory fees (Note 5)

       2,134,606          13,092,021          1,685,595  

Administration and accounting fees (Note 5)

       25,103          153,956          19,822  

Administration and shareholder servicing fees (Note 5)

       537,693          3,298,259          424,594  

Accounting out-of-pocket fees

       17,453          21,487          16,276  

Custodian fees

       21,665          253,685          53,774  

Printing fees

       40,050          130,188          37,521  

Intermediary service fees (Note 5)

       386,454          2,283,447          407,154  

Professional fees

       35,047          144,586          31,990  

Registration fees

       30,533          46,662          29,025  

Transfer agent fees

       18,910          53,688          15,843  

Trustees fees

       37,342          227,998          25,011  

Other expenses

       46,507          191,920          42,149  

TOTAL EXPENSES

       3,331,363          19,897,897          2,788,754  

Advisory fees waived and expenses waived or reimbursed (Note 5)

                (43,677         

Administration fees waived (Note 5)

                (43,677         

NET EXPENSES

       3,331,363          19,810,543          2,788,754  

NET INVESTMENT INCOME (LOSS)

       1,403,090          13,350,853          (390,639
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS,
FOREIGN CURRENCY RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND
FOREIGN CAPITAL GAINS TAXES:
              

Net realized gain (loss) on investments—Unaffiliated Issuers

       (46,675,883        (46,514,593        (23,804,030

Net realized foreign capital gains tax

                (828,512        (327,549

Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency related transactions

       (97,985        (193,083        (341,242

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments—Unaffiliated Issuers

       40,627,663          (17,990,213        11,122,052  

Net change in deferred foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       (235,919        (3,042,945        101,872  

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on foreign currency related translations

       50,404          (31,403        (36,470

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments, foreign currency related transactions, and foreign capital gains taxes

       (6,331,720        (68,600,749        (13,285,367

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

       ($4,928,630        ($55,249,896        ($13,676,006

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      91  


Table of Contents
Statements of Operations (unaudited) (continued)   Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2023

 

 

        Matthews
China Fund
      

Matthews China

Small Companies

Fund

      

Matthews

India Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME:

              

Dividends—Unaffiliated Issuers

       $6,437,532          $1,062,008          $4,569,287  

Interest

                         651  

Foreign withholding tax

       (388,612        (20,173        (975,876

TOTAL INVESTMENT INCOME

       6,048,920          1,041,835          3,594,062  

EXPENSES:

              

Investment advisory fees (Note 5)

       2,585,682          759,906          2,010,065  

Administration and accounting fees (Note 5)

       30,409          6,079          23,635  

Administration and shareholder servicing fees (Note 5)

       651,105          130,141          506,616  

Accounting out-of-pocket fees

       17,990          17,407          17,332  

Custodian fees

       43,364          18,727          52,434  

Printing fees

       40,539          16,543          27,516  

Intermediary service fees (Note 5)

       623,412          157,577          539,429  

Professional fees

       31,406          20,574          61,064  

Registration fees

       27,531          19,855          16,230  

Transfer agent fees

       42,954          9,253          37,315  

Trustees fees

       41,759          9,813          34,707  

Other expenses

       37,079          14,678          30,873  

TOTAL EXPENSES

       4,173,230          1,180,553          3,357,216  

Advisory fees waived and expenses waived or reimbursed (Note 5)

                (129,894         

NET EXPENSES

       4,173,230          1,050,659          3,357,216  

NET INVESTMENT INCOME (LOSS)

       1,875,690          (8,824        236,846  
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS,
FOREIGN CURRENCY RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND
FOREIGN CAPITAL GAINS TAXES:
              

Net realized gain (loss) on investments—Unaffiliated Issuers

       (68,151,958        (33,421,685        10,414,445  

Net realized foreign capital gains tax

                         (2,184,181

Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency related transactions

       (23,647        (57,340        (32,587

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments—Unaffiliated Issuers

       (37,154,704        16,568,195          63,007,451  

Net change in deferred foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

                         (4,818,385

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on foreign currency related translations

       (13,167        (38,894        3,513  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments, foreign currency related transactions, and foreign capital gains taxes

       (105,343,476        (16,949,724        66,390,256  

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

       ($103,467,786        ($16,958,548        $66,627,102  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

92    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents
Statements of Operations (unaudited) (continued)   Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2023

 

 

      Matthews
Japan Fund
     Matthews
Korea Fund
 

INVESTMENT INCOME:

     

Dividends—Unaffiliated Issuers

     $6,429,265        $447,699  

Interest

     447         

Foreign withholding tax

     (618,865      (73,707

TOTAL INVESTMENT INCOME

     5,810,847        373,992  

EXPENSES:

     

Investment advisory fees (Note 5)

     2,193,010        246,290  

Administration and accounting fees (Note 5)

     25,787        2,896  

Administration and shareholder servicing fees (Note 5)

     552,685        62,022  

Accounting out-of-pocket fees

     17,590        14,934  

Custodian fees

     15,537        24,254  

Printing fees

     42,783        16,331  

Intermediary service fees (Note 5)

     293,171        89,217  

Professional fees

     33,187        27,155  

Registration fees

     35,451        34,500  

Transfer agent fees

     70,564        16,429  

Trustees fees

     43,749        6,727  

Other expenses

     37,836        31,169  

TOTAL EXPENSES

     3,361,350        571,924  

NET INVESTMENT INCOME (LOSS)

     2,449,497        (197,932
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS
AND FOREIGN CURRENCY RELATED TRANSACTIONS:
     

Net realized gain (loss) on investments—Unaffiliated Issuers

     (14,604,711      4,801,875  

Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency related transactions

     (576,378      (20,748

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments—Unaffiliated Issuers

     94,181,828        2,131,661  

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on foreign currency related translations

     258,253        (11,249

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

     79,258,992        6,901,539  

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

     $81,708,489        $6,703,607  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      93  


Table of Contents
Statements of Operations (unaudited) (continued)   Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2023

 

 

       

Matthews Asian

Growth and

Income Fund

      

Matthews Asia

Dividend Fund

      

Matthews China

Dividend Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME:

              

Dividends—Unaffiliated Issuers

       $10,452,814          $26,477,360          $3,499,614  

Interest

       54,892                    

Foreign withholding tax

       (857,412        (2,471,410        (151,014

TOTAL INVESTMENT INCOME

       9,650,294          24,005,950          3,348,600  

EXPENSES:

              

Investment advisory fees (Note 5)

       2,015,742          5,883,227          760,826  

Administration and accounting fees (Note 5)

       23,705          69,187          8,948  

Administration and shareholder servicing fees (Note 5)

       507,777          1,481,774          191,583  

Accounting out-of-pocket fees

       17,875          19,465          15,473  

Custodian fees

       53,026          329,806          10,022  

Printing fees

       42,562          112,053          20,455  

Intermediary service fees (Note 5)

       502,540          1,127,241          193,103  

Professional fees

       34,209          104,062          20,880  

Registration fees

       11,291          31,000           

Transfer agent fees

       24,313          33,929          7,305  

Trustees fees

       37,531          123,430          11,907  

Other expenses

       36,845          112,965          12,126  

TOTAL EXPENSES

       3,307,416          9,428,139          1,252,628  

NET INVESTMENT INCOME (LOSS)

       6,342,878          14,577,811          2,095,972  
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS, FOREIGN CURRENCY RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND FOREIGN CAPITAL GAINS TAXES:               

Net realized gain (loss) on investments—Unaffiliated Issuers

       20,622,418          60,743,232          (5,704,958

Net realized foreign capital gains tax

       (12        (9,083,047         

Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency related transactions

       (26,028        (2,742,040        (237

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments—Unaffiliated Issuers

       (418,072        (14,296,780        (16,015,066

Net change in deferred foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       227,406          9,838,508           

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on foreign currency related translations

       286,538          (166,269        (11,690

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments, foreign currency related transactions, and foreign capital gains taxes

       20,692,250          44,293,604          (21,731,951

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

       $27,035,128          $58,871,415          ($19,635,979

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

94    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

MATTHEWS EMERGING MARKETS EQUITY FUND     

Six-Month Period

Ended June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

    

Year Ended

December 31, 2022

 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       $183,331        $659,139  

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       (1,056,657      (4,261,238

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       2,845,301        (7,970,191

Net change on foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       (1,759      62,033  

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       1,970,216        (11,510,257

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

       

Investor Class

              (171,815

Institutional Class

              (486,489

Net decrease in net assets resulting from distributions

              (658,304

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       (11,910,926      (3,923,820

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       (9,940,710      (16,092,381

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       33,464,768        49,557,149  

End of period

       $23,524,058        $33,464,768  
MATTHEWS EMERGING MARKETS SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FUND     

Six-Month Period

Ended June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

    

Year Ended

December 31, 2022

 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       ($188,342      ($428,029

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       2,389,359        3,676,316  

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       13,497,143        (21,313,191

Net change on foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       (162,471      (6,668

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       15,535,689        (18,071,572

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

       

Investor Class

              (1,649,628

Institutional Class

              (7,058,005

Net decrease in net assets resulting from distributions

              (8,707,633

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       58,004,890        72,234,041  

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       73,540,579        45,454,836  

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       172,307,992        126,853,156  

End of period

       $245,848,571        $172,307,992  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      95  


Table of Contents

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

 

MATTHEWS EMERGING MARKETS SMALL COMPANIES FUND     

Six-Month Period

Ended June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

    

Year Ended

December 31, 2022

 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       ($64,717      ($348,674

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       13,017,320        33,699,487  

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       44,666,301        (103,113,237

Net change on foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       (1,032,678      862,730  

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       56,586,226        (68,899,694

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

       

Investor Class

              (10,642,526

Institutional Class

              (17,586,490

Net decrease in net assets resulting from distributions

              (28,229,016

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       80,370,403        68,567,370  

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       136,956,629        (28,561,340

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       369,447,548        398,008,888  

End of period

       $506,404,177        $369,447,548  
MATTHEWS ASIA GROWTH FUND     

Six-Month Period

Ended June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

    

Year Ended

December 31, 2022

 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       $1,403,090        ($2,079,983

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       (46,773,868      (143,038,976

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       40,678,067        (406,306,763

Net change on foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       (235,919      5,625,551  

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       (4,928,630      (545,800,171

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

       

Investor Class

              (6,372,932

Institutional Class

              (11,696,816

Net decrease in net assets resulting from distributions

              (18,069,748

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       (52,118,046      (558,821,991

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       (57,046,676      (1,122,691,910

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       632,078,026        1,754,769,936  

End of period

       $575,031,350        $632,078,026  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

96    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

 

MATTHEWS PACIFIC TIGER FUND     

Six-Month Period

Ended June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

    

Year Ended

December 31, 2022

 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       $13,350,853        $24,615,390  

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       (47,536,188      (52,075,313

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       (18,021,616      (1,497,234,871

Net change on foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       (3,042,945      16,309,323  

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       (55,249,896      (1,508,385,471

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

       

Investor Class

              (88,898,319

Institutional Class

              (213,752,096

Net decrease in net assets resulting from distributions

              (302,650,415

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       15,149,671        (1,692,644,474

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       (40,100,225      (3,503,680,360

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       3,688,784,032        7,192,464,392  

End of period

       $3,648,683,807        $3,688,784,032  
MATTHEWS ASIA INNOVATORS FUND     

Six-Month Period

Ended June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

    

Year Ended

December 31, 2022

 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       ($390,639      ($2,461,191

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       (24,472,821      (296,415,093

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       11,085,582        (10,835,792

Net change on foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       101,872        2,819,303  

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       (13,676,006      (306,892,773

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

       

Investor Class

              (60,056,072

Institutional Class

              (44,589,552

Net decrease in net assets resulting from distributions

              (104,645,624

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       484,552        (511,912,389

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       (13,191,454      (923,450,786

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       472,317,756        1,395,768,542  

End of period

       $459,126,302        $472,317,756  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      97  


Table of Contents

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

 

MATTHEWS CHINA FUND     

Six-Month Period

Ended June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

    

Year Ended

December 31, 2022

 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       $1,875,690        $217,849  

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       (68,175,605      (150,068,125

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       (37,167,871      (197,123,046

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       (103,467,786      (346,973,322

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

       

Investor Class

              (32,362,149

Institutional Class

              (21,837,281

Net decrease in net assets resulting from distributions

              (54,199,430

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       11,217,849        (194,850,178

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       (92,249,937      (596,022,930

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       745,787,327        1,341,810,257  

End of period

       $653,537,390        $745,787,327  
MATTHEWS CHINA SMALL COMPANIES FUND     

Six-Month Period

Ended June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

    

Year Ended

December 31, 2022

 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       ($8,824      $728,732  

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       (33,479,025      (88,967,075

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       16,529,301        (31,868,124

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       (16,958,548      (120,106,467

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

       

Investor Class

              (2,034,204

Institutional Class

              (1,008,109

Net decrease in net assets resulting from distributions

              (3,042,313

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       (10,260,477      (103,257,833

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       (27,219,025      (226,406,613

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       154,761,713        381,168,326  

End of period

       $127,542,688        $154,761,713  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

98    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

 

MATTHEWS INDIA FUND     

Six-Month Period

Ended June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

    

Year Ended

December 31, 2022

 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       $236,846        ($2,826,201

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       8,197,677        54,725,780  

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       63,010,964        (138,570,199

Net change on foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       (4,818,385      12,032,808  

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       66,627,102        (74,637,812

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

       

Investor Class

              (69,440,851

Institutional Class

              (13,509,415

Net decrease in net assets resulting from distributions

              (82,950,266

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       (17,420,875      (3,405,239

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       49,206,227        (160,993,317

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       602,782,243        763,775,560  

End of period

       $651,988,470        $602,782,243  
MATTHEWS JAPAN FUND     

Six-Month Period

Ended June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

    

Year Ended

December 31, 2022

 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       $2,449,497        $5,372,949  

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       (15,181,089      (169,997,728

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       94,440,081        (262,676,411

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       81,708,489        (427,301,190

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

       

Investor Class

              (14,553,044

Institutional Class

              (31,813,438

Net decrease in net assets resulting from distributions

              (46,366,482

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       (13,605,051      (448,315,849

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       68,103,438        (921,983,521

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       622,136,085        1,544,119,606  

End of period

       $690,239,523        $622,136,085  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      99  


Table of Contents

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

 

MATTHEWS KOREA FUND     

Six-Month Period

Ended June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

    

Year Ended

December 31, 2022

 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       ($197,932      $1,080,067  

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       4,781,127        (3,280,646

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       2,120,412        (31,168,278

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       6,703,607        (33,368,857

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

       

Investor Class

              (7,639,996

Institutional Class

       (1,077,132      (968,596

Net decrease in net assets resulting from distributions

       (1,077,132      (8,608,592

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       (20,658,104      (10,938,083

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       (15,031,629      (52,915,532

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       80,022,756        132,938,288  

End of period

       $64,991,127        $80,022,756  
MATTHEWS ASIAN GROWTH AND INCOME FUND     

Six-Month Period

Ended June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

    

Year Ended

December 31, 2022

 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       $6,342,878        $14,604,960  

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       20,596,378        (48,439,576

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       (131,534      (169,291,091

Net change on foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       227,406        662,900  

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       27,035,128        (202,462,807

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

       

Investor Class

       (3,838,104      (17,020,543

Institutional Class

       (3,156,375      (16,053,797

Net decrease in net assets resulting from distributions

       (6,994,479      (33,074,340

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       (91,472,970      (247,931,479

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       (71,432,321      (483,468,626

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       610,014,906        1,093,483,532  

End of period

       $538,582,585        $610,014,906  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

100    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

 

MATTHEWS ASIA DIVIDEND FUND     

Six-Month Period

Ended June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

    

Year Ended

December 31, 2022

 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       $14,577,811        $28,888,532  

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       48,918,145        (261,201,228

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       (14,463,049      (1,103,989,848

Net change on foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       9,838,508        595,392  

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       58,871,415        (1,335,707,152

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

       

Investor Class

       (2,019,167      (7,812,204

Institutional Class

       (4,479,563      (18,595,761

Net decrease in net assets resulting from distributions

       (6,498,730      (26,407,965

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       (355,567,345      (1,527,382,129

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       (303,194,660      (2,889,497,246

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       1,851,369,979        4,740,867,225  

End of period

       $1,548,175,319        $1,851,369,979  
MATTHEWS CHINA DIVIDEND FUND     

Six-Month Period

Ended June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

    

Year Ended

December 31, 2022

 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       $2,095,972        $5,482,035  

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       (5,705,195      (29,326,490

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       (16,026,756      (39,972,339

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       (19,635,979      (63,816,794

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

       

Investor Class

       (3,080,890      (8,463,697

Institutional Class

       (1,797,481      (4,778,140

Net decrease in net assets resulting from distributions

       (4,878,371      (13,241,837

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       (11,455,678      (51,816,442

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       (35,970,028      (128,875,073

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       221,285,667        350,160,740  

End of period

       $185,315,639        $221,285,667  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      101  


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

INVESTOR CLASS   

Six-Month

Period Ended
June 30, 2023
(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,      Period Ended
Dec. 31, 20201
 
   2022      2021  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $11.14        $14.34        $15.76        $10.00  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

           

Net investment income (loss)2

     0.08        0.20        0.19        0.04  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     0.59        (3.20      (0.31      6.08  

Total from investment operations

     0.67        (3.00      (0.12      6.12  

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

           

Net investment income

            (0.20      (0.18       

Net realized gains on investments

                   (1.12      (0.36

Total distributions

            (0.20      (1.30      (0.36

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $11.81        $11.14        $14.34        $15.76  

TOTAL RETURN

     6.02% 3        (20.94%      (0.60%      61.23% 3 

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

           

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $10,409        $10,111        $13,317        $9,851  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.80% 4        1.58%        1.52%        2.76% 4  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets after any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator

     1.15% 4        1.08%        1.13%        1.08% 4  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     1.41% 4        1.46%        1.15%        0.45% 4  

Portfolio turnover5

     14.07% 3       63.08%        88.45%        62.30% 3 
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS   

Six-Month

Period Ended
June 30, 2023
(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,      Period Ended
Dec. 31, 20201
 
   2022      2021  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $11.13        $14.34        $15.77        $10.00  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

           

Net investment income (loss)2

     0.08        0.23        0.22        0.04  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     0.60        (3.21      (0.31      6.11  

Total from investment operations

     0.68        (2.98      (0.09      6.15  

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

           

Net investment income

            (0.23      (0.22      (0.02

Net realized gains on investments

                   (1.12      (0.36

Total distributions

            (0.23      (1.34      (0.38

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $11.81        $11.13        $14.34        $15.77  

TOTAL RETURN

     6.11% 3        (20.81%      (0.43%      61.55% 3 

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

           

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $13,115        $23,353        $36,240        $34,941  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.64% 4        1.47%        1.38%        2.65% 4  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets after any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator

     0.90% 4        0.90%        0.90%        0.90% 4  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     1.44% 4        1.70%        1.33%        0.44% 4  

Portfolio turnover5

     14.07% 3       63.08%        88.45%        62.30% 3 

 

1

The Fund commenced operations on April 29, 2020.

2

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

3

Not annualized.

4

Annualized.

5

The portfolio turnover rate is calculated on the Fund as a whole without distinguishing between classes of shares issued.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

102    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

 

 

  

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
INVESTOR CLASS    2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $12.51        $15.37        $14.94        $11.08        $9.98        $11.56  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     (0.02      (0.05      (0.07      (0.01      0.04        0.03  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     1.05        (2.14      1.85        4.72        1.21        (1.16

Total from investment operations

     1.03        (2.19      1.78        4.71        1.25        (1.13

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

            (0.04             (0.01      (0.03      (0.02

Net realized gains on investments

            (0.63      (1.35      (0.84      (0.12      (0.43

Total distributions

            (0.67      (1.35      (0.85      (0.15      (0.45

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $13.54        $12.51        $15.37        $14.94        $11.08        $9.98  

TOTAL RETURN

     8.23% 2        (14.38%      11.76%        42.87%        12.55%        (9.73%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $37,879        $32,249        $39,612        $37,385        $19,291        $9,283  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.20% 3        1.24%        1.20%        1.42%        1.54%        2.20%  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets after any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator

     1.20% 3        1.30%        1.40%        1.38%        1.42%        1.50%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     (0.31% )3        (0.41%      (0.41%      (0.08%      0.41%        0.27%  

Portfolio turnover4

     16.84% 2        31.53%        65.56%        84.60%        29.67%        22.93%  
 

 

  

Six-Month

Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS    2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $12.51        $15.38        $14.92        $11.06        $9.96        $11.50  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     (0.01      (0.04      (0.04      0.01        0.06        0.06  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     1.06        (2.14      1.85        4.72        1.21        (1.16

Total from investment operations

     1.05        (2.18      1.81        4.73        1.27        (1.10

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

            (0.06             (0.03      (0.05      (0.01

Net realized gains on investments

            (0.63      (1.35      (0.84      (0.12      (0.43

Total distributions

            (0.69      (1.35      (0.87      (0.17      (0.44

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $13.56        $12.51        $15.38        $14.92        $11.06        $9.96  

TOTAL RETURN

     8.39% 2        (14.32%      11.98%        43.13%        12.74%        (9.52%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $207,970        $140,059        $87,241        $50,642        $36,008        $23,249  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.04% 3        1.11%        1.07%        1.29%        1.41%        2.01%  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets after any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator

     1.04% 3        1.17%        1.20%        1.20%        1.24%        1.25%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     (0.15% )3        (0.29%      (0.25%      0.09%        0.54%        0.55%  

Portfolio turnover4

     16.84% 2        31.53%        65.56%        84.60%        29.67%        22.93%  

 

1

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

2

Not annualized.

3

Annualized.

4

The portfolio turnover rate is calculated on the Fund as a whole without distinguishing between classes of shares issued.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      103  


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

 

 

  

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
INVESTOR CLASS    2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $23.08        $29.92        $25.93        $18.10        $15.50        $22.89  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     (0.01      (0.06      (0.17      (0.02      0.12        0.12  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     3.24        (4.92      5.90        7.92        2.57        (4.20

Total from investment operations

     3.23        (4.98      5.73        7.90        2.69        (4.08

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

            (0.09             (0.05      (0.09      (0.08

Net realized gains on investments

            (1.77      (1.74      (0.02             (3.23

Total distributions

            (1.86      (1.74      (0.07      (0.09      (3.31

Paid-in capital from redemption fees (Note 4)

                                 2        3  

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $26.31        $23.08        $29.92        $25.93        $18.10        $15.50  

TOTAL RETURN

     14.00% 4        (16.84%      22.14%        43.68%        17.38%        (18.05%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $209,043        $141,254        $176,723        $99,573        $96,229        $111,456  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.45% 5        1.49%        1.51%        1.57%        1.60%        1.51%  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets after any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator

     1.32% 5        1.37%        1.36%        1.39%        1.45%        1.46%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     (0.11% )5        (0.24%      (0.55%      (0.11%      0.72%        0.53%  

Portfolio turnover6

     10.99% 4        27.85%        50.82%        111.87%        59.10%        69.79%  
 

 

  

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS    2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $23.04        $29.87        $25.87        $18.06        $15.46        $22.86  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     3       3        (0.10      0.01        0.15        0.16  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     3.25        (4.92      5.88        7.91        2.58        (4.19

Total from investment operations

     3.25        (4.92      5.78        7.92        2.73        (4.03

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

            (0.14      (0.04      (0.09      (0.13      (0.14

Net realized gains on investments

            (1.77      (1.74      (0.02             (3.23

Total distributions

            (1.91      (1.78      (0.11      (0.13      (3.37

Paid-in capital from redemption fees (Note 4)

                                 2        3  

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $26.29        $23.04        $29.87        $25.87        $18.06        $15.46  

TOTAL RETURN

     14.11% 4        (16.66%      22.39%        43.90%        17.65%        (17.86%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $297,361        $228,194        $221,286        $107,569        $85,006        $74,935  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.34% 5        1.37%        1.38%        1.47%        1.46%        1.37%  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets after any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator

     1.15% 5        1.15%        1.16%        1.20%        1.24%        1.25%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     0.03% 5        (0.01%      (0.34%      0.08%        0.85%        0.73%  

Portfolio turnover6

     10.99% 4        27.85%        50.82%        111.87%        59.10%        69.79%  

 

1

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

2

The Fund charged redemption fees through October 31, 2019.

3

Less than $0.01 per share.

4

Not annualized.

5

Annualized.

6

The portfolio turnover rate is calculated on the Fund as a whole without distinguishing between classes of shares issued.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

104    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews Asia Growth Fund

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

 

 

  

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
INVESTOR CLASS    2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $20.84        $31.99        $39.44        $28.10        $22.49        $27.25  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.04        (0.08      (0.24      (0.11      (0.03      2  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     (0.25      (10.49      (5.56      13.16        5.91        (4.41

Total from investment operations

     (0.21      (10.57      (5.80      13.05        5.88        (4.41

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

                          (0.15             (0.03

Net realized gains on investments

            (0.58      (1.65      (1.56      (0.27      (0.32

Total distributions

            (0.58      (1.65      (1.71      (0.27      (0.35

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $20.63        $20.84        $31.99        $39.44        $28.10        $22.49  

TOTAL RETURN

     (1.01% )3       (33.12%      (14.65%      46.76%        26.18%        (16.25%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $202,106        $225,923        $568,001        $784,085        $504,538        $463,600  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets

     1.17% 4        1.13%        1.07%        1.08%        1.09%        1.10%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     0.34% 4        (0.32%      (0.62%      (0.35%      (0.14%      —% 5  

Portfolio turnover6

     35.59% 3        47.48%        42.37%        42.78%        38.05%        12.12%  
 

 

  

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS    2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $21.11        $32.33        $39.82        $28.34        $22.65        $27.45  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.06        (0.04      (0.19      (0.07      2        0.05  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     (0.26      (10.60      (5.63      13.30        5.96        (4.45

Total from investment operations

     (0.20      (10.64      (5.82      13.23        5.96        (4.40

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

                   (0.02      (0.19             (0.08

Net realized gains on investments

            (0.58      (1.65      (1.56      (0.27      (0.32

Total distributions

            (0.58      (1.67      (1.75      (0.27      (0.40

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $20.91        $21.11        $32.33        $39.82        $28.34        $22.65  

TOTAL RETURN

     (0.95% )3       (32.99%      (14.55%      47.01%        26.34%        (16.10%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $372,925        $406,155        $1,186,769        $1,269,702        $698,797        $466,733  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets

     1.00% 4        0.98%        0.92%        0.95%        0.94%        0.93%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     0.51% 4        (0.15%      (0.47%      (0.23%      —% 5        0.17%  

Portfolio turnover6

     35.59% 3        47.48%        42.37%        42.78%        38.05%        12.12%  

 

1

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

2

Less than $0.01 per share.

3

Not annualized.

4

Annualized.

5

Less than 0.01%.

6

The portfolio turnover rate is calculated on the Fund as a whole without distinguishing between classes of shares issued.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      105  


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

 

 

  

Six-Month

Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
INVESTOR CLASS    2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $20.16        $27.54        $34.94        $28.74        $26.86        $31.66  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.06        0.09        0.06        0.10        0.19        0.24  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     (0.31      (5.75      (1.60      8.10        2.68        (3.75

Total from investment operations

     (0.25      (5.66      (1.54      8.20        2.87        (3.51

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

                          (0.08      (0.15      (0.21

Net realized gains on investments

            (1.72      (5.86      (1.92      (0.84      (1.08

Total distributions

            (1.72      (5.86      (2.00      (0.99      (1.29

Paid-in capital from redemption fees (Note 4)

                                 2         

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $19.91        $20.16        $27.54        $34.94        $28.74        $26.86  

TOTAL RETURN

     (1.24% )3        (20.73%      (4.41%      28.83%        10.72%        (11.11%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $985,087        $1,081,347        $1,835,266        $2,585,654        $2,536,844        $2,618,155  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.15% 4        1.10%        1.06%        1.08%        1.08%        1.07%  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets after any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator

     1.14% 4        1.09%        1.03%        1.06%        1.05%        1.04%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     0.55% 4        0.37%        0.17%        0.35%        0.66%        0.79%  

Portfolio turnover5

     4.72% 3        5.61%        46.64%        38.11%        17.08%        11.48%  
 

 

  

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS    2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $20.16        $27.50        $34.90        $28.71        $26.83        $31.63  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.08        0.11        0.11        0.13        0.23        0.28  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     (0.32      (5.73      (1.60      8.11        2.68        (3.74

Total from investment operations

     (0.24      (5.62      (1.49      8.24        2.91        (3.46

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

                   (0.05      (0.13      (0.19      (0.26

Net realized gains on investments

            (1.72      (5.86      (1.92      (0.84      (1.08

Total distributions

            (1.72      (5.91      (2.05      (1.03      (1.34

Paid-in capital from redemption fees (Note 4)

                                 2         

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $19.92        $20.16        $27.50        $34.90        $28.71        $26.83  

TOTAL RETURN

     (1.19% )3        (20.62%      (4.29%      28.98%        10.90%        (10.94%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $2,663,597        $2,607,437        $5,357,198        $6,172,995        $6,189,015        $5,689,079  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     0.99% 4        0.97%        0.92%        0.94%        0.93%        0.90%  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets after any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator

     0.99% 4        0.96%        0.90%        0.92%        0.91%        0.88%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     0.75% 4        0.48%        0.30%        0.46%        0.80%        0.95%  

Portfolio turnover5

     4.72% 3        5.61%        46.64%        38.11%        17.08%        11.48%  

 

1

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

2

Less than $0.01 per share.

3

Not annualized.

4

Annualized.

5

The portfolio turnover rate is calculated on the Fund as a whole without distinguishing between classes of shares issued.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

106    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews Asia Innovators Fund

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

 

 

  

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
INVESTOR CLASS    2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $11.31        $18.86        $26.70        $14.55        $11.26        $14.19  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     (0.01      (0.06      (0.16      (0.11      (0.01      (0.01

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     (0.25      (4.49      (3.34      12.71        3.34        (2.62

Total from investment operations

     (0.26      (4.55      (3.50      12.60        3.33        (2.63

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

                                        (0.04

Net realized gains on investments

            (3.00      (4.34      (0.45      (0.04      (0.26

Total distributions

            (3.00      (4.34      (0.45      (0.04      (0.30

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $11.05        $11.31        $18.86        $26.70        $14.55        $11.26  

TOTAL RETURN

     (2.30% )3       (24.80%      (13.10%      86.72%        29.60%        (18.62%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $249,813        $272,950        $465,207        $631,101        $177,639        $152,449  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets

     1.19% 4       1.18%        1.09%        1.10%        1.19%        1.19%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     (0.25% )4       (0.40%      (0.59%      (0.60%      (0.04%      (0.07%

Portfolio turnover5

     118.56% 3       118.08%        220.45%        119.81%        80.10%        85.73%  
 

 

  

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS    2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $11.49        $19.08        $26.91        $14.64        $11.32        $14.26  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     2       (0.04      (0.11      (0.09      0.01        0.01  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     (0.25      (4.55      (3.38      12.81        3.35        (2.62

Total from investment operations

     (0.25      (4.59      (3.49      12.72        3.36        (2.61

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

                                        (0.07

Net realized gains on investments

            (3.00      (4.34      (0.45      (0.04      (0.26

Total distributions

            (3.00      (4.34      (0.45      (0.04      (0.33

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $11.24        $11.49        $19.08        $26.91        $14.64        $11.32  

TOTAL RETURN

     (2.18% )3       (24.73%      (12.97%      87.01%        29.71%        (18.40%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $209,314        $199,368        $930,562        $1,094,356        $126,911        $91,769  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets

     1.04% 4       1.04%        0.93%        0.95%        1.05%        1.02%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     (0.05% )4       (0.27%      (0.43%      (0.44%      0.10%        0.07%  

Portfolio turnover5

     118.56% 3       118.08%        220.45%        119.81%        80.10%        85.73%  

 

1

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

2

Less than $0.01 per share.

3

Not annualized.

4

Annualized.

5

The portfolio turnover rate is calculated on the Fund as a whole without distinguishing between classes of shares issued.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      107  


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews China Fund

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

 

 

  

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
INVESTOR CLASS    2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $14.50        $20.58        $27.00        $19.12        $14.37        $22.20  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.03        2        0.03        0.05        0.16        0.21  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related transactions

     (1.87      (4.99      (3.25      8.17        4 80        (4 84

Total from investment operations

     (1.84      (4.99      (3.22      8.22        4.96        (4.63

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

                   (0.05      (0.06      (0.21      (0.29

Net realized gains on investments

            (1.09      (3.15      (0.28             (2.91

Total distributions

            (1.09      (3.20      (0.34      (0.21      (3.20

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $12.66        $14.50        $20.58        $27.00        $19.12        $14.37  

TOTAL RETURN

     (12.69% )3       (24.40%      (12.26%      43.05%        34.56%        (21.42%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $375,664        $448,623        $710,844        $962,714        $718,633        $566,456  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets

     1.16% 4        1.12%        1.06%        1.09%        1.09%        1.10%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     0.41% 4        (0.01%      0.13%        0.22%        0.96%        1.00%  

Portfolio turnover5

     33.24% 3        49.38%        92.28%        52.64%        68.93%        96.98%  
 

 

  

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS    2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $14.48        $20.53        $26.94        $19.08        $14.33        $22.17  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.04        0.01        0.10        0.09        0.20        0.33  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related transactions

     (1.87      (4.97      (3 26      8.15        4.80        (4 93

Total from investment operations

     (1.83      (4.96      (3.16      8.24        5.00        (4.60

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

                   (0.10      (0.10      (0.25      (0.33

Net realized gains on investments

            (1.09      (3.15      (0.28             (2.91

Total distributions

            (1.09      (3.25      (0.38      (0.25      (3.24

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $12.65        $14.48        $20.53        $26.94        $19.08        $14.33  

TOTAL RETURN

     (12.64% )3       (24.31%      (12.07%      43.23%        34.90%        (21.32%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $277,873        $297,165        $630,966        $546,157        $183,762        $46,657  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets

     1.01% 4        0.98%        0.91%        0.93%        0.91%        0.91%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     0.60% 4        0.07%        0.38%        0.40%        1.17%        1.53%  

Portfolio turnover5

     33.24% 3        49.38%        92.28%        52.64%        68.93%        96.98%  

 

1

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

2

Less than $0.01 per share.

3

Not annualized.

4

Annualized.

5

The portfolio turnover rate is calculated on the Fund as a whole without distinguishing between classes of shares issued.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

108    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews China Small Companies Fund

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

 

 

  

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
INVESTOR CLASS    2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $11.11        $16.44        $19.86        $12.84        $9.58        $11.89  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     (0.01      0.02        0.09        (0.03      0.14        0.09  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related transactions

     (1.18      (5 15      (0.80      10 42        3.24        (2 23

Total from investment operations

     (1.19      (5.13      (0.71      10.39        3.38        (2.14

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

            (0.20      (0.12      (0.13      (0.13      (0.05

Net realized gains on investments

                   (2.59      (3.24             (0.16

Total distributions

            (0.20      (2.71      (3.37      (0.13      (0.21

Paid-in capital from redemption fees (Note 4)

                                 0.01 2        0.04  

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $9.92        $11.11        $16.44        $19.86        $12.84        $9.58  

TOTAL RETURN

     (10.71% )3       (31.26%      (3.59%      82.52%        35.41%        (17.68%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $92,129        $114,440        $218,398        $285,717        $63,432        $41,740  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.60% 4        1.55%        1.48%        1.52%        1.62%        1.97%  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets after any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator

     1.45% 4        1.41%        1.43%        1.43%        1.42%        1.50%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     (0.09% )4       0.17%        0.44%        (0.14%      1.25%        0.78%  

Portfolio turnover5

     33.49% 3       59.00%        119.65%        152.86%        68.17%        76.67%  
 

 

  

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS    2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $11.12        $16.47        $19.90        $12.86        $9.59        $11.87  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.01        0.06        0.13        0.04        0.15        0.11  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related transactions

     (1.20      (5.17      (0.80      10.42        3.26        (2 21

Total from investment operations

     (1.19      (5.11      (0.67      10.46        3.41        (2.10

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

            (0.24      (0.17      (0.18      (0.15      (0.05

Net realized gains on investments

                   (2.59      (3.24             (0.16

Total distributions

            (0.24      (2.76      (3.42      (0.15      (0.21

Paid-in capital from redemption fees (Note 4)

                                 0.01 2        0.03  

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $9.93        $11.12        $16.47        $19.90        $12.86        $9.59  

TOTAL RETURN

     (10.70% )3       (31.08%      (3.35%      82.89%        35.68%        (17.48%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $35,414        $40,322        $162,770        $98,052        $32,376        $20,740  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.44% 4        1.38%        1.31%        1.37%        1.51%        1.79%  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets after any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator

     1.20% 4        1.20%        1.20%        1.20%        1.24%        1.25%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     0.20% 4        0.47%        0.63%        0.20%        1.34%        1.05%  

Portfolio turnover5

     33.49% 3       59.00%        119.65%        152.86%        68.17%        76.67%  

 

1

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

2

The Fund charged redemption fees through October 31, 2019.

3

Not annualized.

4

Annualized.

5

The portfolio turnover rate is calculated on the Fund as a whole without distinguishing between classes of shares issued.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      109  


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews India Fund

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

INVESTOR CLASS

  

Six-Month

Period Ended

June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
   2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $22.09        $28.17        $26.29        $23.27        $26.32        $34.31  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.01        (0.12      (0.11      0.01        (0.01      (0.05

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     2.54        (2.58      4.81        3.81        (0.24      (3.60

Total from investment operations

     2.55        (2.70      4.70        3.82        (0.25      (3.65

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net realized gains on investments

            (3.38      (2.82      (0.80      (2.80      (4.34

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $24.64        $22.09        $28.17        $26.29        $23.27        $26.32  

TOTAL RETURN

     11.54% 2        (9.92%      18.11%        16.51%        (0.88%      (10.09%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $542,422        $505,764        $635,067        $617,908        $786,881        $1,077,990  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets

     1.16% 3        1.15%        1.10%        1.15%        1.11%        1.09%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     0.06% 3        (0.45%      (0.38%      0.05%        (0.03%      (0.16%

Portfolio turnover4

     19.16% 2        41.35%        42.50%        57.38%        24.00%        20.87%  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS   

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
   2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $22.54        $28.64        $26.65        $23.55        $26.56        $34.51  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.02        (0.08      (0.06      0.05        0.02        0.01  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     2.61        (2.64      4.87        3.85        (0.23      (3.62

Total from investment operations

     2.63        (2.72      4.81        3.90        (0.21      (3.61

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net realized gains on investments

            (3.38      (2.82      (0.80      (2.80      (4.34

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $25.17        $22.54        $28.64        $26.65        $23.55        $26.56  

TOTAL RETURN

     11.67% 2        (9.83%      18.28%        16.65%        (0.76%      (9.92%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $109,567        $97,018        $128,708        $90,053        $177,526        $463,790  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets

     1.01% 3        1.01%        0.96%        1.03%        0.94%        0.90%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     0.20% 3        (0.31%      (0.19%      0.24%        0.09%        0.02%  

Portfolio turnover4

     19.16% 2        41.35%        42.50%        57.38%        24.00%        20.87%  

 

1

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

2

Not annualized.

3

Annualized.

4

The portfolio turnover rate is calculated on the Fund as a whole without distinguishing between classes of shares issued.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

110    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews Japan Fund

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

INVESTOR CLASS

  

Six-Month

Period Ended

June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
   2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $14.90        $22.09        $25.27        $21.51        $18.53        $24.12  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.05        0.07        0.09        0.07        0.11        0.09  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related transactions

     1.95        (6 19      (0.52      6.25        4.73        (4 91

Total from investment operations

     2.00        (6.12      (0.43      6.32        4.84        (4.82

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

                   (0.24      (0.13      (0.12      (0.06

Net realized gains on investments

            (1.07      (2.51      (2.43      (1.74      (0.71

Total distributions

            (1.07      (2.75      (2.56      (1.86      (0.77

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $16.90        $14.90        $22.09        $25.27        $21.51        $18.53  

TOTAL RETURN

     13.42% 2        (27.85%      (1.92%      29.82%        26.08%        (20.18%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $238,491        $208,329        $373,739        $1,101,820        $1,466,194        $1,704,102  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.09% 3        1.05%        0.95%        0.95%        0.93%        0.91%  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets after any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator

     1.09% 3       1.05%        0.95%        0.95%        0.93%        0.91%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     0.68% 3        0.41%        0.38%        0.31%        0.51%        0.40%  

Portfolio turnover4

     43.93% 2        83.38%        70.30%        62.03%        25.42%        46.11%  

INSTITUTIONAL CLASS

  

Six-Month

Period Ended

June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
   2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $14.93        $22.13        $25.32        $21.55        $18.57        $24.16  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.06        0.09        0.05        0.05        0.11        0.11  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related transactions

     1.95        (6.22      (0.46      6.29        4 74        (4 91

Total from investment operations

     2.01        (6.13      (0.41      6.34        4.85        (4.80

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

                   (0.27      (0.14      (0.13      (0.08

Net realized gains on investments

            (1.07      (2.51      (2.43      (1.74      (0.71

Total distributions

            (1.07      (2.78      (2.57      (1.87      (0.79

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $16.94        $14.93        $22.13        $25.32        $21.55        $18.57  

TOTAL RETURN

     13.46% 2        (27.84%      (1.83%      29.85%        26.10%        (20.08%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $451,749        $413,807        $1,170,380        $548,968        $840,476        $1,167,472  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.02% 3        0.97%        0.89%        0.91%        0.88%        0.85%  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets after any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator

     1.02% 3       0.97%        0.89%        0.91%        0.88%        0.84%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     0.80% 3        0.55%        0.22%        0.25%        0.53%        0.46%  

Portfolio turnover4

     43.93% 2        83.38%        70.30%        62.03%        25.42%        46.11%  

 

1

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

2

Not annualized.

3

Annualized.

4

The portfolio turnover rate is calculated on the Fund as a whole without distinguishing between classes of shares issued.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      111  


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews Korea Fund*

The table below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

INSTITUTIONAL CLASS

  

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)1

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
   20221      20211      20201      20191      20181  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $23.18        $34.53        $37.05        $26.54        $27.68        $41.73  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)2

     0.35        0.36        0.36        0.06        0.06        0.24  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related transactions

     1 77        (9.07      (0.42      10 75        1.02        (9 61

Total from investment operations

     2.12        (8.71      (0.06      10.81        1.08        (9.37

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

     (0.42             (0.66      (0.30             (0.78

Net realized gains on investments

            (2.64      (1.80             (2.22      (3.90

Total distributions

     (0.42      (2.64      (2.46      (0.30      (2.22      (4.68

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $24.88        $23.18        $34.53        $37.05        $26.54        $27.68  

TOTAL RETURN

     9.14% 3        (25.39%      (0.16%      40.76%        4.01%        (22.15%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $64,991        $9,166        $14,998        $12,192        $23,426        $19,377  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets

     1.54% 4        1.08%        0.98%        1.05%        1.05%        1.02%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     2.97% 4        1.20%        0.93%        0.28%        0.29%        0.67%  

Portfolio turnover5

     9.77% 3        56.94%        40.18%        39.62%        36.63%        35.60%  

 

*

Investor Class shares of the Fund were converted into Institutional Class shares on June 20, 2023.

1

Share amounts have been adjusted for a reverse stock split effective after the close of business on June 23, 2023. See Note 1 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

2

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

3

Not annualized.

4

Annualized.

5

The portfolio turnover rate is calculated on the Fund as a whole without distinguishing between classes of shares issued.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

112    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews Asian Growth And Income Fund

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

INVESTOR CLASS

  

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
   2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $12.50        $16.07        $18.05        $15.73        $13.92        $17.46  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.14        0.22        0.17        0.21        0.25        0.32  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     0.42        (3.17      (0.17      2.27        2.13        (2.20

Total from investment operations

     0.56        (2.95             2.48        2.38        (1.88

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

     (0.17      (0.21      (0.20      (0.16      (0.35      (0.32

Net realized gains on investments

            (0.41      (1.78      2        (0.22      (1.34

Total distributions

     (0.17      (0.62      (1.98      (0.16      (0.57      (1.66

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $12.89        $12.50        $16.07        $18.05        $15.73        $13.92  

TOTAL RETURN

     4.44% 3        (18.43%      0.04%        16.00%        17.26%        (10.96%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $303,027        $339,756        $541,744        $673,576        $723,815        $799,328  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.18% 4        1.13%        1.07%        1.09%        1.08%        1.08%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     2.15% 4        1.58%        0.91%        1.38%        1.67%        1.95%  

Portfolio turnover5

     3.02% 3        13.16%        37.85%        36.27%        21.89%        32.24%  

INSTITUTIONAL CLASS

  

Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
   2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $12.48        $16.04        $18.02        $15.70        $13.89        $17.43  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.14        0.24        0.20        0.23        0.27        0.35  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     0.41        (3.16      (0.17      2.27        2.14        (2.20

Total from investment operations

     0.55        (2.92      0.03        2.50        2.41        (1.85

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

     (0.17      (0.23      (0.23      (0.18      (0.38      (0.35

Net realized gains on investments

            (0.41      (1.78      2        (0.22      (1.34

Total distributions

     (0.17      (0.64      (2.01      (0.18      (0.60      (1.69

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $12.86        $12.48        $16.04        $18.02        $15.70        $13.89  

TOTAL RETURN

     4.43% 3        (18.31%      0.18%        16.18%        17.46%        (10.84%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $235,556        $270,259        $551,740        $822,179        $743,951        $596,364  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.05% 4        1.01%        0.94%        0.96%        0.94%        0.93%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     2.13% 4        1.71%        1.10%        1.51%        1.80%        2.14%  

Portfolio turnover5

     3.02% 3        13.16%        37.85%        36.27%        21.89%        32.24%  

 

1

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

2

Less than $0.01 per share.

3

Not annualized.

4

Annualized.

5

The portfolio turnover rate is calculated on the Fund as a whole without distinguishing between classes of shares issued.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      113  


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews Asia Dividend Fund

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

INVESTOR CLASS

  

Six-Month

Period Ended

June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
   2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $13.24        $18.94        $22.63        $17.47        $16.05        $19.74  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.11        0.13        0.18        0.15        0.28        0.37  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     0.28        (5.72      (0.81      5.23        1.50        (2.83

Total from investment operations

     0.39        (5.59      (0.63      5.38        1.78        (2.46

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

     (0.05      (0.11      (0.19      (0.22      (0.36      (0.31

Net realized gains on investments

                   (2.87                    (0.92

Total distributions

     (0.05      (0.11      (3.06      (0.22      (0.36      (1.23

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $13.58        $13.24        $18.94        $22.63        $17.47        $16.05  

TOTAL RETURN

     2.93% 2        (29.57%      (2.83%      31.25%        11.17%        (12.72%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $526,271        $602,694        $1,586,460        $2,292,262        $2,312,560        $2,728,599  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.18% 3        1.10%        1.03%        1.03%        1.03%        1.02%  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets after any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator

     1.18% 3        1.10%        1.02%        1.02%        1.02%        1.01%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     1.61% 3        0.84%        0.80%        0.85%        1.68%        1.97%  

Portfolio turnover4

     64.01% 2        50.75%        47.41%        37.73%        30.32%        39.75%  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS   

Six-Month

Period Ended

June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
   2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $13.23        $18.94        $22.62        $17.47        $16.04        $19.73  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.12        0.14        0.21        0.16        0.30        0.39  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     0.27        (5.72      (0.80      5.22        1.50        (2.83

Total from investment operations

     0.39        (5.58      (0.59      5.38        1.80        (2.44

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

     (0.05      (0.13      (0.22      (0.23      (0.37      (0.33

Net realized gains on investments

                   (2.87                    (0.92

Total distributions

     (0.05      (0.13      (3.09      (0.23      (0.37      (1.25

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $13.57        $13.23        $18.94        $22.62        $17.47        $16.04  

TOTAL RETURN

     2.97% 2        (29.55%      (2.67%      31.29%        11.35%        (12.64%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $1,021,904        $1,248,676        $3,154,407        $2,908,674        $3,057,896        $3,039,226  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.04% 3        0.99%        0.92%        0.93%        0.93%        0.91%  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets after any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator

     1.04% 3        0.99%        0.91%        0.93%        0.92%        0.90%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     1.73% 3        0.95%        0.93%        0.91%        1.80%        2.09%  

Portfolio turnover4

     64.01% 2        50.75%        47.41%        37.73%        30.32%        39.75%  

 

1

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

2

Not annualized.

3

Annualized.

4

The portfolio turnover rate is calculated on the Fund as a whole without distinguishing between classes of shares issued.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

114    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews China Dividend Fund

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

INVESTOR CLASS   

Six-Month

Period Ended

June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
   2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $14.00        $17.73        $19.64        $16.20        $14.32        $17.61  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.13        0.31        0.41        0.30        0.34        0.41  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related transactions

     (1.36      (3.27      (0.48      3.54        1 80        (2 09

Total from investment operations

     (1.23      (2.96      (0.07      3.84        2.14        (1.68

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

     (0.33      (0.52      (0.49      (0.40      (0.26      (0.40

Net realized gains on investments

            (0.25      (1.35                    (1.21

Total distributions

     (0.33      (0.77      (1.84      (0.40      (0.26      (1.61

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $12.44        $14.00        $17.73        $19.64        $16.20        $14.32  

TOTAL RETURN

     (8.79% )2       (16.75%      (0.49%      24.22%        15.00%        (9.98%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $118,887        $137,066        $218,766        $269,192        $258,111        $196,626  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.18% 3        1.20%        1.12%        1.15%        1.15%        1.15%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     1.87% 3        2.12%        2.05%        1.79%        2.14%        2.33%  

Portfolio turnover4

     13.88% 2        67.08%        68.25%        81.79%        65.69%        66.47%  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS   

Six-Month

Period Ended

June 30, 2023

(Unaudited)

     Year Ended Dec. 31,  
   2022      2021      2020      2019      2018  

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

     $14.00        $17.72        $19.64        $16.20        $14.32        $17.61  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

                 

Net investment income (loss)1

     0.13        0.31        0.53        0.31        0.35        0.42  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related transactions

     (1.35      (3.24      (0.58      3.55        1.81        (2 07

Total from investment operations

     (1.22      (2.93      (0.05      3.86        2.16        (1.65

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

                 

Net investment income

     (0.34      (0.54      (0.52      (0.42      (0.28      (0.43

Net realized gains on investments

            (0.25      (1.35                    (1.21

Total distributions

     (0.34      (0.79      (1.87      (0.42      (0.28      (1.64

Net Asset Value, end of period

     $12.44        $14.00        $17.72        $19.64        $16.20        $14.32  

TOTAL RETURN

     (8.70% )2       (16.59%      (0.38%      24.37%        15.16%        (9.83%

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                 

Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)

     $66,428        $84,220        $131,395        $115,451        $122,630        $73,033  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before any reimbursement, waiver or recapture of expenses by Advisor and Administrator (Note 5)

     1.01% 3        1.06%        0.97%        1.02%        1.01%        1.01%  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     1.87% 3        2.12%        2.65%        1.85%        2.25%        2.44%  

Portfolio turnover4

     13.88% 2        67.08%        68.25%        81.79%        65.69%        66.47%  

 

1

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

2

Not annualized.

3

Annualized.

4

The portfolio turnover rate is calculated on the Fund as a whole without distinguishing between classes of shares issued.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      115  


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited)

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

Matthews International Funds (d/b/a Matthews Asia Funds) (the “Trust”) is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As of June 30, 2023, the Trust issued eighteen separate series of shares. This shareholder report pertains to fourteen of those series (each a “Fund”, and collectively, the “Funds”): Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund, Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund (previously known as Matthews Asia ESG Fund), Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund, Matthews Asia Growth Fund, Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund, Matthews Asia Innovators Fund, Matthews China Fund, Matthews China Small Companies Fund, Matthews India Fund, Matthews Japan Fund, Matthews Korea Fund, Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund, Matthews Asia Dividend Fund and Matthews China Dividend Fund. Each Fund, other than the Matthews Korea Fund, offers two classes of shares: Investor Class and Institutional Class. As of June 30, 2023, the Matthews Korea Fund offered only Institutional Class shares. Each class of shares has identical voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights and the same terms and conditions, except each class may be subject to different class expenses as outlined in the relevant prospectus and each class has exclusive voting rights with respect to matters solely affecting such class. The other four separate series of the Trust are Exchange Traded Funds and are covered in a separate shareholder report.

Effective June 20, 2023, as part of the reorganization of the Matthews Korea Fund into the Matthews Korea Active ETF, which occurred on July 14, 2023, the Investor Class shares of the Fund were converted to Institutional Class shares of the Fund. Each shareholder holding Investor Class shares of the Fund received Institutional Class shares with the same total net asset value as the shareholder previously held in the Investor Class shares.

Additionally, effective after the close of trading on June 23, 2023, Matthews Korea Fund shareholders owning Institutional Class shares of the Fund received a proportional number of Institutional Class shares of the Fund (the “Reverse Stock Split”). The total dollar value of a shareholder’s investment in the Fund was unchanged and each shareholder continued to own the same percentage (by value) of the Fund following the Reverse Stock Split as the shareholder did immediately prior to the Reverse Stock Split. The Reverse Stock Split ratio was 1 : 0.166538 (old to new).

 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Funds in preparation of their financial statements. Each Fund follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standard Codification Topic 946 Financial Services—Investment Companies. The accounting policies are in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).

 

A.

SECURITY VALUATION: Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, the Funds’ Board of Trustees (the “Board”) has designated authority to a Valuation Designee, Matthews International Capital Management, LLC (“Matthews”), the Funds’ investment adviser, to make fair valuation determinations under adopted procedures, subject to Board oversight. Matthews has formed a Valuation Committee (the “Valuation Committee”) to administer the pricing and valuation of portfolio securities and other assets and liabilities and to ensure that prices used for internal purposes or provided by third parties reasonably reflect fair value. The Valuation Designee may utilize independent pricing services, quotations from securities and financial instrument dealers and other market sources to determine fair value. The value of the Trust’s securities is based on market quotations for those securities, or on their fair value determined by the valuation policies approved by the Board. Market quotations and valuation information are provided by commercial pricing services or securities dealers that are independent of the Funds and Matthews in accordance with procedures established by the Valuation Designee. Foreign exchange-traded securities are valued as of the close of trading on the primary exchange on which they trade. Securities that trade in over-the-counter markets, including most debt securities (bonds), may be valued by other third-party vendors or by using indicative bid quotations from dealers or market makers, or other available market information. Market values for securities are determined based on quotations, market data or other information from the principal (or most advantageous) market on which the security is traded. Market quotations for equity securities used by the Funds include last reported sale prices, or, if such prices are not reported or available, bid and ask prices. Swap agreements are valued utilizing quotes received daily by the Funds’ pricing service or through brokers, which are derived using daily swap curves and models that incorporate a number of market data factors, such as discounted cash flows, trades and values of the underlying reference instruments. Foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at the mean between the bid and ask prices and are determined at the close of business on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). Interpolated values are derived when the settlement date of the contract is an interim date for which quotations are not available. The Funds may also utilize independent pricing services to assist them in determining a current market value for each security based on sources believed to be reliable.

When fair value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a Fund to calculate its Net Asset Value (“NAV”) may differ from any quoted or published prices for the same securities for that day. Events affecting the value of foreign investments may occur between the time at which they are determined and when the Funds calculate their NAV, which is normally the close of trading on the NYSE. If such events render market quotations unreliable, and the impact of such events can be reasonably determined, the investments will be valued at their fair value in accordance with pricing policies. The fair value of a security held by the Funds may be determined using the services of third-party pricing services to assist in this process.

The books and records of the Funds are maintained in U.S. dollars. Transactions, portfolio securities, and assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are translated and recorded in U.S. dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the close of trading on the NYSE. The Fund does not isolate the effect of changes in foreign exchange rates from changes in market prices on securities held. Accordingly, such changes are included within Change in net unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments on the Statement of Operations. Translation gains or losses resulting from changes in the exchange rate during the reporting period and realized gains and losses on the settlement of foreign currency transactions are reported in the results of operations for the current period. The Funds isolate that portion of gains and losses on investments in fixed income securities that is due to changes in foreign exchange rate from that which is due to changes in market prices of securities.

Foreign securities held by the Funds may be traded on days and at times when the NYSE is closed. Accordingly, the value of the Funds may be significantly affected on days when shareholders have no access to the Funds.

 

B.

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS: The Funds follow a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and the Funds’ own market assumptions (unobservable inputs). These inputs are used in determining the value of the Funds’ financial instruments and are summarized in the following fair value hierarchy:

Level 1: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical securities (foreign securities that are valued based on market quotations).

Level 2: Other significant observable inputs. Certain foreign securities may be fair valued by Matthews using information such as quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, and foreign exchange. Additionally, external pricing services are used when the Funds determine that events affecting the value of foreign securities which occur between the time at which they are determined and the close of trading on the NYSE render market quotations unreliable.

Level 3: Significant unobservable inputs. Level 3 securities are valued based on significant unobservable inputs as determined under the direction of the Board. Characterization of such securities as Level 3 securities are not necessarily an indication of their liquidity or the risk associated with investing in these securities. A significant change in the unobservable inputs could result in a significantly lower or higher value in such Level 3 securities and could impact overall Fund performance.

The input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with financial instruments at that level.

 

116    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Levels for Multi-Country Funds (1 of 2):

Summary of inputs used to determine the fair valuation of multi-country Funds’ investments as of June 30, 2023.

 

     

Matthews
Emerging Markets
Equity Fund

       Matthews
Emerging Markets
Sustainable Future
Fund
       Matthews
Emerging Markets
Small Companies
Fund
       Matthews Asia
Growth Fund
 
Assets:                  
Investments:                  

Level 1: Quoted Prices

                 

Common Equities:

                 

Brazil

     $2,108,749          $18,128,406          $32,133,124          $—  

Chile

              1,880,710          24,357,852           

China/Hong Kong

     759,018          33,107,733          48,990,261          34,646,804  

France

     506,540                             

India

     1,901,647                             

Mexico

     2,236,753                   4,930,914           

Philippines

     271,471                             

Singapore

     53,400                            6,987,610  

Taiwan

                                14,140,809  

United Arab Emirates

                       8,551,496           

United States

     1,065,724          6,645,483                    

Zambia

     300,448                             

Preferred Equities:

                 

Brazil

                       11,413,136           

Level 2: Other Significant Observable Inputs

                 

Common Equities:

                 

Australia

     620,759                            20,707,181  

Bangladesh

              1,736,411          2,836,150           

China/Hong Kong

     3,103,176          62,453,525          89,769,894          109,591,239  

Estonia

              2,256,188                    

France

     338,506                             

India

     2,030,891          46,281,727          106,505,548          86,067,470  

Indonesia

     516,678          2,181,721          11,891,144          29,881,584  

Kazakhstan

     286,061                             

Japan

                                251,165,910  

Jordan

              3,014,522                    

Philippines

     239,849                   12,044,501           

Poland

     437,308          7,773,627          7,029,120           

Romania

              2,617,092                    

Saudi Arabia

              4,259,080                    

Singapore

     302,068                             

South Korea

     383,833          17,219,996          50,412,097           

Switzerland

     323,259                             

Taiwan

     1,551,760          21,744,167          48,031,148          11,638,200  

Thailand

     223,333                   3,368,188           

Turkey

                       4,128,839           

United Arab Emirates

     238,318                             

United Kingdom

     641,103                             

Vietnam

     1,485,299          3,598,183          26,597,875           

Preferred Equities:

                 

South Korea

     1,334,016          10,213,478                    

Level 3: Significant Unobservable Inputs

                 

Common Equities:

                 

China/Hong Kong

                       2,653,104           

Russia

     1,871                   25,053           

Taiwan

                       5,859,731           

Total Market Value of Investments

     $23,261,838          $245,112,049          $501,529,175          $564,826,807  

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      117  


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Levels for Multi-Country Funds (2 of 2):

Summary of inputs used to determine the fair valuation of multi-country Funds’ investments as of June 30, 2023.

 

     

Matthews Pacific
Tiger Fund

       Matthews Asia
Innovators Fund
       Matthews Asian
Growth and
Income Fund
       Matthews Asia
Dividend Fund
 
Assets:                  
Investments:                  

Level 1: Quoted Prices

                 

Common Equities:

                 

Brazil

     $—          $5,607,897          $—          $—  

Canada

              72,659,335                    

China/Hong Kong

     167,768,513                   20,599,586          26,213,797  

Indonesia

              5,244,512                    

Japan

              4,918,951                    

Netherlands

              13,970,281                    

Singapore

              8,905,251                    

Taiwan

                                39,099,032  

United States

              42,334,845          8,826,100           

Level 2: Other Significant Observable Inputs

                 

Convertible Corporate Bondsa

                       43,521,595           

Common Equities:

                 

Australia

                       7,978,092          150,775,191  

Bangladesh

                                8,981,433  

China/Hong Kong

     1,419,224,760          83,923,746          187,915,339          369,407,396  

France

              9,371,605          16,206,358           

India

     584,247,623          84,059,662          54,942,687          118,336,856  

Indonesia

     107,978,307          7,411,694          12,571,447          34,405,283  

Japan

              11,674,857                   487,188,455  

Philippines

     90,083,203                   9,795,198           

Singapore

     46,486,864                   38,492,728          54,760,009  

South Korea

     387,630,169          47,556,770          49,925,781          93,013,518  

Taiwan

     592,127,793          43,754,796          62,203,977          86,917,877  

Thailand

     107,880,417                   9,141,604          22,748,008  

Vietnam

     62,431,288          5,273,384                   26,944,548  

Preferred Equities:

                 

South Korea

              3,380,123                    

Rights:

                 

Singapore

                                199,759  

South Korea

                       12,579          26,637  

Total Market Value of Investments

     $3,565,858,937          $450,047,709          $522,133,071          $1,519,017,799  

 

a

Industry, countries, or security types are disclosed on the Schedule of Investments.

 

118    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Levels for Single Country Funds:

Summary of inputs used to determine the fair valuation of the single country Funds’ investments as of June 30, 2023.

 

    

Matthews
China Fund

   

Matthews

China Small

Companies
Fund

    Matthews
India Fund
    Matthews
Japan Fund
    Matthews
Korea Fund
    Matthews China
Dividend Fund
 
Assets:            
Investments:            

Level 1: Quoted Prices

           

Common Equities:

           

Communication Services

    $10,192,827       $3,076,235       $—       $—       $—       $—  

Consumer Discretionary

    43,255,680             3,689,131             1,506,057       13,209,933  

Health Care

          5,112,056                          

Industrials

          2,880,071                         3,894,146  

Information Technology

          3,074,310                          

Real Estate

    21,433,762                                

Level 2: Other Significant Observable Inputs

           

Common Equities:

           

Communication Services

    79,641,128                   45,775,749       3,678,978       29,559,722  

Consumer Discretionary

    169,473,638       24,686,291       80,590,075       153,797,534       5,839,426       37,565,575  

Consumer Staples

    36,165,736       6,534,889       60,151,963       43,776,332       5,317,091       16,283,080  

Energy

    11,488,845             29,462,818             2,027,003       3,525,136  

Financials

    123,257,385       4,613,653       245,137,953       75,075,688       3,196,373       25,763,293  

Health Care

    30,842,156       7,141,559       66,319,930       55,066,644       4,774,625       11,466,946  

Industrials

    58,810,285       30,195,172       42,330,615       125,179,304       4,477,028       7,659,568  

Information Technology

    40,212,245       22,960,743       77,555,541       125,854,650       17,921,821       12,702,474  

Materials

          907,244       45,672,300       32,736,102       3,883,432       9,390,111  

Real Estate

    12,717,537       10,459,388             4,620,249             10,860,387  

Utilities

    5,907,572       4,062,701                          

Preferred Equities:

           

Information Technology

                            9,590,644        

Rights:

           

Financials

                            1,036        

Non Convertible Corporate Bonds:

           

Consumer Staples

                23,852                    

Level 3: Significant Unobservable Inputs

           

Common Equities:

           

Real Estate

    7,833,269       676,305                          

Total Market Value of Investments

    $651,232,065       $126,380,617       $650,934,178       $661,882,252       $62,213,514       $181,880,371  

Changes in the Balances of Level 3 Securities:

The Funds’ policy is to recognize transfers in and transfers out of Level 3 as of the beginning of the reporting period.

 

     Matthews
Emerging Markets
Equity Fund
    Matthews Emerging Markets Small
Companies Fund
   

Matthews

China Fund

   

Matthews

China Small

Companies
Fund

 
   

Common

Equities —

Russia

   

Common

Equities —

Russia

   

Common

Equities —

China/
Hong Kong

   

Common

Equities —

Taiwan

   

Common

Equities —

Real Estate

   

Common

Equities —

Real Estate

 
Balance as of 12/31/22 (market value)     $2,177       $30,067       $—       $—       $—       $250  
Accrued discounts/premiums                                    
Realized gain/(loss)                             (12,583,162     (4,164,841
Change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)     (306     (5,014     (2,235,561     2,282,041       5,240,517       3,039,605  
Purchases                 550,940       1,792,976       1,792,214        
Sales                             (1,629,852     (1,062,363
Transfers in to Level 3                 4,337,725       1,784,714       15,013,552       2,863,654  
Transfer out of Level 3                                    
Balance as of 6/30/23 (market value)     $1,871       $25,053       $2,653,104       $5,859,731       $7,833,269       $676,305  
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on Level 3 investments held as of 6/30/23*     ($306     ($5,014     ($2,235,561     $2,282,041       $5,240,517       $2,975,172  

 

*

Included in the related amounts on the Statements of Operations.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      119  


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

C.

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH NON-U.S. COMPANIES: Investments by the Funds in the securities of non-U.S. companies may involve investment risks not typically associated with investments in U.S. issuers. These risks include possible political, economic, social and religious instability, inadequate investor protection; changes in laws or regulations of countries within the Asia Pacific region (including in countries where the Funds may invest, as well as in the broader region); international relations with other nations; natural disasters; corruption; and military activity. Foreign securities may be subject to greater fluctuations in price than securities of domestic corporations or the U.S. government. Foreign investing may also include the risk of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, limitation on the removal of funds or other assets, currency crises and exchange controls, the imposition of foreign withholding tax on the interest income payable on such instruments, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits or assets, or the adoption of other foreign government restrictions that might adversely affect the foreign securities held by the Funds. Additionally, Asia Pacific countries may utilize formal or informal currency exchange controls or “capital controls” that may limit the ability to repatriate investments or income or adversely affect the value of portfolio investments. The economies of many Asia Pacific countries differ from the economies of more developed countries in many respects, such as their rate of growth, inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and dependence on other economies, financial system stability, the national balance of payments position and sensitivity to changes in global trade.

Certain Asia Pacific countries are highly dependent upon and may be affected by developments in the economies of other countries. Non-U.S. companies are subject to different accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards, practices, and requirements than U.S. companies. There is generally less government regulation of stock exchanges, brokers, and listed companies abroad than in the United States, which may result in less transparency with respect to a company’s operations, and make obtaining information about them more difficult (or such information may be unavailable).

Among other risks of investing in foreign markets are the variable quality and reliability of financial information and related audits of companies. In some cases, financial information and related audits can be unreliable and not subject to verification. Auditing firms in some of these markets are not subject to independent inspection or oversight of audit quality. For example, China does not allow the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board to inspect the work that auditors perform in China for Chinese companies that sell stock into U.S. markets. This can result in investment decisions being made based on flawed or misleading information.

Foreign stock markets may not be as developed or efficient as those in the United States, and the absence of negotiated brokerage commissions in certain countries may result in higher brokerage fees. The time between the trade and settlement dates of securities transactions on foreign exchanges ranges from one day to four weeks or longer and may result in higher custody charges. Custodial arrangements may be less well developed than in the United States. Foreign securities are generally denominated and pay distributions in foreign currencies, exposing the Funds to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Investing in any country in the Asia Pacific region will also entail risks specific and unique to that country, and these risks can be significant and change rapidly.

Changes in interest rates in each of the countries in which the Funds may invest, as well as interest rates in more-developed countries, may cause a decline in the market value of an investment. Generally, fixed income securities will decrease in value when interest rates rise and can be expected to rise in value when interest rates decline. As interest rates decline, debt issuers may repay or refinance their loans or obligations earlier than anticipated. The issuers of fixed income securities may, therefore, repay principal in advance. This would force the Funds to reinvest the proceeds from the principal prepayments at lower rates, which reduces the Funds’ income.

The Funds may invest in certain operating companies in China through legal structures known as variable interest entities (“VIEs”). In China, ownership of companies in certain sectors by foreign individuals and entities (including U.S. persons and entities such as the Fund) is prohibited. In order to facilitate foreign investment in these businesses, many Chinese companies have created VIEs. In such an arrangement, a China-based operating company typically establishes an offshore shell company in another jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. That shell company enters into service and other contracts with the China-based operating company, then issues shares on a foreign exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange. Foreign investors hold stock in the shell company rather than directly in the China-based operating company. This arrangement allows U.S. investors to obtain economic exposure to the China-based company through contractual means rather than through formal equity ownership.

VIEs are a longstanding industry practice and well known to officials and regulators in China; however, VIEs are not formally recognized under Chinese law. Recently, the government of China provided new guidance to and placed restrictions on China-based companies raising capital offshore, including through VIE structures. Investors face uncertainty about future actions by the government of China that could significantly affect an operating company’s financial performance and the enforceability of the shell company’s contractual arrangements. It is uncertain whether Chinese officials or regulators will withdraw their implicit acceptance of the VIE structure, or whether any new laws, rules or regulations relating to VIE structures will be adopted or, if adopted, what impact they would have on the interests of foreign shareholders. Under extreme circumstances, China might prohibit the existence of VIEs, or sever their ability to transmit economic and governance rights to foreign individuals and entities; if so, the market value of the Funds’ associated portfolio holdings would likely suffer significant, detrimental, and possibly permanent effects, which could result in substantial investment losses.

In February 2022, Russian forces entered Ukraine and commenced an armed conflict. Economic sanctions have since been imposed on Russia and certain of its citizens, including the exclusion of Russia from the SWIFT global payments network. As a result, Russian-related stocks and debt have since suffered significant declines in value. The ongoing conflict, together with growing turmoil from fluctuations in commodity prices and foreign exchange rates, has the potential to impact adversely global economies and has driven a sharp increase in volatility across markets. The duration of the Russian-Ukraine conflict and its effect on financial markets cannot be determined with certainty. The Funds’ performance could be negatively impacted if the value of a portfolio holding were harmed by these and such other events. Management is actively monitoring these events. As of June 30, 2023, the Russian positions held across the Matthews Asia Funds were valued near zero.

 

D.

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS: It is the policy of Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund and Matthews China Dividend Fund to distribute net investment income on a semi-annual basis and capital gains, if any, annually. It is the policy of Matthews Asia Dividend Fund to distribute net investment income on a quarterly basis and capital gains, if any, annually. Each of the other Funds distributes a net investment income and capital gains, if any, annually. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations which may differ from U.S. GAAP.

 

120    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

The tax character of distributions paid for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 was as follows:

 

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2022    Ordinary
Income
       Net Long-Term
Capital Gains
       Total Taxable
Distributions
 
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund      $658,304          $—          $658,304  
Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund      1,492,800          7,214,833          8,707,633  
Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund      3,923,578          24,305,438          28,229,016  
Matthews Asia Growth Fund      5          18,069,743          18,069,748  
Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund      16,179,343          286,471,072          302,650,415  
Matthews Asia Innovators Fund               104,645,624          104,645,624  
Matthews China Fund      240          54,199,190          54,199,430  
Matthews China Small Companies Fund      3,042,313                   3,042,313  
Matthews India Fund      708,348          82,241,918          82,950,266  
Matthews Japan Fund               46,366,482          46,366,482  
Matthews Korea Fund      49          8,608,543          8,608,592  
Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund      12,257,793          20,816,547          33,074,340  
Matthews Asia Dividend Fund      26,407,965                   26,407,965  
Matthews China Dividend Fund      9,296,913          3,944,924          13,241,837  

 

E.

INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS AND INCOME: Securities transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold or on the following business day. Financial statements reflect security transactions on trade date. Gains or losses on the sale of securities are determined on the identified cost basis. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. Interest income, including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts on debt securities, is recognized daily on an accrual basis. Dividend income is generally recorded on the ex-dividend date net of any foreign taxes withheld at the source. Dividend income for certain issuers headquartered in countries which the Funds invest may not be recorded until approved by the shareholders (which may occur after the ex-dividend date) if, in the judgment of management, such dividends are not reasonably determined as of the ex-dividend date. Income and realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments are allocated to each class of shares based on its relative net assets.

The Funds may be subject to foreign taxation related to income received, capital gains on the sale of securities and certain foreign currency transactions in the foreign jurisdictions in which they invest. Foreign taxes, if any, are recorded based on the tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign markets in which the Funds invest. When a capital gain tax is determined to apply, the Funds record an estimated deferred tax liability in an amount that may be payable if the securities were disposed of on the valuation date.

 

F.

FUND EXPENSE ALLOCATIONS: The Funds account separately for the assets, liabilities and operations of each Fund. Estimated expenses are accrued daily. Direct expenses of each Fund or class are charged to that Fund or class while general expenses are allocated pro-rata among the Funds based on net assets or other appropriate methods.

 

G.

CASH, CASH OVERDRAFTS, AND FOREIGN CURRENCY: QFI accounts (i.e., the accounts through which the QFI quota is accessed) are required by the local market to maintain a cash reserve. The cash reserve is based upon a fixed ratio of the QFI’s approved investment quota, which is defined as the amount remitted into its special Renminbi (RMB) cash account. These amounts, if any, are included in “Segregated foreign currency at value” on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. The fixed ratio is set at 0.08 percent for the Shanghai and 0.06 percent for the Shenzhen market. When any of the Funds’ cash balances are overdrawn, a Fund is charged an overdraft fee by the custodian of 1.00% above the 30-day LIBOR rate on outstanding balances. These amounts, if any, are included in “Other expenses” on the Statements of Operations.

 

H.

USE OF ESTIMATES: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results may differ from those estimates.

 

I.

RECENT ACCOUNTING GUIDANCE: The FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU), ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848)—Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting in March 2020 and ASU 2021-01 in January 2021 which provided further amendments and clarifications to Topic 848. These ASUs provide optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), and other interbank-offered based reference rates, through December 31, 2022. In December, 2022, FASB issued ASU 2022-06 which defers the sunset date of Topic 848 from December 31, 2022, to December 31, 2024, after which entities will no longer be permitted to apply the relief in Topic 848. Management intends to rely upon the relief provided under Topic 848, which is not expected to have a material impact on the fund’s financial statements.

In June 2022, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU), ASU 2022-03, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820)—Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions, which clarifies that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security is not considered part of the unit of account of the equity security and, therefore, is not considered in measuring fair value. The amendments under this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023; however, early adoption is permitted. Management is currently evaluating the impact, if any, of applying this ASU.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      121  


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

3.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

 

    

Six-Month Period Ended

June 30, 2023 (Unaudited)

     Year Ended December 31, 2022  
      Shares      Amount      Shares      Amount  

MATTHEWS EMERGING MARKETS EQUITY FUND

           

Investor Class

           

Shares sold

     70,548        $827,699        543,935        $6,760,608  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   14,921        169,949  

Shares redeemed

     (96,896      (1,134,472      (580,296      (6,968,303

Net (decrease)

     (26,348      ($306,773      (21,440      ($37,746

Institutional Class

           

Shares sold

     91,431        $1,059,320        538,021        $6,550,963  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   32,061        364,856  

Shares redeemed

     (1,078,680      (12,663,473      (999,790      (10,801,893

Net (decrease)

     (987,249      ($11,604,153      (429,708      ($3,886,074

MATTHEWS EMERGING MARKETS SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FUND

           

Investor Class

           

Shares sold

     601,624        $7,766,459        1,098,927        $14,356,992  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   126,489        1,643,095  

Shares redeemed

     (382,907      (4,951,758      (1,223,916      (16,262,366

Net increase (decrease)

     218,717        $2,814,701        1,500        ($262,279

Institutional Class

           

Shares sold

     6,199,077        $81,437,122        8,359,951        $109,214,942  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   520,431        6,765,600  

Shares redeemed

     (2,054,381      (26,246,933      (3,359,345      (43,484,222

Net increase

     4,144,696        $55,190,189        5,521,037        $72,496,320  

MATTHEWS EMERGING MARKETS SMALL COMPANIES FUND

           

Investor Class

           

Shares sold

     2,723,298        $67,179,127        1,463,829        $36,219,282  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   435,633        10,354,992  

Shares redeemed

     (896,844      (22,158,167      (1,685,415      (43,078,500

Net increase

     1,826,454        $45,020,960        214,047        $3,495,774  

Institutional Class

           

Shares sold

     2,803,196        $69,827,822        4,719,237        $119,349,047  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   709,335        16,832,529  

Shares redeemed

     (1,393,206      (34,478,379      (2,933,352      (71,109,980

Net increase

     1,409,990        $35,349,443        2,495,220        $65,071,596  

MATTHEWS ASIA GROWTH FUND

           

Investor Class

           

Shares sold

     502,069        $10,967,934        2,196,500        $53,440,225  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   280,586        6,105,563  

Shares redeemed

     (1,546,071      (33,140,895      (9,394,517      (217,632,827

Net (decrease)

     (1,044,002      ($22,172,961      (6,917,431      ($158,087,039

Institutional Class

           

Shares sold

     1,334,900        $29,482,214        8,636,741        $205,709,835  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   461,447        10,165,668  

Shares redeemed

     (2,744,705      (59,427,299      (26,559,936      (616,610,455

Net (decrease)

     (1,409,805      ($29,945,085      (17,461,748      ($400,734,952

 

122    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

    

Six-Month Period Ended

June 30, 2023 (Unaudited)

     Year Ended December 31, 2022  
      Shares      Amount      Shares      Amount  

MATTHEWS PACIFIC TIGER FUND

           

Investor Class

           

Shares sold

     1,563,341        $33,191,484        6,112,939        $142,892,124  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

     2,040        42,290        4,149,003        86,008,839  

Shares redeemed

     (5,715,591      (117,636,651      (23,272,445      (523,023,023

Net (decrease)

     (4,150,210      ($84,402,877      (13,010,503      ($294,122,060

Institutional Class

           

Shares sold

     22,483,583        $471,754,548        62,395,908        $1,443,573,678  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   9,622,597        199,476,439  

Shares redeemed

     (18,114,117      (372,202,000      (137,484,729      (3,041,572,531

Net increase (decrease)

     4,369,466        $99,552,548        (65,466,224      ($1,398,522,414

MATTHEWS ASIA INNOVATORS FUND

           

Investor Class

           

Shares sold

     2,579,502        $30,835,708        7,678,394        $115,859,588  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   4,958,740        58,612,306  

Shares redeemed

     (4,111,924      (47,112,174      (13,166,923      (190,724,602

Net (decrease)

     (1,532,422      ($16,276,466      (529,789      ($16,252,708

Institutional Class

           

Shares sold

     5,015,716        $59,711,685        9,489,396        $148,205,928  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   3,693,765        44,362,122  

Shares redeemed

     (3,740,667      (42,950,667      (44,606,226      (688,227,731

Net increase (decrease)

     1,275,049        $16,761,018        (31,423,065      ($495,659,681

MATTHEWS CHINA FUND

           

Investor Class

           

Shares sold

     3,134,855        $48,052,312        6,751,257        $111,112,645  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   2,084,117        31,178,384  

Shares redeemed

     (4,400,994      (63,958,039      (12,430,268      (194,631,328

Net (decrease)

     (1,266,139      ($15,905,727      (3,594,894      ($52,340,299

Institutional Class

           

Shares sold

     6,662,023        $98,346,142        15,868,949        $265,191,549  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   1,343,972        20,078,939  

Shares redeemed

     (5,222,137      (71,222,566      (27,424,340      (427,780,367

Net increase (decrease)

     1,439,886        $27,123,576        (10,211,419      ($142,509,879

MATTHEWS CHINA SMALL COMPANIES FUND

           

Investor Class

           

Shares sold

     959,768        $11,182,611        3,436,963        $44,992,214  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   173,336        1,984,698  

Shares redeemed

     (1,968,656      (21,298,489      (6,599,506      (82,835,265

Net (decrease)

     (1,008,888      ($10,115,878      (2,989,207      ($35,858,353

Institutional Class

           

Shares sold

     667,686        $7,774,212        2,927,129        $38,281,777  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   78,949        904,757  

Shares redeemed

     (729,969      (7,918,811      (9,263,348      (106,586,014

Net (decrease)

     (62,283      ($144,599      (6,257,270      ($67,399,480

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      123  


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

    

Six-Month Period Ended

June 30, 2023 (Unaudited)

     Year Ended December 31, 2022  
      Shares      Amount      Shares      Amount  

MATTHEWS INDIA FUND

           

Investor Class

           

Shares sold

     1,369,616        $31,338,632        1,593,397        $42,087,227  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   2,952,961        67,091,273  

Shares redeemed

     (2,253,595      (50,065,507      (4,188,976      (106,860,935

Net increase (decrease)

     (883,979      ($18,726,875      357,382        $2,317,565  

Institutional Class

           

Shares sold

     579,402        $13,404,899        894,519        $22,947,980  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   456,719        10,591,311  

Shares redeemed

     (529,451      (12,098,899      (1,541,629      (39,262,095

Net increase (decrease)

     49,951        $1,306,000        (190,391      ($5,722,804

MATTHEWS JAPAN FUND

           

Investor Class

           

Shares sold

     1,260,068        $20,265,954        1,890,537        $31,931,773  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   877,175        13,482,177  

Shares redeemed

     (1,132,558      (17,947,725      (5,698,655      (100,302,819

Net increase (decrease)

     127,510        $2,318,229        (2,930,943      ($54,888,869

Institutional Class

           

Shares sold

     6,097,493        $97,849,281        20,568,891        $361,445,980  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   1,915,282        29,495,342  

Shares redeemed

     (7,150,611      (113,772,561      (47,662,766      (784,368,302

Net (decrease)

     (1,053,118      ($15,923,280      (25,178,593      ($393,426,980

MATTHEWS KOREA FUND

           

Investor Class

           

Shares sold

     318,248        $1,279,757        1,794,314        $7,344,868  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

                   1,920,486        7,451,487  

Shares redeemed

     (18,877,339      (79,650,512      (5,847,971      (24,651,834

Net (decrease)

     (18,559,091      ($78,370,755      (2,133,171      ($9,855,479

Institutional Class

           

Shares sold

     2,457,586        $63,757,145        81,837        $2,268,597  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

     42,186        1,051,693        40,393        953,194  

Shares redeemed

     (283,065      (7,096,187      (161,336      (4,304,395

Net increase (decrease)

     2,216,707        $57,712,651        (39,106      ($1,082,604

MATTHEWS ASIAN GROWTH AND INCOME FUND

           

Investor Class

           

Shares sold

     652,128        $8,621,368        2,072,697        $28,836,381  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

     291,454        3,756,844        1,292,489        16,634,895  

Shares redeemed

     (4,612,605      (60,723,650      (9,901,120      (135,266,079

Net (decrease)

     (3,669,023      ($48,345,438      (6,535,934      ($89,794,803

Institutional Class

           

Shares sold

     2,374,729        $31,485,765        9,508,243        $131,777,583  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

     230,653        2,966,198        1,200,111        15,469,643  

Shares redeemed

     (5,956,507      (77,579,495      (23,448,483      (305,383,902

Net (decrease)

     (3,351,125      ($43,127,532      (12,740,129      ($158,136,676

 

Investor Class shares of the Fund were converted into Institutional Class shares on June 20, 2023.

Share amounts have been adjusted for a reverse stock split effective after the close of business on June 23, 2023. See Note 1 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

 

124    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

    

Six-Month Period Ended

June 30, 2023 (Unaudited)

     Year Ended December 31, 2022  
      Shares      Amount      Shares      Amount  

MATTHEWS ASIA DIVIDEND FUND

           

Investor Class

           

Shares sold

     1,559,915        $21,431,207        7,514,453        $115,243,327  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

     145,957        1,966,041        505,887        7,582,603  

Shares redeemed

     (8,469,506      (115,510,382      (46,253,275      (662,868,059

Net (decrease)

     (6,763,634      ($92,113,134      (38,232,935      ($540,042,129

Institutional Class

           

Shares sold

     6,115,821        $84,369,225        39,426,296        $582,376,055  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

     300,831        4,049,180        1,155,172        17,289,211  

Shares redeemed

     (25,503,594      (351,872,616      (112,802,946      (1,587,005,266

Net (decrease)

     (19,086,942      ($263,454,211      (72,221,478      ($987,340,000

MATTHEWS CHINA DIVIDEND FUND

           

Investor Class

           

Shares sold

     959,347        $14,152,657        2,997,704        $43,780,103  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

     238,818        2,970,892        563,832        8,208,582  

Shares redeemed

     (1,431,149      (19,843,134      (6,111,791      (84,105,056

Net (decrease)

     (232,984      ($2,719,585      (2,550,255      ($32,116,371

Institutional Class

           

Shares sold

     1,336,740        $18,988,623        2,658,451        $38,472,050  

Shares issued through reinvestment of distributions

     138,441        1,720,824        320,617        4,657,289  

Shares redeemed

     (2,150,312      (29,445,540      (4,375,736      (62,829,410

Net (decrease)

     (675,131      ($8,736,093      (1,396,668      ($19,700,071

 

4.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Matthews, a registered investment advisor under the 1940 Act, provides the Funds with investment management services. Pursuant to the prior Investment Advisory Agreement dated August 13, 2004, as amended (the “Prior Advisory Agreement”) and the current Investment Advisory Agreement dated February 1, 2016, as amended (the “Current Advisory Agreement,” and together with the Prior Advisory Agreement, the “Advisory Agreement”), the Funds pay Matthews (i) for management and advisory services; and (ii) for certain administrative services, an annual fee as a percentage of average daily net assets. Under the Advisory Agreement each of the Funds, other than Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund and Matthews China Small Companies Fund (the “Family-Priced Funds”), pays Matthews 0.75% of their aggregate average daily net assets up to $2 billion, 0.6834% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $2 billion up to $5 billion, 0.65% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $5 billion up to $25 billion, 0.64% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $25 billion up to $30 billion, 0.63% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $30 billion up to $35 billion, 0.62% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $35 billion up to $40 billion, 0.61% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $40 billion up to $45 billion, and 0.60% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $45 billion. Each of the Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund and the Matthews China Small Companies Fund pays Matthews an annual fee of 1.00% of the average daily net assets of such Fund up to $1 billion and 0.95% of the average daily net assets of such Fund over $1 billion pursuant to the Advisory Agreement. Each Fund pays Matthews a monthly fee at the annual rate using the applicable management fee calculated based on the actual number of days of that month and based on the Fund’s average daily net asset value for the month.

Pursuant to a fee waiver letter agreement, effective as of September 1, 2014, between the Trust, on behalf of the Family-Priced Funds, and Matthews (as amended from time to time, the “Fee Waiver Agreement”), for each Family-Priced Fund, Matthews has agreed to waive a portion of the fee payable under the Advisory Agreement and a portion of the fee payable under the Administration and Shareholder Services Agreement, if any Family-Priced Fund’s average daily net assets are over $3 billion, as follows: for every $2.5 billion average daily net assets of a Family-Priced Fund that are over $3 billion, the fee rates that otherwise would be applied for calculating fees payable under the Advisory Agreement and the Administration and Shareholder Services Agreement for such Family-Priced Fund with respect to such excess average daily net assets will be each reduced by 0.01%, in each case without reducing such fee rate below 0.00%.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      125  


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Investment advisory fees charged, waived fees and reimbursed additional expenses for the six-month period ended June 30, 2023, were as follows:

 

     

Gross Advisory Fees

       Advisory Fees
Waived and
Expenses Waived or
Reimbursed in
Excess of the
Expense Limitation
       Net Advisory Fee/
(Net Reimbursement)
 
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund      $87,509          ($90,872        ($3,363
Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund      734,492                   734,492  
Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund      2,131,709          (362,583        1,769,126  
Matthews Asia Growth Fund      2,134,606                   2,134,606  
Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund      13,092,021          (43,677        13,048,344  
Matthews Asia Innovators Fund      1,685,595                   1,685,595  
Matthews China Fund      2,585,682                   2,585,682  
Matthews China Small Companies Fund      759,906          (129,894        630,012  
Matthews India Fund      2,010,065                   2,010,065  
Matthews Japan Fund      2,193,010                   2,193,010  
Matthews Korea Fund      246,290                   246,290  
Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund      2,015,742                   2,015,742  
Matthews Asia Dividend Fund      5,883,227                   5,883,227  
Matthews China Dividend Fund      760,826                   760,826  

Under a written agreement between the Funds and Matthews (the “Operating Expense Agreement”), Matthews agrees to waive fees and reimburse expenses to a Fund if its expense ratio exceeds a certain percentage level. For all Funds, except the Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund, the Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund and the Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund, this level is 1.20% for the Institutional Class. For the Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund, this level is 0.90% for the Institutional Class. For the Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund and the Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund, this level is 1.15% for the Institutional Class. Matthews agrees to reduce the expense ratio for the Investor Class by waiving an equal amount of non-class specific expenses (e.g., custody fees) as the Institutional Class. Because certain expenses of the Investor Class may be higher than those of the Institutional Class and because class specific expenses may be waived solely for the Institutional Class, total annual Fund expenses for the Investor Class may exceed 1.20% (or 0.90% for the Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund, or 1.15% for the Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund and Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund). In turn, if the expenses of a Fund, fall below the level noted within three years after Matthews has made such a reimbursement, the Fund may reimburse Matthews up to an amount of the recoupment available not to exceed the lesser of (i) the expense limitation applicable at the time of that fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement or (ii) the expense limitation in effect at the time of recoupment. This agreement will continue through April 30, 2024, may be extended for additional periods not exceeding one year, 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.

Waived Fees Subject to Possible Future Recoupment:

On June 30, 2023, the amounts subject to possible future recoupment under the expense limitation agreement are as follows:

 

     Expiring December 31,  
      2023        2024        2025        2026  
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund      $231,409          $248,206          $263,291          $90,872  
Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund      378,868          638,812          647,978          362,583  
Matthews China Small Companies Fund      362,019          309,590          388,736          129,894  

The Funds have an Administration and Shareholder Services Agreement dated August 13, 2004, as amended (the “Shareholder Services Agreement” or “Services Agreement”), in which the Funds pay an annual administration and shareholder servicing fee to Matthews, as a percentage of the average daily net assets of each Fund in aggregate, computed and prorated on a daily basis. Under the Shareholder Services Agreement, the Funds in the aggregate pay Matthews 0.25% of their aggregate average daily net assets up to $2 billion, 0.1834% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $2 billion up to $5 billion, 0.15% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $5 billion up to $7.5 billion, 0.125% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $7.5 billion up to $15 billion, 0.11% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $15 billion up to $22.5 billion, 0.10% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $22.5 billion up to $25 billion, 0.09% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $25 billion up to $30 billion, 0.08% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $30 billion up to $35 billion, 0.07% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $35 billion up to $40 billion, 0.06% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $40 billion up to $45 billion, and 0.05% of their aggregate average daily net assets over $45 billion.

 

126    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Administration and shareholder servicing fees charged, for the six-month period ended June 30, 2023, were as follows:

 

     

Gross
Administration and
Shareholder
Servicing Fees

       Administration and
Shareholder
Servicing Fees
Waived in Excess of
Expense Limitation
       Net
Administration and
Shareholder
Servicing Fees
 
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund      $22,030          $—          $22,030  
Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund      185,186                   185,186  
Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund      365,729                   365,729  
Matthews Asia Growth Fund      537,693                   537,693  
Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund      3,298,259          (43,677        3,254,582  
Matthews Asia Innovators Fund      424,594                   424,594  
Matthews China Fund      651,105                   651,105  
Matthews China Small Companies Fund      130,141                   130,141  
Matthews India Fund      506,616                   506,616  
Matthews Japan Fund      552,685                   552,685  
Matthews Korea Fund      62,022                   62,022  
Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund      507,777                   507,777  
Matthews Asia Dividend Fund      1,481,774                   1,481,774  
Matthews China Dividend Fund      191,583                   191,583  

In addition to the fees paid to the Funds’ transfer agent, the Funds bear the cost of fees paid to certain service providers or intermediaries, including supermarkets, which provide transfer agency, record-keeping and shareholder servicing to certain shareholders. These fees are referred to as intermediary service fees on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities as well as the Statements of Operations. Additional information concerning these services and fees is contained in the Funds’ prospectuses.

BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (“BNY Mellon”), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, serves as the Funds’ administrator, and in that capacity, performs various administrative and accounting services for each Fund. BNY Mellon also serves as the Funds’ transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent and registrar. An officer of BNY Mellon serves as Assistant Treasurer to the Funds. Total fees accrued by the Funds for administration and accounting services for the six-month period ended June 30, 2023 were as follows:

 

     

Administration and
Accounting fees

 
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund      $1,029  
Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund      8,636  
Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund      17,054  
Matthews Asia Growth Fund      25,103  
Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund      153,956  
Matthews Asia Innovators Fund      19,822  
Matthews China Fund      30,409  
Matthews China Small Companies Fund      6,079  
Matthews India Fund      23,635  
Matthews Japan Fund      25,787  
Matthews Korea Fund      2,896  
Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund      23,705  
Matthews Asia Dividend Fund      69,187  
Matthews China Dividend Fund      8,948  

As of June 30, 2023, Matthews and its affiliates held significant shares in the Funds as follows:

 

     

Shares held by Matthews
and its Affiliates

       Percentage of
Outstanding Shares
 
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund      619,543          31%  

Certain officers and Trustees of the Funds are also officers and directors of Matthews. All officers serve without compensation from the Funds. The Funds paid the Independent Trustees $580,405 in aggregate for regular compensation during the six-month period ended June 30, 2023.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      127  


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

5.

INVESTMENTS

The value of investment transactions made for affiliated and unaffiliated holdings for the six-month period ended June 30, 2023 were as follows:

 

      Affiliated Purchases        Proceeds from
Affiliated Sales
       Unaffiliated Purchases        Proceeds from
Unaffiliated Sales
 
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund      $—          $—          $3,643,282          $15,094,231  
Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund                        94,567,489          36,326,696  
Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund                        118,879,403          47,164,100  
Matthews Asia Growth Fund                        216,892,273          276,342,750  
Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund                        174,334,125          215,015,198  
Matthews Asia Innovators Fund                        570,611,128          575,605,259  
Matthews China Fund                        260,162,164          244,999,202  
Matthews China Small Companies Fund                        49,565,332          61,331,734  
Matthews India Fund                        112,596,102          128,625,776  
Matthews Japan Fund                        278,083,471          306,846,590  
Matthews Korea Fund                        6,966,946          30,229,023  
Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund                        17,323,531          116,035,968  
Matthews Asia Dividend Fund                        1,072,129,326          1,452,895,669  
Matthews China Dividend Fund                        29,787,480          43,810,453  

 

6.

INCOME TAX INFORMATION

It is the policy of the Funds to comply with all requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“the Code”), applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute substantially all of their taxable income to their shareholders. The Funds have met the requirements of the Code applicable to regulated investment companies for the six-month period ended June 30, 2023. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required.

Management has analyzed the Funds’ tax positions taken on federal income tax returns for all open tax years (current and prior three tax years), and has concluded that no provision for federal income tax is required in the Funds’ financial statements. The Funds’ federal and state income and federal excise tax returns for tax years for which the applicable statutes of limitations have not expired are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and state departments of revenue.

Under current tax law, the Funds have elected to defer certain qualified late-year losses and recognize such losses in the year ending December 31, 2022:

 

      Late Year
Losses*
 
Matthews Asia Innovators Fund      ($1,695,641
Matthews India Fund      (4,306,898

 

*

As permitted by the Internal Revenue Service, the Funds have elected to defer certain qualified late-year losses and recognize such losses in the next fiscal year.

As of December 31, 2022, the Funds have capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized capital gains through the indicated expiration dates as follows:

 

     Amount With No Expiration           
      Short-term
Losses
       Long-term
Losses
       Total  
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund      $3,392,560          $989,581          $4,382,141  
Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund               83,618,354          83,618,354  
Matthews Asia Growth Fund      124,610,849          22,738,539          147,349,388  
Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund      33,908,360                   33,908,360  
Matthews Asia Innovators Fund      179,655,785          91,870,463          271,526,248  
Matthews China Fund      102,659,675          46,640,649          149,300,324  
Matthews China Small Companies Fund      41,071,139          55,238,491          96,309,630  
Matthews Japan Fund      152,505,812          15,879,969          168,385,781  
Matthews Korea Fund      3,269,836          953,240          4,223,076  
Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund      11,747,132          38,811,432          50,558,564  
Matthews Asia Dividend Fund      351,455,897                   351,455,897  
Matthews China Dividend Fund      22,983,416          8,879,325          31,862,741  

 

128    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, the Funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an unlimited period. However, any losses incurred during those future taxable years will be required to be utilized prior to any losses incurred in pre-enactment taxable years, which generally expire after eight years from when they are incurred. Additionally, post-enactment capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered all short-term as under previous law.

As of June 30, 2023, the tax cost of investments, including derivatives, and the related net unrealized appreciation and depreciation were as follows:

 

     

Tax Cost

       Gross
Unrealized
Appreciation
       Gross
Unrealized
Depreciation
       Net Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund      $26,010,985          $2,122,255          ($4,871,402        ($2,749,147
Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund      237,926,483          36,344,855          (29,159,289        7,185,566  
Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies Fund      458,310,058          108,366,476          (65,147,359        43,219,117  
Matthews Asia Growth Fund      560,461,341          69,798,811          (65,433,345        4,365,466  
Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund      3,313,603,561          842,021,794          (589,766,418        252,255,376  
Matthews Asia Innovators Fund      498,752,336          27,357,203          (76,061,830        (48,704,627
Matthews China Fund      904,795,831          23,556,238          (277,120,004        (253,563,766
Matthews China Small Companies Fund      144,087,267          11,749,797          (29,456,447        (17,706,650
Matthews India Fund      521,526,284          150,708,350          (21,300,456        129,407,894  
Matthews Japan Fund      589,155,925          90,067,108          (17,340,781        72,726,327  
Matthews Korea Fund      56,644,823          9,841,374          (4,272,683        5,568,691  
Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund      514,010,826          88,672,699          (80,550,454        8,122,245  
Matthews Asia Dividend Fund      1,553,608,168          123,555,522          (158,145,891        (34,590,369
Matthews China Dividend Fund      207,163,826          14,705,336          (39,988,791        (25,283,455

 

7.

PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RISKS

Pandemics and other public health emergencies, including outbreaks of infectious diseases such as the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”), can result, and in the case of COVID-19 is resulting, in market volatility and disruption, and materially and adversely impact economic conditions in ways that cannot be predicted, all of which could result in substantial investment losses. Containment efforts and related restrictive actions by governments and businesses have significantly diminished and disrupted global economic activity across many industries. Less developed countries and their health systems may be more vulnerable to these impacts. The ultimate impact of COVID-19 or other health emergencies on global economic conditions and businesses is impossible to predict accurately. Ongoing and potential additional material adverse economic effects of indeterminate duration and severity are possible. The resulting adverse impact on the value of investment in the Funds could be significant and prolonged.

 

8.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Effective July 14, 2023, the Matthews Korea Fund reorganized into the Matthews Korea Active ETF, a new series of the Trust.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA      129  


Table of Contents

LOGO


Table of Contents

LOGO


Table of Contents
Matthews Asia Funds              

INVESTMENT ADVISOR

Matthews International Capital Management, LLC

Four Embarcadero Center, Suite 550

San Francisco, CA 94111

800.789.ASIA

 

CUSTODIAN

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

50 Post Office Square

Boston, MA 02110

    

ACCOUNT SERVICES

Matthews Asia Funds

P.O. Box 534475

Pittsburgh, PA 15253-4475

800.789.ASIA

 

LEGAL COUNSEL

Paul Hastings LLP

101 California Street, 48th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94111

    

ADMINISTRATOR &

TRANSFER AGENT

BNY Mellon

301 Bellevue Parkway

Wilmington, DE 19809

 

LOGO

 

P.O. Box 534475  |  Pittsburgh, PA 15253-4475  |  matthewsasia.com  |  800.789.ASIA (2742)

 

Matthews Asia Funds are distributed in the United States by Foreside Funds Distributors LLC, Portland, Maine

Matthews Asia Funds are distributed in Latin America by Picton S. A.

 

LOGO

 

SAR-0623

 

 


Table of Contents

Matthews Asia Active ETFs  |  Semi-Annual Report

June 30, 2023  |  matthewsasia.com

 

GLOBAL EMERGING MARKETS STRATEGIES

Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF (MEM)

Matthews Emerging Markets ex China Active ETF (MEMX)

ASIA GROWTH STRATEGIES

Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF (MINV)

Matthews China Active ETF (MCH)

 

LOGO

 

Listed on the NYSE Arca

 

LOGO


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Matthews Asia Active Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) are actively managed and do not seek to replicate a specific index. ETFs are bought and sold through an exchange at the then current market price, not net asset value (NAV), and are not individually redeemed from the fund. Shares may trade at a premium or discount to their NAV when traded on an exchange. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns. There can be no guarantee that an active market for ETFs will develop or be maintained, or that the ETF’s listing will continue or remain unchanged.

ETF market price returns since inception are calculated using NAV for the period until market price becomes available (generally a few days after inception).

Investments are not FDIC-insured, nor are they deposits of, or guaranteed by, a bank or any other entity, so they may lose value.

Cover photo: Looking out to brighter and greener pastures (Chiang Mai, Thailand)

 

 

This report has been prepared for Matthews International Funds (d/b/a Matthews Asia Funds) shareholders. It is not authorized for distribution to prospective investors unless accompanied or preceded by a current Matthews Asia Funds prospectus, which contains more complete information about the Funds’ investment objectives, risks and expenses. Additional copies of the prospectus or summary prospectus may be obtained at matthewsasia.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

The views and opinions in this report were current as of June 30, 2023. 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 a Fund’s future investment intent. Current and future portfolio holdings are subject to risk.

Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but neither the Funds nor the Investment Advisor makes any representation or guarantee as to their completeness or accuracy.

 

2    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS


Table of Contents

Contents

 

Message to Shareholders from the Investment Advisor     4  
Fund Characteristics and Schedules of Investments:  
GLOBAL EMERGING MARKETS STRATEGIES  
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF     6  
Matthews Emerging Markets ex China Active ETF     9  
ASIA GROWTH STRATEGIES  
Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF     12  
Matthews China Active ETF     15  
Index Definitions     18  
Disclosures     19  
Disclosure of Fund Expenses     19  
Statements of Assets and Liabilities     21  
Statements of Operations     22  
Statements of Changes in Net Assets     23  
Financial Highlights     25  
Notes to Financial Statements     29  
1. Organization     29  
2. Significant Accounting Policies     29  
3. Capital Shares Transactions     33  
4. Investment Advisory Fees and Other Transactions with Affiliates     34  
5. Investments     34  
6. Income Tax Information     34  
7. Public Health Emergency Risks     35  

Investment Risk: Exchange-Traded Fund shares are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by, any depositary institution. Shares are not insured by the FDIC, Federal Reserve Board or any government agency and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of principal amount invested. Investing in international and emerging markets may involve additional 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. In addition, single-country and sector funds may be subject to a higher degree of market risk than diversified funds because of a concentration in a specific industry, sector or geographic location. Investing in small and mid-size companies is more risky than investing in large companies as they may be more volatile and less liquid than larger companies. Please see the Funds’ Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information for more risk disclosure.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      3  


Table of Contents

LOGO

Message to Shareholders from the

Investment Advisor

Investment Manager Letter

Interest rate cycles are driving changes in short-term sentiment these days and U.S.—China politics seem to be determining the longer-term mood. In the last quarter it was particularly apparent that neither seem to be working in favor of emerging markets. For many investors, it’s been a signal to sit it out on the sidelines.

Clearly, elevated global interest rates do pose a challenge to the outlook of a growth-orientated asset like emerging markets and geopolitics have weighed heavily on Chinese stocks and on companies in the semiconductor space. Underneath it all, Asia and emerging markets, particularly China, have simply struggled to produce the per-share earnings growth that their economic growth deserved. Meanwhile, markets like the U.S. have been outperforming consistently.

So you could be forgiven for questioning the rationale for staying invested in emerging markets, particularly as China labors in its recovery. Our economic theory and stock-picking patience have certainly been tested recently but we remain convinced of the long-term opportunities of this asset class. Here’s why.

Emerging markets and interest rates

First, let’s take a look at inflation and interest rates. After having obsessed over inflation and its permanence or transience for the past two years I feel confident in saying two things: first, that two-thirds to three-quarters of the inflation spike we endured was transient and due to supply shocks that are now almost entirely behind us. Second, the resulting permanent inflation is probably running at no more than about 3% in the U.S. and is still declining, in part due to interest rate rises that have already been made. So we can probably say with some confidence that interest rates have peaked. So where does this leave emerging market performance relative to developed markets? Typically it’s not been a favorable environment but only because falling rates are usually associated with cyclical economic weakness. However, I wouldn’t assume this to be the unfolding scenario. If the Fed has indeed pulled off the magic trick of a soft landing, a cycle more tilted to growth may play out—and I don’t see many in the market prepared for that. So that could be a tailwind at large for emerging markets.

Growth after a soft landing

The Fed’s rate moves are, of course, are only half the story for emerging markets. What about their central banks? Here there are two plot lines in motion. In the rate hike camp, Brazil got a better start even than the U.S. and Mexico, too, has brought a lot of credibility to macro management over the past few years. So the speed of the decline in interest rates in the U.S. is likely to be matched or even exceeded in these countries as inflation falls rapidly and at the same time the growth prospects of these economies look intact. The other plot line is in Asia, where inflation has been much less of an issue. Countries like Indonesia and India have done a lot to tame exposure to international rate cycles. As for Japan, I’ve always thought that it needed inflation so it’s not a surprise to see its equity markets doing quite well, particularly as the yen has strengthened.

India, Brazil, and Japan have been among the bright spots in emerging and international markets and there is no reason to suspect that any of them will hit harder times if the U.S. dollar remains weak and Fed rates come down.

And what about the elephant in the room, China. The world’s second biggest economy has no inflation. If anything inflation is too low. Core inflation, excluding food and energy, is at 0.4% year-on-year. The inflation rate is low partly due to the fact that China is emerging steadily but cautiously from COVID lockdown. It is emerging cautiously as the government doesn’t want to overstimulate the economy in the way that (arguably) some western nations did.

 

 

4    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

China’s challenges

So China is in quite a different macro space and that brings opportunities and challenges. The trick for China is to get incomes (and with it consumer demand) onto a sustainably rising trend, at least in line with nominal gross domestic product growth. I think China understands this and there has been a renewed focus of late in promoting an environment favorable to private enterprise. The private sector is key for the government as it holds in its hands the fate of the vast majority of urban employment and therefore the fate of the China Communist’s Party’s urban popularity, which took a big hit in the later stages of the pandemic.

China may also have to be more aggressive in its attempts to spur quality growth, from the point of view of a balanced macroeconomic policy and return on investment. Just look at the concrete steps taken in India and Mexico, in particular on macroeconomic policy, and in places like Japan and South Korea, in terms of pressure on companies to improve corporate governance and shareholder returns. China has done better on these kind of things of late but it has achieved neither the fanfare nor the practical success that some of its neighbors have.

The other driver of global market sentiment is geopolitics, of course. As we have been at pains to point out there seems little reason to expect things to improve any time soon. Indeed, further sanctions or trade controls seem to be pushing the U.S. and China into separate blocs with the result that economics and investment returns may become less correlated. As investors in emerging markets, I think we have to accept this truth and position portfolios and devise investment strategies that are more in tune with, and cognizant of, the growing importance of domestic policies.

Good businesses at good prices

Ultimately, investing in global and emerging markets is all down to finding companies. And the sluggishness of China’s economic growth and the skepticism towards it, belies the fact that there are still many good companies to be found. The sheer size of the market and the need for a bottom-up portfolio manager to find a tiny portion of good businesses means that short-term skepticism can often lead to good prices for good businesses. From our point of view, China still offers significant opportunities for the long-term investor. So, despite the better performance and perhaps superior short-term outlook in Japan and India, our regional portfolios will more often than not maintain a balance between the major markets.

In recent times, the bigger macro picture has determined to large degrees the trajectory of many equity markets regardless of the performance of their companies. In the falling rate cycle of the pandemic only growth was rewarded, profitable or otherwise. As rates rose, the environment favored more cyclical businesses. I suspect these unusually sharp style cycles are a symptom of the unusually severe and severely unusual inflation and growth cycles we’ve experienced. I think these will dampen down and the inflation cycle will normalize.

It has been a trial for quality growth stock picking and I expect the next few years will be a little easier. And it is quality growth that is shared across all we do. Yes, some of our portfolios are more exposed to emerging businesses and smaller companies. Some portfolios skew to income or established and predictable growth. But the core remains finding good businesses with sensible management, where we can be comfortable with the valuation we are paying. As strategic emerging market investors, we stand by our method, in both favorable times and trying times.

 

LOGO

Robert Horrocks, PhD

Chief Investment Officer

Matthews International Capital Management, LLC

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      5  


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
John Paul Lech   Alex Zarechnak

Lead Manager

  Lead Manager
Andrew Mattock, CFA   Peeyush Mittal, CFA

Co-Manager

  Co-Manager
FUND FACTS
Ticker   MEM

CUSIP

  577125818

Inception Date

  07/13/22

Gross Expense Ratio

  0.79%

# of Positions

  57

Net Assets

  $57.5 million

Portfolio Turnover

  15.5%

Weight Average Market Cap

  $111.5 billion

Benchmark

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation.

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 the common and preferred stocks of companies located in 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.

 

3

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

4

Not all countries where the Fund may invest are included in the benchmark index.

5

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF (unaudited)

 

 
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023  
 

 

    

 

      

 

      

 

     Actual Return,
Not  Annualized
 
     3 Months      YTD      1 Year      Since
Inception
     Inception
date
 
Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF (NAV)1      2.18%        5.14%        n.a.        11.06%        07/13/22  
Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF (market price)      3.11%        5.41%        n.a.        12.06%     
MSCI Emerging Markets Index2      1.04%        5.10%        n.a.        5.02%     

 

  1

The returns shown are based on net asset values calculated for shareholder transactions and may differ from the returns shown in the financial highlights, which reflect adjustments made to the net asset values in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

  2

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 18 for index definition.

Performance 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 sold, shares may be worth more or less than their original cost. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance visit matthewsasia.com.

 

     
TOP TEN HOLDINGS3              
     Country      % of Net Assets  
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Pfd.    South Korea        6.6%  
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.    Taiwan        5.6%  
Tencent Holdings, Ltd.    China        4.1%  
Prologis Property Mexico SA de CV REIT    Mexico        3.5%  
HDFC Bank, Ltd. ADR    India        3.4%  
FPT Corp.    Vietnam        2.9%  
Prudential PLC    United Kingdom        2.8%  
Woodside Energy Group, Ltd.    Australia        2.6%  
AIA Group, Ltd.    Hong Kong        2.5%  
ICICI Bank, Ltd. ADR    India        2.5%  
Total           36.5%  

 

   
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)4.5      
India     16.6  
China/Hong Kong     16.4  
Mexico     9.4  
Brazil     8.8  
South Korea     7.2  
Taiwan     6.6  
Vietnam     5.1  
United States     4.5  
France     3.6  
United Kingdom     2.8  
Australia     2.6  
Philippines     2.2  
Indonesia     2.1  
Poland     1.9  
Singapore     1.7  
Switzerland     1.4  
Zambia     1.3  
Kazakhstan     1.2  
United Arab Emirates     1.0  
Thailand     0.9  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     2.8  
   
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)5      
Financials     23.7  
Information Technology     20.7  
Consumer Discretionary     13.1  
Materials     10.4  
Industrials     6.4  
Energy     4.8  
Real Estate     4.8  
Consumer Staples     4.7  
Health Care     4.6  
Communication Services     4.1  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     2.8  

 

   
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)5      
Mega Cap (over $25B)     55.4  
Large Cap ($10B-$25B)     15.2  
Mid Cap ($3B-10B)     18.4  
Small Cap (under $3B)     8.2  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     2.8  
 
 

 

6    Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF     


Table of Contents

Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 91.6%

 

     Shares     Value  
INDIA: 16.6%    

HDFC Bank, Ltd. ADR

         27,933         $1,946,930  

ICICI Bank, Ltd. ADR

    62,411       1,440,446  

Infosys, Ltd. ADR

    75,827       1,218,540  

Kotak Mahindra Bank, Ltd.

    38,897       875,531  

PI Industries, Ltd.

    17,357       829,753  

Dabur India, Ltd.

    118,484       827,505  

Restaurant Brands Asia, Ltd.b

    563,905       740,314  

UltraTech Cement, Ltd.

    7,312       739,322  

Indian Hotels Co., Ltd.

    112,792       539,650  

Divi’s Laboratories, Ltd.

    8,760       382,664  
   

 

 

 

Total India

      9,540,655  
   

 

 

 
   
     
CHINA/HONG KONG: 16.4%    

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

    55,000       2,327,285  

AIA Group, Ltd.

    143,000       1,443,394  

H World Group, Ltd. ADRb

    24,485       949,528  

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

    15,709       887,558  

Midea Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    104,400       846,807  

JD.com, Inc. Class A

    42,400       716,351  

NARI Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    224,640       713,310  

BYD Co., Ltd. A Shares

    16,500       585,783  

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, Ltd.

    652,000       566,588  

Innovent Biologics, Inc.b,c,d

    97,000       366,383  
   

 

 

 

Total China/Hong Kong

      9,402,987  
   

 

 

 
   
     
MEXICO: 9.4%    

Prologis Property Mexico SA de CV REIT

    543,000       2,013,632  

GCC SAB de CV

    104,000       889,341  

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV Class O

    104,700       862,056  

Becle SAB de CV

    332,700       812,812  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste SAB de CV ADR

    2,912       808,633  
   

 

 

 

Total Mexico

      5,386,474  
   

 

 

 
   
     
BRAZIL: 8.8%    

Banco BTG Pactual SA

    216,600       1,412,120  

Vinci Partners Investments, Ltd. Class A

    87,949       819,685  

Hapvida Participacoes e Investimentos SAb,c,d

    849,100       770,949  

Armac Locacao Logistica E Servicos SA

    238,900       741,858  

Vale SA ADR

    54,388       729,887  

WEG SA

    77,200       604,125  
   

 

 

 

Total Brazil

      5,078,624  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TAIWAN: 6.6%    

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

    167,000       3,088,571  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ADR

    7,200       726,624  
   

 

 

 

Total Taiwan

      3,815,195  
   

 

 

 
   
     
VIETNAM: 5.1%    

FPT Corp.

    450,700       1,643,426  

Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank

    818,700       701,197  

HDBank

    766,625       604,589  
   

 

 

 

Total Vietnam

      2,949,212  
   

 

 

 
   
     
UNITED STATES: 4.5%    

Applied Materials, Inc.

    7,368       1,064,971  

Globant SAb

    5,216       937,419  

Freeport-McMoRan, Inc.

    14,136       565,440  
   

 

 

 

Total United States

      2,567,830  
   

 

 

 
   
    Shares     Value  
     
FRANCE: 3.6%    

TotalEnergies SE ADR

         21,409         $1,234,015  

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE

    896       843,614  
   

 

 

 

Total France

      2,077,629  
   

 

 

 
   
     
UNITED KINGDOM: 2.8%    

Prudential PLC

    112,223       1,581,550  
   

 

 

 

Total United Kingdom

      1,581,550  
   

 

 

 
   
     
AUSTRALIA: 2.6%    

Woodside Energy Group, Ltd.

    65,762       1,507,593  
   

 

 

 

Total Australia

      1,507,593  
   

 

 

 
   
     
PHILIPPINES: 2.2%    

Wilcon Depot, Inc.

    1,511,800       661,419  

Ayala Corp.

    50,880       576,092  
   

 

 

 

Total Philippines

      1,237,511  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDONESIA: 2.1%    

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk

    3,380,000       1,223,045  
   

 

 

 

Total Indonesia

      1,223,045  
   

 

 

 
   
     
POLAND: 1.8%    

Dino Polska SAb,c,d

    9,103       1,063,785  
   

 

 

 

Total Poland

      1,063,785  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SINGAPORE: 1.7%    

CapitaLand Investment, Ltd.

    291,700       713,435  

TDCX, Inc. ADRb

    32,319       255,643  

CapitaLand Ascott Trust

    19,254       15,365  
   

 

 

 

Total Singapore

      984,443  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SOUTH KOREA: 1.6%    

LG Chem, Ltd.

    1,780       901,044  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      901,044  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SWITZERLAND: 1.4%    

Cie Financiere Richemont SA Class A

    4,625       783,973  
   

 

 

 

Total Switzerland

      783,973  
   

 

 

 
   
     
ZAMBIA: 1.3%    

First Quantum Minerals, Ltd.

    30,500       722,365  
   

 

 

 

Total Zambia

      722,365  
   

 

 

 
   
     
KAZAKHSTAN: 1.2%    

Kaspi.KZ JSC GDRd

    8,639       687,664  
   

 

 

 

Total Kazakhstan

      687,664  
   

 

 

 
   
     
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 1.0%    

Fertiglobe PLC

    638,793       577,393  
   

 

 

 

Total United Arab Emirates

      577,393  
   

 

 

 
   
 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      7  


Table of Contents

Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

COMMON EQUITIES (continued)

 

     Shares     Value  
THAILAND: 0.9%    

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Public Co., Ltd. F Shares

    690,200            $540,207  
   

 

 

 

Total Thailand

      540,207  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL COMMON EQUITIES       52,629,179  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $51,739,270)

   
   

PREFERRED EQUITIES: 5.6%

 

 
     
SOUTH KOREA: 5.6%    

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Pfd.

    71,480       3,227,762  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      3,227,762  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL PREFERRED EQUITIES       3,227,762  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $3,109,384)

   
   

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS: 1.5%

 

 
     
MONEY MARKET FUNDS: 1.5%    

JPMorgan U.S. Government Money Market
Fund, Capital Shares, 5.01%e

       837,126       837,126  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $837,126)

   
   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 98.7%       56,694,067  

(Cost $55,685,780)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 1.3%
      767,781  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $57,461,848  
   

 

 

 
a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Non-income producing security.

 

c

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration normally to qualified institutional buyers. The security has been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees. At June 30, 2023, the aggregate value is $2,201,117, which is 3.83% of net assets.

 

d

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

e

Rate shown is the current yield as of June 30, 2023.

 

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

 

GDR

Global Depositary Receipt

 

JSC

Joint Stock Co.

 

Pfd.

Preferred

 

REIT

Real Estate Investment Trust

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

8    Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF     


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
John Paul Lech   Alex Zarechnak

Lead Manager

 

Lead Manager

Peeyush Mittal, CFA  

Co-Manager

 
FUND FACTS
Ticker   MEMX

CUSIP

  577125792

Inception Date

  01/10/23

Gross Expense Ratio

  0.79%

# of Positions

  50

Net Assets

  $5.3 million

Portfolio Turnover

  n.a.

Weight Average Market Cap

  $108.4 billion

Benchmark

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation.

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 the common and preferred stocks of companies located in emerging market countries excluding China. 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.

 

2

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

3

Not all countries where the Fund may invest are included in the benchmark index.

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

Matthews Emerging Markets ex China Active ETF

(unaudited)

 

 
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023  
 

 

    

 

      

 

     Actual Return,
Not  Annualized
 
     3 Months      1 Year      Since
Inception
     Inception
date
 
Emerging Markets ex China Active ETF (NAV)      6.38%        n.a.        6.04%        01/10/23  
Emerging Markets ex China Active ETF (market price)      6.74%        n.a.        7.08%     
MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index1      6.23%        n.a.        5.67%     

 

  1

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 18 for index definition.

Performance 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 sold, shares may be worth more or less than their original cost. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance visit matthewsasia.com.

 

     
TOP TEN HOLDINGS2              
     Country      % of Net Assets  
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ADR    Taiwan        9.9%  
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Pfd.    South Korea        6.1%  
HDFC Bank, Ltd. ADR    India        4.0%  
Prologis Property Mexico SA de CV REIT    Mexico        3.6%  
FPT Corp.    Vietnam        3.4%  
Prudential PLC    United Kingdom        3.0%  
Banco BTG Pactual SA    Brazil        3.0%  
Woodside Energy Group, Ltd.    Australia        2.9%  
Infosys, Ltd. ADR    India        2.8%  
ICICI Bank, Ltd. ADR    India        2.7%  
Total           41.4%  

 

   
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)3,4      
India     20.9  
Brazil     10.3  
Mexico     10.0  
Taiwan     9.9  
South Korea     8.7  
Vietnam     5.9  
United States     5.0  
France     4.0  
United Kingdom     3.7  
Australia     2.9  
Philippines     2.6  
Indonesia     2.4  
United Arab Emirates     2.4  
Poland     2.1  
Switzerland     1.7  
Zambia     1.3  
Kazakhstan     1.3  
Singapore     1.2  
Thailand     1.0  
Turkey     0.2  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     2.4  
   
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)4      
Information Technology     26.1  
Financials     24.2  
Materials     12.6  
Consumer Discretionary     9.6  
Consumer Staples     6.1  
Energy     5.3  
Industrials     5.1  
Real Estate     4.9  
Health Care     3.8  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     2.4  

 

   
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)4      
Mega Cap (over $25B)     52.3  
Large Cap ($10B-$25B)     15.0  
Mid Cap ($3B-10B)     21.4  
Small Cap (under $3B)     8.8  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     2.4  
 
 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      9  


Table of Contents

Matthews Emerging Markets ex China Active ETF

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 91.5%

 

     Shares     Value  
INDIA: 20.9%    

HDFC Bank, Ltd. ADR

    3,027          $210,982  

Infosys, Ltd. ADR

    9,133       146,767  

ICICI Bank, Ltd. ADR

    6,277       144,873  

Kotak Mahindra Bank, Ltd.

    4,454       100,255  

PI Industries, Ltd.

    1,867       89,252  

UltraTech Cement, Ltd.

    872       88,169  

Restaurant Brands Asia, Ltd.b

    62,641       82,237  

Dabur India, Ltd.

    11,707       81,763  

Divi’s Laboratories, Ltd.

    1,446       63,166  

Indian Hotels Co., Ltd.

    13,109       62,720  

Hindustan Unilever, Ltd.

    1,121       36,596  
   

 

 

 

Total India

      1,106,780  
   

 

 

 
   
     
BRAZIL: 10.3%    

Banco BTG Pactual SA

    24,200       157,772  

Vinci Partners Investments, Ltd. Class A

    9,590       89,379  

Vale SA ADR

    6,420       86,156  

Hapvida Participacoes e Investimentos SAb,c,d

      90,100       81,807  

Armac Locacao Logistica E Servicos SA

    21,700       67,385  

WEG SA

    8,300       64,951  
   

 

 

 

Total Brazil

      547,450  
   

 

 

 
   
     
MEXICO: 10.0%    

Prologis Property Mexico SA de CV REIT

    52,100       193,205  

GCC SAB de CV

    10,800       92,354  

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV Class O

    11,100       91,393  

Becle SAB de CV

    33,000       80,621  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste SAB de CV ADR

    259       71,922  
   

 

 

 

Total Mexico

      529,495  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TAIWAN: 9.9%    

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ADR

    5,196       524,380  
   

 

 

 

Total Taiwan

      524,380  
   

 

 

 
   
     
VIETNAM: 5.9%    

FPT Corp.

    48,800       177,944  

Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank

    79,200       67,833  

HDBank

    84,000       66,245  
   

 

 

 

Total Vietnam

      312,022  
   

 

 

 
   
     
UNITED STATES: 5.0%    

Globant SAb

    591       106,215  

Applied Materials, Inc.

    732       105,803  

Freeport-McMoRan, Inc.

    1,371       54,840  
   

 

 

 

Total United States

      266,858  
   

 

 

 
   
     
FRANCE: 4.0%    

TotalEnergies SE ADR

    2,188       126,116  

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE

    91       85,680  
   

 

 

 

Total France

      211,796  
   

 

 

 
   
     
UNITED KINGDOM: 3.0%    

Prudential PLC

    11,312       159,419  
   

 

 

 

Total United Kingdom

      159,419  
   

 

 

 
   
     Shares     Value  
AUSTRALIA: 2.9%    

Woodside Energy Group, Ltd.

    6,749          $154,721  
   

 

 

 

Total Australia

      154,721  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SOUTH KOREA: 2.6%    

LG Chem, Ltd.

    177       89,598  

Kia Corp.

    748       50,240  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      139,838  
   

 

 

 
   
     
PHILIPPINES: 2.6%    

Wilcon Depot, Inc.

    157,000       68,688  

Ayala Corp.

    5,970       67,596  
   

 

 

 

Total Philippines

      136,284  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDONESIA: 2.4%    

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk

    353,900       128,058  
   

 

 

 

Total Indonesia

      128,058  
   

 

 

 
   
     
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 2.4%    

Americana Restaurants International PLC

    57,390       66,092  

Fertiglobe PLC

    65,529       59,230  
   

 

 

 

Total United Arab Emirates

      125,322  
   

 

 

 
   
     
POLAND: 2.1%    

Dino Polska SAb,c,d

    951       111,135  
   

 

 

 

Total Poland

      111,135  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SWITZERLAND: 1.7%    

Cie Financiere Richemont SA Class A

    538       91,195  
   

 

 

 

Total Switzerland

      91,195  
   

 

 

 
   
     
ZAMBIA: 1.3%    

First Quantum Minerals, Ltd.

    2,900       68,684  
   

 

 

 

Total Zambia

      68,684  
   

 

 

 
   
     
KAZAKHSTAN: 1.3%    

Kaspi.KZ JSC GDRd

    849       67,580  
   

 

 

 

Total Kazakhstan

      67,580  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SINGAPORE: 1.2%    

CapitaLand Investment, Ltd.

    26,000       63,590  

CapitaLand Ascott Trust

    1,819       1,452  
   

 

 

 

Total Singapore

      65,042  
   

 

 

 
   
     
THAILAND: 1.1%    

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Public Co., Ltd. F Shares

    70,300       55,023  
   

 

 

 

Total Thailand

      55,023  
   

 

 

 
   
     
CHILE: 0.7%    

Antofagasta PLC

    2,037       37,836  
   

 

 

 

Total Chile

      37,836  
   

 

 

 
   
 

 

10    Matthews Emerging Markets ex China Active ETF     


Table of Contents

Matthews Emerging Markets ex China Active ETF

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

COMMON EQUITIES (continued)

 

 

     Shares     Value  
TURKEY: 0.2%    

BIM Birlesik Magazalar ASb

    1,900            $12,426  
   

 

 

 

Total Turkey

      12,426  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL COMMON EQUITIES       4,851,344  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $4,590,695)

   
   

PREFERRED EQUITIES: 6.1%

   
     
SOUTH KOREA: 6.1%    

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Pfd.

    7,162       323,409  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      323,409  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL PREFERRED EQUITIES       323,409  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $312,952)

   
   

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS: 1.8%

   
     
MONEY MARKET FUNDS: 1.8%    

JPMorgan U.S. Government Money Market Fund,
Capital Shares, 5.01%e

      96,693       96,693  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $96,693)

   
   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 99.4%       5,271,446  

(Cost $5,000,340)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 0.6%
      30,681  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $5,302,127  
   

 

 

 
a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Non-income producing security.

 

c

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration normally to qualified institutional buyers. The security has been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees. At June 30, 2023, the aggregate value is $192,942, which is 3.64% of net assets.

 

d

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

e

Rate shown is the current yield as of June 30, 2023.

 

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

 

GDR

Global Depositary Receipt

 

JSC

Joint Stock Co.

 

Pfd.

Preferred

 

REIT

Real Estate Investment Trust

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      11  


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Michael J. Oh, CFA  

Lead Manager

 
Taizo Ishida   Inbok Song

Co-Manager

 

Co-Manager

FUND FACTS
Ticker   MINV

CUSIP

  577125826

Inception Date

  07/13/22

Gross Expense Ratio

  0.79%

# of Positions

  50

Net Assets

  $135.4 million

Portfolio Turnover

  72.6%

Weight Average Market Cap

  $193.6 billion

Benchmark

MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation.

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 the common and preferred stocks of companies located in Asia ex Japan 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. Asia ex Japan consists of all countries and markets in Asia excluding Japan, including developed, emerging, and frontier countries and markets in the Asia region.

 

2

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

3

Not all countries where the Fund may invest are included in the benchmark index.

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF (unaudited)

 

 
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023  
 

 

    

 

      

 

      

 

     Actual Return,
Not  Annualized
 
     3 Months      YTD      1 Year      Since
Inception
     Inception
date
 
Asia Innovators Active ETF (NAV)      -4.66%        -2.85%        n.a.        -5.80%        07/13/22  
Asia Innovators Active ETF (market price)      -4.16%        -2.35%        n.a.        -5.12%     
MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index1      -1.14%        3.19%        n.a.        1.71%     

 

  1

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 18 for index definition.

Performance 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 sold, shares may be worth more or less than their original cost. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance visit matthewsasia.com.

 

     
TOP TEN HOLDINGS2              
Name    Country      % Net Assets  
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.    Taiwan        8.0%  
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.    South Korea        6.2%  
Tencent Holdings, Ltd.    China        4.4%  
HDFC Bank, Ltd.    India        4.3%  
Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd. ADR    China        3.9%  
NVIDIA Corp.    United States        3.2%  
Trip.com Group, Ltd. ADR    China        3.0%  
ICICI Bank, Ltd.    India        3.0%  
ASML Holding NV    Netherlands        3.0%  
Meituan B Shares    China        2.9%  
Total           41.9%  

 

   
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)3,4      
China     33.7  
India     18.1  
United States     11.3  
South Korea     11.0  
Taiwan     9.5  
Netherlands     3.0  
Indonesia     2.7  
Japan     2.4  
France     2.0  
Singapore     1.9  
Vietnam     1.1  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     3.1  
   
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)4      
Information Technology     30.5  
Consumer Discretionary     26.5  
Financials     12.8  
Communication Services     10.5  
Consumer Staples     4.5  
Industrials     4.4  
Health Care     3.6  
Energy     2.1  
Real Estate     2.0  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     3.1  

 

   
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)4      
Mega Cap (over $25B)     72.6  
Large Cap ($10B-$25B)     11.4  
Mid Cap ($3B-10B)     10.3  
Small Cap (under $3B)     2.6  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     3.1  
 
 

 

12    Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF     


Table of Contents

Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 96.2%

 

     Shares     Value  
CHINA/HONG KONG: 33.7%    

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

       139,800       $5,915,535  

Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd. ADRb

    62,942       5,246,216  

Trip.com Group, Ltd. ADRb

    116,920       4,092,200  

Meituan B Sharesb,c,d

    251,020       3,917,483  

PDD Holdings, Inc. ADRb

    49,292       3,408,049  

KE Holdings, Inc. ADRb

    180,619       2,682,192  

NARI Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    637,080       2,022,949  

OPT Machine Vision Tech Co., Ltd. A Shares

    88,974       2,014,640  

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

    31,775       1,795,287  

BYD Co., Ltd. A Shares

    50,500       1,792,851  

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    56,000       1,761,181  

Baidu, Inc. ADRb

    12,448       1,704,256  

Proya Cosmetics Co., Ltd. A Shares

    100,780       1,557,111  

Hundsun Technologies, Inc. A Shares

    253,900       1,545,779  

China Resources Beer Holdings Co., Ltd.

    212,000       1,395,911  

BeiGene, Ltd. ADRb

    7,656       1,365,065  

Kuaishou Technologyb,c,d

    195,700       1,337,281  

Innovent Biologics, Inc.b,c,d

    290,500       1,097,262  

Legend Biotech Corp. ADRb

    14,582       1,006,595  
   

 

 

 

Total China/Hong Kong

      45,657,843  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDIA: 18.1%    

HDFC Bank, Ltd.

    278,885       5,783,967  

ICICI Bank, Ltd.

    357,618       4,074,172  

Bajaj Finance, Ltd.

    41,912       3,658,323  

Reliance Industries, Ltd.

    91,582       2,846,997  

Mahindra & Mahindra, Ltd.

    153,185       2,714,284  

Titan Co., Ltd.

    59,487       2,209,944  

Indian Hotels Co., Ltd.

    348,116       1,665,551  

Ashok Leyland, Ltd.

    756,971       1,544,646  
   

 

 

 

Total India

      24,497,884  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SOUTH KOREA: 10.3%    

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

    154,272       8,453,260  

Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.

    4,043       2,052,720  

Kia Corp.

    26,181       1,758,448  

Orion Corp.

    18,022       1,641,286  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      13,905,714  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TAIWAN: 9.5%    

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

    585,000       10,819,246  

Alchip Technologies, Ltd.

    36,000       2,074,844  
   

 

 

 

Total Taiwan

      12,894,090  
   

 

 

 
   
     
UNITED STATES: 9.1%    

NVIDIA Corp.

    10,349       4,377,834  

Netflix, Inc.b

    6,025       2,653,952  

Visa, Inc. Class A

    9,392       2,230,412  

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.

    3,016       1,629,334  

Lululemon Athletica, Inc.b

    3,598       1,361,843  
   

 

 

 

Total United States

      12,253,375  
   

 

 

 
   
     
JAPAN: 3.5%    

Keyence Corp.

    4,000       1,877,746  

Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.b

    32,107       1,449,310  

Asahi Intecc Co., Ltd.

    73,400       1,427,525  
   

 

 

 

Total Japan

      4,754,581  
   

 

 

 
   
     Shares     Value  
NETHERLANDS: 3.0%    

ASML Holding NV

    5,614       $4,068,747  
   

 

 

 

Total Netherlands

      4,068,747  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDONESIA: 2.7%    

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk

    4,353,100       1,575,159  

PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk

    2,030,500       1,533,794  

PT Astra International Tbk

    1,280,000       578,423  
   

 

 

 

Total Indonesia

      3,687,376  
   

 

 

 
   
     
FRANCE: 2.0%    

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE

    2,843       2,676,779  
   

 

 

 

Total France

      2,676,779  
   

 

 

 
   
     
SINGAPORE: 1.9%    

Sea, Ltd. ADRb

    45,034       2,613,773  
   

 

 

 

Total Singapore

      2,613,773  
   

 

 

 
   
     
BRAZIL: 1.2%    

MercadoLibre, Inc.b

    1,392       1,648,963  
   

 

 

 

Total Brazil

      1,648,963  
   

 

 

 
   
     
VIETNAM: 1.2%    

Mobile World Investment Corp.

    837,800       1,538,128  
   

 

 

 

Total Vietnam

          1,538,128  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL COMMON EQUITIES       130,197,253  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $121,988,712)

   
   

PREFERRED EQUITIES: 0.7%

   
     
SOUTH KOREA: 0.7%    

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Pfd.

    21,930       990,274  
   

 

 

 

Total South Korea

      990,274  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL PREFERRED EQUITIES       990,274  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $1,004,337)

   
   

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS: 1.5%

   
   
     
MONEY MARKET FUNDS: 1.5%    

JPMorgan U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Capital Shares, 5.01%e

    2,052,458       2,052,458  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $2,052,458)

   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 98.4%       133,239,985  

(Cost $125,045,507)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 1.6%
      2,179,065  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $135,419,050  
   

 

 

 
 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      13  


Table of Contents

Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

COMMON EQUITIES (continued)

 

a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Non-income producing security.

 

c

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration normally to qualified institutional buyers. The security has been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees. At June 30, 2023, the aggregate value is $6,352,026, which is 4.69% of net assets.

 

d

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

e

Rate shown is the current yield as of June 30, 2023.

 

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

 

Pfd.

Preferred

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

14    Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF     


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Andrew Mattock, CFA  

Lead Manager

 
Winnie Chwang   Sherwood Zhang, CFA  

Co-Manager

  Co-Manager
FUND FACTS        
Ticker       MCH

CUSIP

    577125834

Inception Date

    07/13/22

Gross Expense Ratio

    0.79%

# of Positions

    48

Net Assets

    $29.9 million

Portfolio Turnover

    12.5%

Weight Average Market Cap

      $97.4 billion

Benchmark

 

MSCI China Index

MSCI China All Shares Index

OBJECTIVE

 

 

Long-term capital appreciation.

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 the common and preferred stocks of companies located in China. China includes its administrative and other districts, such as Hong Kong.

 

2

Holdings may combine more than one security from same issuer and related depositary receipts.

3

Not all countries where the Fund may invest are included in the benchmark index.

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. Country allocations and percentage values may be derived from different data sources and may not be consistent with other Fund literature.

Matthews China Active ETF (unaudited)

 

 
PERFORMANCE AS OF JUNE 30, 2023  
 

 

    

 

      

 

      

 

     Actual Return,
Not  Annualized
 
     3 Months      YTD      1 Year      Since
Inception
     Inception
date
 
China Active ETF (NAV)      -13.80%        -13.73%        n.a.        -17.04%        07/13/22  
China Active ETF (market price)      -13.25%        -13.57%        n.a.        -16.44%     
MSCI China Index1      -9.65%        -5.39%        n.a.        -12.59%     
MSCI China All Shares Index1      -9.79%        -5.27%        n.a.        -14.24%     

 

  1

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Source: Index data from Morgan Stanley Capital International and Bloomberg; total return calculations performed by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. Please see page 18 for index definition.

Performance 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 sold, shares may be worth more or less than their original cost. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance visit matthewsasia.com.

 

     
TOP TEN HOLDINGS2              
Name    Country      % Net Assets  
Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd.    Consumer Discretionary        8.0%  
Tencent Holdings, Ltd.    Communication Services        7.8%  
PDD Holdings, Inc. ADR    Consumer Discretionary        5.3%  
Meituan B Shares    Consumer Discretionary        5.3%  
JD.com, Inc. Class A    Consumer Discretionary        4.6%  
China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd. A Shares    Financials        4.4%  
CITIC Securities Co., Ltd. H Shares    Financials        3.7%  
China International Capital Corp., Ltd. H Shares    Financials        3.6%  
KE Holdings, Inc. ADR    Real Estate        3.4%  
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares    Industrials        2.9%  
Total           49.0%  

 

 
COUNTRY ALLOCATION (%)3,4  
China/Hong Kong     98.3  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.7  
   
SECTOR ALLOCATION (%)4      
Consumer Discretionary     31.1  
Financials     18.6  
Communication Services     13.9  
Industrials     8.8  
Real Estate     6.5  
Information Technology     6.1  
Consumer Staples     5.7  
Health Care     4.6  
Energy     1.8  
Utilities     1.2  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.7  

 

   
MARKET CAP EXPOSURE (%)4      
Mega Cap (over $25B)     59.9  
Large Cap ($10B-$25B)     25.7  
Mid Cap ($3B-10B)     7.8  
Small Cap (under $3B)     4.9  
Cash and Other Assets, Less Liabilities     1.7  
 
 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      15  


Table of Contents

Matthews China Active ETF

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited)

COMMON EQUITIES: 98.4%

 

     Shares     Value  
CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY: 31.1%    

Broadline Retail: 17.9%

   

Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd.b

    231,300       $2,396,647  

PDD Holdings, Inc. ADRb

    22,846       1,579,572  

JD.com, Inc. Class A

    81,200       1,371,881  
   

 

 

 
      5,348,100  
   

 

 

 
   

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 8.2%

   

Meituan B Sharesb,c,d

    100,910       1,574,828  

Galaxy Entertainment Group, Ltd.b

    82,000       520,047  

H World Group, Ltd. ADRb

    9,090       352,510  
   

 

 

 
      2,447,385  
   

 

 

 
   

Household Durables: 1.7%

   

Man Wah Holdings, Ltd.

    550,000       367,060  

Midea Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    18,800       152,265  
   

 

 

 
      519,325  
   

 

 

 
   

Automobiles: 1.5%

   

Yadea Group Holdings, Ltd.c,d

    196,000       445,693  
   

 

 

 
   

Diversified Consumer Services: 1.0%

   

China Education Group Holdings, Ltd.d

    367,000       285,672  
   

 

 

 
   

Specialty Retail: 0.8%

   

China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp., Ltd. A Shares

    16,300       247,655  
   

 

 

 

Total Consumer Discretionary

      9,293,830  
   

 

 

 
   
     
FINANCIALS: 18.6%    

Capital Markets: 9.1%

   

CITIC Securities Co., Ltd. H Shares

    613,000       1,110,762  

China International Capital Corp., Ltd. H
Sharesc,d

    609,600       1,068,819  

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, Ltd.

    7,800       293,821  

East Money Information Co., Ltd. A Shares

    122,640       239,387  
   

 

 

 
      2,712,789  
   

 

 

 
   

Banks: 6.9%

   

China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd. A Shares

    290,800       1,309,535  

China Construction Bank Corp. H Shares

    1,171,000       757,595  
   

 

 

 
      2,067,130  
   

 

 

 
   

Insurance: 2.6%

   

PICC Property & Casualty Co., Ltd. H Shares

    428,000       475,701  

Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China, Ltd. H
Shares

    46,500       295,795  
   

 

 

 
      771,496  
   

 

 

 

Total Financials

      5,551,415  
   

 

 

 
   
     
COMMUNICATION SERVICES: 13.9%    

Interactive Media & Services: 9.4%

   

Tencent Holdings, Ltd.

    54,800       2,318,822  

Kuaishou Technologyb,c,d

    71,600       489,266  
   

 

 

 
      2,808,088  
   

 

 

 
   
     Shares     Value  

Media: 2.9%

   

Focus Media Information Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    657,811       615,782  

Three’s Co Media Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    21,895       $258,654  
   

 

 

 
      874,436  
   

 

 

 
   

Entertainment: 1.6%

   

Tencent Music Entertainment Group ADRb

    43,695       322,469  

Bilibili, Inc. ADRb

    9,920       149,792  
      472,261  
   

 

 

 

Total Communication Services

      4,154,785  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INDUSTRIALS: 8.8%    

Electrical Equipment: 4.9%

   

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. A
Shares

    27,900       877,445  

Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. A Shares

    36,300       581,964  
   

 

 

 
      1,459,409  
   

 

 

 
   

Machinery: 2.6%

   

Shenzhen Inovance Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    50,400       444,848  

Estun Automation Co., Ltd. A Shares

    86,600       333,315  
   

 

 

 
      778,163  
   

 

 

 
   

Transportation Infrastructure: 1.3%

   

Shanghai International Airport Co., Ltd. A Sharesb

    62,552       390,542  
   

 

 

 

Total Industrials

      2,628,114  
   

 

 

 
   
     
REAL ESTATE: 6.5%    

Real Estate Management & Development: 6.5%

   

KE Holdings, Inc. ADRb

    69,011       1,024,813  

Country Garden Services Holdings Co., Ltd.

    284,000       366,751  

CIFI Holdings Group Co., Ltd.e

    4,668,000       348,346  

Times China Holdings, Ltd.b

    2,255,000       204,304  
   

 

 

 

Total Real Estate

      1,944,214  
   

 

 

 
   
     
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: 6.1%    

Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 2.4%

   

Zhejiang Supcon Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    49,817       429,911  

Wingtech Technology Co., Ltd. A Shares

    43,200       290,383  
   

 

 

 
      720,294  
   

 

 

 
   

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 2.1%

 

 

NAURA Technology Group Co., Ltd. A Shares

    7,387       322,549  

Zhejiang Jingsheng Mechanical & Electrical Co., Ltd. A Shares

    31,603       308,002  
   

 

 

 
      630,551  
   

 

 

 
   

Software: 1.6%

   

Shanghai Baosight Software Co., Ltd. A Shares

    68,256       476,726  
   

 

 

 

Total Information Technology

      1,827,571  
   

 

 

 
   
CONSUMER STAPLES: 5.7%    

Beverages: 4.1%

   

Wuliangye Yibin Co., Ltd. A Shares

    23,200       521,640  

Tsingtao Brewery Co., Ltd. H Shares

    46,000       417,936  

Shanxi Xinghuacun Fen Wine Factory Co., Ltd. A Shares

    11,600       295,102  
   

 

 

 
      1,234,678  
   

 

 

 
   
 

 

16    Matthews China Active ETF     


Table of Contents

Matthews China Active ETF

June 30, 2023

Schedule of Investmentsa (unaudited) (continued)

COMMON EQUITIES (continued)

 

     Shares     Value  

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail: 1.6%

   

JD Health International, Inc.b,c,d

    73,200       $461,902  
   

 

 

 

Total Consumer Staples

      1,696,580  
   

 

 

 
   
     
HEALTH CARE: 4.6%    

Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 1.8%

   

Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. A Shares

    13,000       535,740  
   

 

 

 
   

Life Sciences Tools & Services: 1.7%

   

Wuxi Biologics Cayman, Inc.b,c,d

    108,000       517,495  
   

 

 

 
   

Health Care Providers & Services: 1.1%

   

Sinopharm Group Co., Ltd. H Shares

    104,000       325,141  
   

 

 

 

Total Health Care

      1,378,376  
   

 

 

 
   
     
ENERGY: 1.9%    

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 1.9%

   

PetroChina Co., Ltd. H Shares

    786,000       543,618  
   

 

 

 

Total Energy

      543,618  
   

 

 

 
   
     
UTILITIES: 1.2%    

Gas Utilities: 1.2%

   

ENN Energy Holdings, Ltd.

    28,700       357,441  
   

 

 

 

Total Utilities

      357,441  
   

 

 

 
   
     
TOTAL COMMON EQUITIES       29,375,944  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $35,621,036)

   
   

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS: 1.3%

   
     
MONEY MARKET FUNDS: 1.3%    

JPMorgan U.S. Government Money Market
Fund, Capital Shares, 5.01%f

    395,006       395,006  
   

 

 

 

(Cost $395,006)

   
   
     
TOTAL INVESTMENTS: 99.7%       29,770,950  

(Cost $36,016,042)

   
   
CASH AND OTHER ASSETS,
LESS LIABILITIES: 0.3%
      100,972  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS: 100.0%

      $29,871,922  
   

 

 

 
a

Certain securities were fair valued under the valuation policies approved by the Board of Trustees (Note 2-A).

 

b

Non-income producing security.

 

c

Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration normally to qualified institutional buyers. The security has been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees. At June 30, 2023, the aggregate value is $4,558,003, which is 15.26% of net assets.

 

d

The securities may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

e

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. The aggregate value of Level 3 security is $348,346 and 1.17% of net assets.

 

f

Rate shown is the current yield as of June 30, 2023.

 

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      17  


Table of Contents

Index Definitions

 

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index of the stock markets of Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

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, 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 ex-exchanges, and 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.

 

 

18    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Disclosures

 

Fund Holdings: The Fund holdings shown in this report are as of June 30, 2023. Holdings are subject to change at any time, so holdings shown in this report may not reflect current Fund holdings. The Funds file complete schedules of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-PORT. The Funds’ Form N-PORTs are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Complete schedules of investments are also available without charge, upon request, from the Funds by calling us at 833.228.5605.

Proxy Voting Record: The Funds’ Statement of Additional Information containing a description of the policies and procedures that the Funds have used to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities, along with each Fund’s proxy voting record relating

to portfolio securities held during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, is available upon request, at no charge, at the Funds’ website at matthewsasia.com or by calling 833.228.5605, or on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Shareholder Reports and Prospectuses: To reduce the Funds’ expenses, we try to identify related shareholders in a household and send only one copy of the Funds’ prospectus and financial reports to that address. This process, called “householding,” will continue indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. At any time you may view the Funds’ current prospectus, summary prospectus and financial reports on our website. If you prefer to receive individual copies of the Funds’ prospectus or financial reports, please call us at 833.228.5605.

 

 

Disclosure of Fund Expenses (unaudited)

 

We believe it is important for you to understand the impact of fees regarding your investment. All ETFs have operating expenses. As a shareholder of an ETF, you incur ongoing costs, which include costs for portfolio management, administrative services, and shareholder reports (like this one), among others. Operating expenses, which are deducted from a fund’s gross income, directly reduce the investment return of the fund. A fund’s operating expenses are expressed as a percentage of its average net assets. This figure is known as the expense ratio. The following examples are intended to help you understand the ongoing fees (in dollars) of investing in your fund and to compare these costs with those of other ETFs. The examples are based on an investment of $1,000 made at the beginning of the period shown and held for the entire period.

This table illustrates your fund’s costs in two ways:

Actual Fund Return: This section helps you to estimate the actual operating expenses, after any applicable fee waivers, that you paid over the period. The “Ending Account Value” shown is derived from the fund’s actual return for the past six month period, the “Expense Ratio” column shows the period’s annualized expense ratio, and the “Operating Expenses Paid During Period” column shows the dollar amount that would have been paid by an investor who started with $1,000 in the fund at the beginning of the period. You may use the information here, together with your account value, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. To do so, simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an

$8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number given for your fund in the first line under the heading entitled “Operating Expenses Paid During Period.”

Hypothetical 5% Return: This section is intended to help you compare your fund’s costs with those of other ETFs. It assumes that the fund had an annual return of 5% before operating expenses, but that the expense ratio is unchanged. In this case, because the return used is not the fund’s actual return, the results do not apply to your investment. This example is useful in making comparisons to other ETFs because the Securities and Exchange Commission requires all registered funds to calculate expenses based on an assumed 5% annual return. You can assess your fund’s costs by comparing this hypothetical example with the hypothetical examples that appear in shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that the operating expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight and help you compare your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs. You may pay brokerage commissions on your purchases and sales of fund shares, which are not reflected in the table.

Matthews Asia Funds does not charge any sales loads, exchange fees, or 12b-1 fees, but these may be present in other funds to which you compare this data. Therefore, the hypothetical portions of the table are useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds.

 

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      19  


Table of Contents

June 30, 2023

Disclosure of Fund Expenses (unaudited) (continued)

 

          
     Beginning
Account
Value
1/1/23
     Ending
Account
Value
6/30/23
     Expense
Ratio
     Operating
Expenses
Paid During
Period
1/1/23–
6/30/23
 
                                    

Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF

          

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $1,054.10        0.79%        $4.02  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,020.88        0.79%        $3.96  

Matthews Emerging Markets ex China Active ETF1,2

          

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $1,070.80        0.79%        $4.06  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,020.88        0.79%        $3.96  

Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF

          

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $976.50        0.79%        $3.87  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,020.88        0.79%        $3.96  

Matthews China Active ETF

          

Actual Fund Return

    $1,000.00        $864.30        0.79%        $3.65  

Hypothetical 5% Returns

    $1,000.00        $1,020.88        0.79%        $3.96  

 

1

Annualized from Fund’s inception, January 10, 2023.

2

The Fund commenced operations on January 10, 2023. Operating expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 171 days, then divided by 365. The hypothetical expense example is based on the half-year period beginning January 1, 2023, as required by the SEC.

 

20    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited)

June 30, 2023

 

      Matthews Emerging
Markets Equity
Active ETF
       Matthews Emerging
Markets ex China
Active ETF
       Matthews Asia
Innovators Active ETF
     Matthews China
Active ETF
 

ASSETS:

               

Investments at value (A) (Note 2-A):

               

Unaffiliated issuers

     $56,694,067          $5,271,446          $133,239,985        $29,770,950  

Cash

     1,584,562          22,891          290,907        4,142  

Segregated foreign currency at value

     80,028                   37,214        47  

Foreign currency at value (B)

     28          3          966,078         

Dividends and interest receivable

     81,715          9,096          183,598        120,839  

Receivable for securities sold

     129,074          13,131          7,698,285         

Other receivable

     449                   370         

TOTAL ASSETS

     58,569,923          5,316,567          142,416,437        29,895,978  

LIABILITIES:

               

Payable for securities purchased

     1,043,245          4,899          6,852,306        4,118  

Deferred foreign capital gains tax liability (Note 2-C)

     29,138          6,341          56,510         

Due to Advisor (Note 4)

     35,692          3,200          88,571        19,938  

TOTAL LIABILITIES

     1,108,075          14,440          6,997,387        24,056  

NET ASSETS

     $57,461,848          $5,302,127          $135,419,050        $29,871,922  

SHARES OUTSTANDING:

               

(shares of beneficial interest issued and outstanding, respectively, unlimited number of shares authorized with a $0.001 par value)

     2,080,000          200,000          5,750,000        1,440,000  

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price

     27.63          26.51          23.55        20.74  

NET ASSETS CONSISTS OF:

               

Capital paid-in

     $56,884,532          $5,049,714          $140,979,727        $37,066,091  

Total distributable earnings/(accumulated loss)

     577,316          252,413          (5,560,677      (7,194,169

NET ASSETS

     $57,461,848          $5,302,127          $135,419,050        $29,871,922  

(A) Investments at cost:

Unaffiliated Issuers

     $55,685,780          $5,000,340          $125,045,507        $36,016,042  

(B) Foreign Currency at Cost

     $28          $3          $966,078        $—  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      21  


Table of Contents

Statements of Operations (unaudited)

Period Ended June 30, 2023

 

        Matthews Emerging
Markets Equity
Active ETF
     Matthews Emerging
Markets ex China
Active ETF
       Matthews Asia
Innovators
Active ETF
     Matthews China
Active ETF
 

INVESTMENT INCOME:

               

Dividends—Unaffiliated Issuers

       $489,399        $54,695          $702,612        $268,084  

Interest

       10,289        886          58,927        16,381  

Foreign withholding tax

       (39,414      (4,882        (88,543      (16,042

TOTAL INVESTMENT INCOME

       460,274        50,699          672,996        268,423  

EXPENSES:

               

Investment advisory fees (Note 4)

       119,015        13,757          522,775        124,453  

NET INVESTMENT INCOME (LOSS)

       341,259        36,942          150,221        143,970  
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS, FOREIGN CURRENCY RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND FOREIGN CAPITAL GAINS TAXES:                

Net realized gain (loss) on investments—Unaffiliated Issuers

       (912,571      (44,292        (12,333,495      (1,039,498

Net realized gain (loss) on in-kind redemptions—Unaffiliated Issuers

       229,519                         

Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency related transactions

       (15,750      (5,020        (141,854      (6,116

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments—Unaffiliated Issuers

       984,319        271,106          5,900,912        (6,691,096

Net change in deferred foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       (28,965      (6,341        (60,495       

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on foreign currency related translations

       (465      18          1,750        (775

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments, foreign currency related transactions, and foreign capital gains taxes

       256,087        215,471          (6,633,182      (7,737,485

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

       $597,346        $252,413          ($6,482,961      ($7,593,515

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

22    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (unaudited)

 

MATTHEWS EMERGING MARKETS EQUITY ACTIVE ETF      Six-Month Period
Ended June 30, 2023
(Unaudited)
     For the Period Ended
December 31, 20221
 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       $341,259        $31,792  

Net realized gain (loss) on investments, in-kind redemptions and foreign currency related transactions

       (698,802      (47,523

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       983,854        23,964  

Net change on foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       (28,965      (173

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       597,346        8,060  

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

                   

Net decrease in net assets resulting from distributions

              (28,090

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       50,560,616        6,323,916  

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       51,157,962        6,303,886  

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       6,303,886         

End of period

       $57,461,848        $6,303,886  

1   The Fund commenced operations on July 13, 2022.

    

 

MATTHEWS EMERGING MARKETS EX CHINA ACTIVE ETF      For the Period Ended
June 30, 20231
(Unaudited)
                            

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       $36,942     

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       (49,312   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       271,124     

Net change on foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       (6,341         

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       252,413           

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       5,049,714           

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       5,302,127           

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

                 

End of period

       $5,302,127           

1   The Fund commenced operations on January 10, 2023.

    

  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      23  


Table of Contents

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (unaudited) (continued)

 

MATTHEWS ASIA INNOVATORS ACTIVE ETF      Six-Month Period
Ended June 30, 2023
(Unaudited)
     For the Period Ended
December 31, 20221
 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       $150,221        ($34,351

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       (12,475,349      (1,392,598

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       5,902,662        2,293,574  

Net change on foreign capital gains taxes on unrealized appreciation/depreciation

       (60,495       

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       (6,482,961      866,625  

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       36,462,984        104,572,402  

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       29,980,023        105,439,027  

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       105,439,027         

End of period

       $135,419,050        $105,439,027  

1   The Fund commenced operations on July 13, 2022.

    

 

MATTHEWS CHINA ACTIVE ETF      Six-Month Period
Ended June 30,  2023
(Unaudited)
     For the Period Ended
December 31, 20221
 

OPERATIONS:

       

Net investment income (loss)

       $143,970        ($4,643

Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions

       (1,045,614      (47,731

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related translations

       (6,691,871      446,556  

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

       (7,593,515      394,182  

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS (net) (Note 4)

       27,366,557        9,704,698  

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

       19,773,042        10,098,880  

NET ASSETS:

       

Beginning of period

       10,098,880         

End of period

       $29,871,922        $10,098,880  

1   The Fund commenced operations on July 13, 2022.

    

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

24    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

  

 

   Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023
(Unaudited)
     Period Ended
Dec. 31, 20221
 

Net Asset Value, beginning of Period

     $26.27        $25.00  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

     

Net investment income (loss)2

     0.30        0.23  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments, foreign currency related transactions and foreign capital gains taxes

     1.06        1.18  

Total from investment operations

     1.36        1.41  

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

     

Net investment income

            (0.14

Net Asset Value, end of Period

     $27.63        $26.27  

TOTAL RETURN

     5.18% 3        5.63% 3 

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

     

Net assets, end of Period (in 000’s)

     $57,462        $6,304  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets (Note 5)

     0.79% 4        0.79% 4  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     2.27% 4        1.93% 4  

Portfolio turnover

     37.64% 3       15.47% 3 

 

1

The Fund commenced operations on July 13, 2022.

2

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

3

Not annualized.

4

Annualized.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      25  


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews Emerging Markets ex China Active ETF

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

  

 

   Period Ended
June 30, 2023
(Unaudited)1
 

Net Asset Value, beginning of Period

     $25.00  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

  

Net investment income (loss)2

     0.25  

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related transactions

     1.26  

Total from investment operations

     1.51  

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS FROM:

  

Net Asset Value, end of Period

     $26.51  

TOTAL RETURN

     6.04% 3 

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

  

Net assets, end of Period (in 000’s)

     $5,302  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets (Note 5)

     0.79% 4  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     2.12% 4  

Portfolio turnover

     15.00% 3 

 

1

The Fund commenced operations on January 10, 2023.

2

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

3

Not annualized.

4

Annualized.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

26    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

      Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023
(Unaudited)
     Period Ended
Dec. 31, 20221
 

Net Asset Value, beginning of Period

     $24.24        $25.00  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

     

Net investment income (loss)2

     0.03        (0.04

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related transactions

     (0.72      (0 72

Total from investment operations

     (0.69      (0.76

Net Asset Value, end of Period

     $23.55        $24.24  

TOTAL RETURN

     (2.85% )3       (3.04% )3 

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

     

Net assets, end of Period (in 000’s)

     $135,419        $105,439  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets (Note 5)

     0.79% 4        0.79% 4  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     0.23% 4        (0.33% )4 

Portfolio turnover

     117.21% 3       72.56% 3  

 

1

The Fund commenced operations on July 13, 2022.

2

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

3

Not annualized.

4

Annualized.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      27  


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

Matthews China Active ETF

The tables below set forth financial data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each period presented.

 

      Six-Month
Period Ended
June 30, 2023
(Unaudited)
     Period Ended
Dec. 31, 20221
 

Net Asset Value, beginning of Period

     $24.04        $25.00  

INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

     

Net investment income (loss)2

     0.11        (0.03

Net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency related transactions

     (3.41      (0 93

Total from investment operations

     (3.30      (0.96

Net Asset Value, end of Period

     $20.74        $24.04  

TOTAL RETURN

     (13.73% )3       (3.84% )3 

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

     

Net assets, end of Period (in 000’s)

     $29,872        $10,099  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets (Note 5)

     0.79% 4        0.79% 4  

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

     0.91% 4        (0.24% )4 

Portfolio turnover

     36.32% 3       12.48% 3 

 

1

The Fund commenced operations on July 13, 2022.

2

Calculated using the average daily shares method.

3

Not annualized.

4

Annualized.

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

28    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited)

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

Matthews International Funds (d/b/a Matthews Asia Funds) (the “Trust”) is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As of June 30, 2023, the Trust issued eighteen separate series of shares. This shareholder report pertains to four of those series (each a “Fund”, and collectively, the “Funds”): Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF, Matthews Emerging Markets ex China Active ETF, Matthews Innovators Active ETF and Matthews China Active ETF. All four Funds are considered diversified. The other fourteen separate series of the Trust are mutual funds and are covered in a separate shareholder report.

The Funds issue and redeem shares at their net asset value per share (NAV) only in large blocks of shares (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket of securities and/or an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutional investors who have entered into an authorized participant agreement may purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of the Funds are not redeemable securities.

Individual shares of the Funds trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the trading day and can only be bought and sold at market prices throughout the trading day through a broker-dealer. Because Fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). A chart showing the frequency at which each fund’s daily closing market price was at a discount or premium to each fund’s NAV can be found at www.matthewsasia.com.

 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Funds in preparation of their financial statements. Each Fund follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standard Codification Topic 946 Financial Services—Investment Companies. The accounting policies are in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).

 

A.

SECURITY VALUATION: Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, the Funds’ Board of Trustees (the “Board”) has designated authority to a Valuation Designee, Matthews International Capital Management, LLC (“Matthews”), the Funds’ investment adviser, to make fair valuation determinations under adopted procedures subject to Board oversight. Matthews has formed a Valuation Committee (the “Valuation Committee”) to administer the pricing and valuation of portfolio securities and other assets and liabilities and to ensure that prices used for internal purposes or provided by third parties reasonably reflect fair value. The Valuation Designee may utilize independent pricing services, quotations from securities and financial instrument dealers and other market sources to determine fair value. The value of the Trust’s securities is based on market quotations for those securities, or on their fair value determined by the valuation policies approved by the Board. Market quotations and valuation information are provided by commercial pricing services or securities dealers that are independent of the Funds and Matthews, in accordance with procedures established by the Valuation Designee. Foreign exchange-traded securities are valued as of the close of trading on the primary exchange on which they trade. Securities that trade in over-the-counter markets, including most debt securities (bonds), may be valued by other third-party vendors or by using indicative bid quotations from dealers or market makers, or other available market information. Market values for securities are determined based on quotations, market data or other information from the principal (or most advantageous) market on which the security is traded. Market quotations for equity securities used by the Funds include last reported sale prices, or, if such prices are not reported or available, bid and ask prices. Foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at the mean between the bid and ask prices and are determined at the close of business on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). Interpolated values are derived when the settlement date of the contract is an interim date for which quotations are not available. The Funds may also utilize independent pricing services to assist them in determining a current market value for each security based on sources believed to be reliable. When fair value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a Fund to calculate its Net Asset Value (“NAV”) may differ from any quoted or published prices for the same securities for that day.

The books and records of the Funds are maintained in U.S. dollars. Transactions, portfolio securities, and assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are translated and recorded in U.S. dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the close of trading on the NYSE. The Fund does not isolate the effect of changes in foreign exchange rates from changes in market prices on securities held. Accordingly, such changes are included within Change in net unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments on the Statement of Operations. Translation gains or losses resulting from changes in the exchange rate during the reporting period and realized gains and losses on the settlement of foreign currency transactions are reported in the results of operations for the current period. The Funds isolate that portion of gains and losses on investments in fixed income securities that is due to changes in foreign exchange rate from that which is due to changes in market prices of securities.

Foreign securities held by the Funds may be traded on days and at times when the NYSE is closed. Accordingly, the value of the Funds may be significantly affected on days when shareholders have no access to the Funds.

 

B.

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS: The Funds follow a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and the Funds’ own market assumptions (unobservable inputs). These inputs are used in determining the value of the Funds’ financial instruments and are summarized in the following fair value hierarchy:

Level 1: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical securities (foreign securities that are valued based on market quotations).

Level 2: Other significant observable inputs. Certain foreign securities may be fair valued by Matthews using information such as quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, and foreign exchange.

Level 3: Significant unobservable inputs. Level 3 securities are valued based on significant unobservable inputs as determined under the direction of the Board. Characterization of such securities as Level 3 securities are not necessarily an indication of their liquidity or the risk associated with investing in these securities. A significant change in the unobservable inputs could result in a significantly lower or higher value in such Level 3 securities and could impact overall Fund performance.

The input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with financial instruments at that level.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      29  


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Levels for Multi-Country Funds:

Summary of inputs used to determine the fair valuation of multi-country Funds’ investments as of June 30, 2023.

 

     

Matthews Emerging

Markets Equity
Active ETF

      

Matthews Emerging

Markets ex China
Active ETF

      

Matthews Asia

Innovators
Active ETF

 
Assets:             
Investments:             

Level 1: Quoted Prices

            

Common Equities:

            

Australia

     $1,507,593          $154,721          $—  

Brazil

     5,078,624          547,450          1,648,963  

Chile

              37,836           

China/Hong Kong

     9,402,987                   45,657,843  

France

     2,077,629          211,796          2,676,779  

India

     9,540,655          1,106,780          24,497,884  

Indonesia

     1,223,045          128,058          3,687,376  

Japan

                       4,754,581  

Kazakhstan

     687,664          67,580           

Mexico

     5,386,474          529,495           

Netherlands

                       4,068,747  

Philippines

     1,237,511          136,284           

Poland

     1,063,785          111,135           

Singapore

     984,443          65,042          2,613,773  

South Korea

     901,044          139,838          13,905,714  

Switzerland

     783,973          91,195           

Taiwan

     3,815,195          524,380          12,894,090  

Turkey

              12,426           

United Arab Emirates

     577,393          125,322           

United Kingdom

     1,581,550          159,419           

United States

     2,567,830          266,858          12,253,375  

Vietnam

     2,949,212          312,022          1,538,128  

Zambia

     722,365          68,684           

Preferred Equities:

            

South Korea

     3,227,762          323,409          990,274  

Short-Term Investments

     837,126          96,693          2,052,458  

Level 2: Other Significant Observable Inputs

            

Common Equities:

            

Thailand

     540,207          55,023           

Total Market Value of Investments

     $56,694,067          $5,271,446          $133,239,985  

 

30    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Levels for Single Country Funds:

Summary of inputs used to determine the fair valuation of the single country Fund’s investments as of June 30, 2023.

 

      Matthews China
Active ETF
 
Assets:   
Investments:   

Level 1: Quoted Prices

  

Common Equities:

  

Communication Services

     $4,154,785  

Consumer Discretionary

     9,293,829  

Consumer Staples

     1,696,581  

Energy

     543,618  

Financials

     5,551,414  

Health Care

     1,378,376  

Industrials

     2,628,116  

Information Technology

     1,827,570  

Real Estate

     1,595,868  

Utilities

     357,441  

Short-Term Investments

     395,006  

Level 3: Significant Unobservable Inputs

  

Common Equities:

  

Real Estate

     348,346  

Total Market Value of Investments

     $29,770,950  

Changes in the Balances of Level 3 Securities:

The Funds’ policy is to recognize transfers in and transfers out of Level 3 as of the beginning of the reporting period.

 

     Matthews China
Active ETF
 
    Common Equities—
Real Estate
 
Balance as of 12/31/22 (market value)     $—  
Accrued discounts/premiums      
Realized gain/(loss)     (91,419
Change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)     (308,428
Purchases     632,333  
Sales     (71,867
Transfers in to Level 3     187,727  
Transfer out of Level 3      
Balance as of 6/30/23 (market value)     $348,346  
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on Level 3 investments held as of 6/30/23     ($308,428

 

C.

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH NON-U.S. COMPANIES: Investments by the Funds in the securities of non-U.S. companies may involve investment risks not typically associated with investments in U.S. issuers. These risks include possible political, economic, social and religious instability, inadequate investor protection; changes in laws or regulations of countries within the Asia Pacific region (including in countries where the Funds may invest, as well as in the broader region); international relations with other nations; natural disasters; corruption; and military activity. Foreign securities may be subject to greater fluctuations in price than securities of domestic corporations or the U.S. government. Foreign investing may also include the risk of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, limitation on the removal of funds or other assets, currency crises and exchange controls, the imposition of foreign withholding tax on the interest income payable on such instruments, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits or assets, or the adoption of other foreign government restrictions that might adversely affect the foreign securities held by the Funds. Additionally, Asia Pacific countries may utilize formal or informal currency exchange controls or “capital controls” that may limit the ability to repatriate investments or income or adversely affect the value of portfolio investments. The economies of many Asia Pacific countries differ from the economies of more developed countries in many respects, such as their rate of growth, inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and dependence on other economies, financial system stability, the national balance of payments position and sensitivity to changes in global trade.

Certain Asia Pacific countries are highly dependent upon and may be affected by developments in the economies of other countries. There is generally less government regulation of stock exchanges, brokers, and listed companies abroad than in the United States, which may result in less transparency with respect to a company’s operations, and make obtaining information about them more difficult (or such information may be unavailable).

Among other risks of investing in foreign markets are the variable quality and reliability of financial information and related audits of companies. Non-U.S. companies are subject to different accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards, practices, and requirements than U.S. companies. In some cases, financial information and related audits can be unreliable and not subject to verification. Auditing firms in some of these markets are not subject to independent inspection or oversight of audit quality.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      31  


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Foreign stock markets may not be as developed or efficient as those in the United States, and the absence of negotiated brokerage commissions in certain countries may result in higher brokerage fees. The time between the trade and settlement dates of securities transactions on foreign exchanges ranges from one day to four weeks or longer and may result in higher custody charges. Custodial arrangements may be less well developed than in the United States. Foreign securities are generally denominated and pay distributions in foreign currencies, exposing the Funds to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Investing in any country in the Asia Pacific region will also entail risks specific and unique to that country, and these risks can be significant and change rapidly.

Changes in interest rates in each of the countries in which the Funds may invest, as well as interest rates in more-developed countries, may cause a decline in the market value of an investment. Generally, fixed income securities will decrease in value when interest rates rise and can be expected to rise in value when interest rates decline. As interest rates decline, debt issuers may repay or refinance their loans or obligations earlier than anticipated. The issuers of fixed income securities may, therefore, repay principal in advance. This would force the Funds to reinvest the proceeds from the principal prepayments at lower rates, which reduces the Funds’ income.

The Funds may invest in certain operating companies in China through legal structures known as variable interest entities (“VIEs”). In China, ownership of companies in certain sectors by foreign individuals and entities (including U.S. persons and entities such as the Fund) is prohibited. In order to facilitate foreign investment in these businesses, many Chinese companies have created VIEs. In such an arrangement, a China-based operating company typically establishes an offshore shell company in another jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. That shell company enters into service and other contracts with the China-based operating company, then issues shares on a foreign exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange. Foreign investors hold stock in the shell company rather than directly in the China-based operating company. This arrangement allows U.S. investors to obtain economic exposure to the China-based company through contractual means rather than through formal equity ownership.

VIEs are a longstanding industry practice and well known to officials and regulators in China; however, VIEs are not formally recognized under Chinese law. Recently, the government of China provided new guidance to and placed restrictions on China-based companies raising capital offshore, including through VIE structures. Investors face uncertainty about future actions by the government of China that could significantly affect an operating company’s financial performance and the enforceability of the shell company’s contractual arrangements. It is uncertain whether Chinese officials or regulators will withdraw their implicit acceptance of the VIE structure, or whether any new laws, rules or regulations relating to VIE structures will be adopted or, if adopted, what impact they would have on the interests of foreign shareholders. Under extreme circumstances, China might prohibit the existence of VIEs, or sever their ability to transmit economic and governance rights to foreign individuals and entities; if so, the market value of the Funds’ associated portfolio holdings would likely suffer significant, detrimental, and possibly permanent effects, which could result in substantial investment losses.

In February 2022, Russian forces entered Ukraine and commenced an armed conflict. Economic sanctions have since been imposed on Russia and certain of its citizens, including the exclusion of Russia from the SWIFT global payments network. As a result, Russian-related stocks and debt have since suffered significant declines in value. The ongoing conflict, together with growing turmoil from fluctuations in commodity prices and foreign exchange rates, has the potential to impact adversely global economies and has driven a sharp increase in volatility across markets. The duration of the Russian-Ukraine conflict and its effect on financial markets cannot be determined with certainty. The Funds’ performance could be negatively impacted if the value of a portfolio holding were harmed by these and such other events. Management is actively monitoring these events. As of June 30, 2023, the Funds did not hold any Russian securities.

 

D.

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:

The Funds generally distribute their net investment income once annually in December. Any net realized gain from the sale of portfolio securities and net realized gains from foreign currency transactions are distributed at least once each year unless they are used to offset losses carried forward from prior years. The Funds will declare and pay income and capital gain distributions in cash. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares of the Funds only if the broker through whom you purchased your shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you. Distributions are treated the same for tax purposes whether received in cash or reinvested. If you buy shares when a Fund has realized but not yet distributed ordinary income or capital gains, you will be “buying a dividend” by paying the full price of the shares and then receiving a portion of the price back in the form of a taxable dividend.

The tax character of distributions paid for the period ended December 31, 2022 were as follows:

 

     

Ordinary

Income

 
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF      $28,090  

 

E.

INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS AND INCOME: Securities transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold or on the following business day. Financial statements reflect security transactions on trade date. Gains or losses on the sale of securities are determined on the identified cost basis. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. Interest income, including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts on debt securities, is recognized daily on an accrual basis. Dividend income is generally recorded on the ex-dividend date net of any foreign taxes withheld at the source. Dividend income for certain issuers headquartered in countries which the Funds invest may not be recorded until approved by the shareholders (which may occur after the ex-dividend date) if, in the judgment of management, such dividends are not reasonably determined as of the ex-dividend date. Income and realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments are allocated to each class of shares based on its relative net assets.

The Funds may be subject to foreign taxation related to income received, capital gains on the sale of securities and certain foreign currency transactions in the foreign jurisdictions in which they invest. Foreign taxes, if any, are recorded based on the tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign markets in which the Funds invest. When a capital gain tax is determined to apply, the Funds record an estimated deferred tax liability in an amount that may be payable if the securities were disposed of on the valuation date.

 

F.

CASH, CASH OVERDRAFTS, AND FOREIGN CURRENCY: QFI accounts (i.e., the accounts through which the QFI quota is accessed) are required by the local market to maintain a cash reserve. The cash reserve is based upon a fixed ratio of the QFI’s approved investment quota, which is defined as the amount remitted into its special Renminbi (RMB) cash account. These amounts, if any, are included in “Segregated foreign currency at value” on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. The fixed ratio is set at 0.08 percent for the Shanghai and 0.06 percent for the Shenzhen market. When any of the Funds’ cash balances are overdrawn, a Fund is charged an overdraft fee by the custodian of 1.00% above the 30-day LIBOR rate on outstanding balances. These amounts, if any, are included in “Other expenses” on the Statements of Operations.

 

32    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

G.

USE OF ESTIMATES: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results may differ from those estimates.

 

H.

RECENT ACCOUNTING GUIDANCE: The FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU), ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848)—Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting in March 2020 and ASU 2021-01 in January 2021 which provided further amendments and clarifications to Topic 848. These ASUs provide optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), and other interbank-offered based reference rates, through December 31, 2022. In December, 2022, FASB issued ASU 2022-06 which defers the sunset date of Topic 848 from December 31, 2022, to December 31, 2024, after which entities will no longer be permitted to apply the relief in Topic 848. Management intends to rely upon the relief provided under Topic 848, which is not expected to have a material impact on the fund’s financial statements.

In June 2022, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU), ASU 2022-03, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820)—Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions, which clarifies that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security is not considered part of the unit of account of the equity security and, therefore, is not considered in measuring fair value. The amendments under this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023; however, early adoption is permitted.

Management is currently evaluating the impact, if any, of applying this ASU.

 

  

In June 2022, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU), ASU 2022-03, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820)—Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions, which clarifies that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security is not considered part of the unit of account of the equity security and, therefore, is not considered in measuring fair value. The amendments under this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023; however, early adoption is permitted. Management is currently evaluating the impact, if any, of applying this ASU.

 

3.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

Capital shares are issued and redeemed by the Fund only in aggregations of a specified number of shares or multiples thereof (Creation Units) at NAV, in return for securities, other instruments, and/or cash (the Basket). Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of the Fund are not redeemable. Transactions in capital shares for the Fund are disclosed in detail in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets. Purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units are charged a transaction fee to cover the estimated cost to the Fund of processing the purchase or redemption, including costs charged to it by the NSCC (National Securities Clearing Corporation) or DTC (Depository Trust Company), and the estimated transaction costs, e.g., brokerage commissions, bid-ask spread, and market impact trading costs, incurred in converting the Basket to or from the desired portfolio composition. The transaction fee is determined daily and will be limited to amounts approved by the Board and determined by the Adviser to be appropriate to defray the expenses that the Fund incurs in connection with the purchase or redemption. The purpose of transaction fees is to protect the Fund’s existing shareholders from the dilutive costs associated with the purchase and redemption of Creation Units. The amount of transaction fees will differ depending on the estimated trading costs for portfolio positions and Basket processing costs and other considerations. Transaction fees may include fixed amounts per creation or redemption transactions, amounts varying with the number of Creation Units purchased or redeemed, and varying amounts based on the time an order is placed. The Fund may impose higher transaction fees when cash is substituted for Basket instruments. Higher transaction fees may apply to purchases and redemptions through the DTC than through the NSCC.

 

    

Six-Month Period Ended

June 30, 2023 (Unaudited)

    

For the Period Ended

December 31, 20221

 
      Shares      Amount      Shares        Amount  

MATTHEWS EMERGING MARKETS EQUITY ACTIVE ETF

             

Shares sold

     2,460,000        $67,006,002        240,000          $6,323,916  

Shares redeemed

     (620,000      (16,445,386                

Net increase

     1,840,000        $50,560,616        240,000          $6,323,916  

MATTHEWS ASIA INNOVATORS ACTIVE ETF

             

Shares sold

     5,750,000        $36,462,984        4,350,000          $104,572,402  

Shares redeemed

                             

Net increase

     5,750,000        $36,462,984        4,350,000          $104,572,402  

MATTHEWS CHINA ACTIVE ETF

             

Shares sold

     1,440,000        $27,366,557        420,000          $9,704,698  

Shares redeemed

                             

Net increase

     1,440,000        $27,366,557        420,000          $9,704,698  

 

    

For the Period Ended

June 30, 20232

 
      Shares        Amount  

MATTHEWS EMERGING MARKETS EX CHINA ACTIVE ETF

       

Shares sold

     200,000          $5,049,714  

Shares redeemed

               

Net increase

     200,000          $5,049,714  

 

1

The Fund commenced operations on July 13, 2022.

2

The Fund commenced operations on January 10, 2023.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      33  


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

4.

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT FEES

Pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement, as amended, between Matthews and the Trust, Matthews will pay substantially all the expenses of each Fund excluding management fees, interest expenses, taxes, brokerage fees, securities lending fees, payments under a Fund’s 12b-1 plan (if any), acquired fund fees, litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses. The investment management fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Funds based on the average daily net assets of each Fund, are as follows:

 

Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF      0.79
Matthews Emerging Markets ex China Active ETF      0.79
Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF      0.79
Matthews China Active ETF      0.79

 

5.

INVESTMENTS

For the period ended June 30, 2023, the cost of investments purchased and proceeds from sale of investments (excluding in-kind transactions and short-term investments) were as follows:

 

      Purchases        Proceeds from
Sales
 
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF      $36,115,604          $11,392,843  
Matthews Emerging Markets ex China Active ETF      3,257,645          571,475  
Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF      170,643,343          149,179,476  

For the period ended June 30. 2023, the cost of in-kind purchases and proceeds from in-kind sales were as follows:

 

       
      Purchases        Proceeds from
Sales
 
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF      $34,725,733          $10,010,386  
Matthews Emerging Markets ex China Active ETF      2,262,927           
Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF      13,930,518           
Matthews China Active ETF      1,952,750           

 

6.

INCOME TAX INFORMATION

It is the policy of the Funds to comply with all requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“the Code”), applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute substantially all of their taxable income to their shareholders. The Funds have met the requirements of the Code applicable to regulated investment companies for the six-month period ended June 30, 2023. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required.

Management has analyzed the Funds’ tax positions taken on federal income tax returns for all open tax years (current and prior three tax years), and has concluded that no provision for federal income tax is required in the Funds’ financial statements. The Funds’ federal and state income and federal excise tax returns for tax years for which the applicable statutes of limitations have not expired are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and state departments of revenue.

Under current tax law, the Funds have elected to defer certain qualified late-year losses and recognize such losses in the year ending December 31, 2022:

 

      Late Year Losses*  
Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF      ($101,402

 

*

As permitted by the Internal Revenue Service, the Funds have elected to defer certain qualified late-year losses and recognize such losses in the next fiscal year.

As of December 31, 2022, the Funds have capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized capital gains through the indicated expiration dates as follows:

 

     Amount With
No Expiration
 
     

Short-term

Losses

 
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF      $43,128  
Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF      549,621  
Matthews China Active ETF      3,277  

Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, the Funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an unlimited period. However, any losses incurred during those future taxable years will be required to be utilized prior to any losses incurred in pre-enactment taxable years, which generally expire after eight years from when they are incurred. Additionally, post-enactment capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered all short-term as under previous law.

 

34    MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS     


Table of Contents

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

As of June 30, 2023, the tax cost of investments and the related net unrealized appreciation and depreciation were as follows:

 

      Tax Cost       

Gross

Unrealized

Appreciation

      

Gross

Unrealized

Depreciation

    

Net Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF      $56,019,088          $2,501,150          ($1,826,171      $674,979  
Matthews Emerging Markets ex China Active ETF      5,002,131          379,621          (110,306      269,315  
Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF      128,949,871          10,203,445          (5,913,331      4,290,114  
Matthews China Active ETF      36,176,733          337,525          (6,743,308      (6,405,783

 

7.

PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RISKS

Pandemics and other public health emergencies, including outbreaks of infectious diseases such as the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”), can result, and in the case of COVID-19 is resulting, in market volatility and disruption, and materially and adversely impact economic conditions in ways that cannot be predicted, all of which could result in substantial investment losses. Containment efforts and related restrictive actions by governments and businesses have significantly diminished and disrupted global economic activity across many industries. Less developed countries and their health systems may be more vulnerable to these impacts. The ultimate impact of COVID-19 or other health emergencies on global economic conditions and businesses is impossible to predict accurately. Ongoing and potential additional material adverse economic effects of indeterminate duration and severity are possible. The resulting adverse impact on the value of investment in the Funds could be significant and prolonged.

 

     matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605      35  


Table of Contents
Matthews Asia Funds              

INVESTMENT ADVISOR

Matthews International Capital Management, LLC

Four Embarcadero Center, Suite 550

San Francisco, CA 94111

833.228.5605

 

    

ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN &

TRANSFER AGENT

BNY Mellon

240 Greenwich St.

New York, NY 10007

 

    

LEGAL COUNSEL

Paul Hastings LLP

101 California Street, 48th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94111

 

LOGO

 

P.O. Box 9791  |  Providence, RI 02940  |  matthewsasia.com  |  833.228.5605

 

Matthews Asia Funds are distributed in the United States by Foreside Funds Distributors LLC, Portland, Maine

Matthews Asia Funds are distributed in Latin America by Picton S. A.

 

LOGO

 

SAR-ETF-0623

 

 


Table of Contents
(b)

Not applicable.

Item 2. Code of Ethics.

Not applicable.

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.

Not applicable.

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Investments.

 

(a)

Schedule of Investments in securities of unaffiliated issuers as of the close of the reporting period is included as part of the report to shareholders filed under Item 1(a) of this form.


Table of Contents
(b)

Not applicable.

Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable.

Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.

Not applicable.

Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

There have been no material changes to the procedures by which the shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant’s board of directors, where those changes were implemented after the registrant last provided disclosure in response to the requirements of Item 407(c)(2)(iv) of Regulation S-K (17 CFR 229.407) (as required by Item 22(b)(15) of Schedule 14A (17 CFR 240.14a-101)), or this Item.

Item 11. Controls and Procedures.

 

(a)

The registrant’s principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) (17 CFR 270.30a-3(c))) are effective, as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of the report that includes the disclosure required by this paragraph, based on their evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(b)) and Rules 13a-15(b) or 15d-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (17 CFR 240.13a-15(b) or 240.15d-15(b)).


Table of Contents
(b)

There was no change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(d))) that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Item 12. Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable.

Item 13. Exhibits.

 

(a)(1)    Not applicable.
(a)(2)    Certifications pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the 1940 Act and Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 are attached hereto.
(a)(2)(1)    Not applicable.
(a)(2)(2)    Not applicable.
(b)    Certifications pursuant to Rule 30a-2(b) under the 1940 Act and Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 are attached hereto.

 


Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

(Registrant)   Matthews International Funds
By (Signature and Title)*   /s/ James Cooper Abbott
  James Cooper Abbott, President
  (principal executive officer)
Date September 8, 2023

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

By (Signature and Title)*   /s/ James Cooper Abbott
  James Cooper Abbott, President
  (principal executive officer)
Date September 8, 2023
By (Signature and Title)*   /s/ Shai Malka
  Shai Malka, Treasurer
  (principal financial officer)
Date September 8, 2023

 

* 

Print the name and title of each signing officer under his or her signature.