Asia and emerging markets experienced extreme volatility in the first quarter of 2026 as markets surged in the first two months, supported by strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and an easing of the global monetary environment.
The conflict in the Middle East has raised concerns about oil prices, global growth and market volatility. Chief Investment Officer Sean Taylor assesses the potential economic impacts of the crisis and its implications for growth and diversification in emerging markets and Asia.
South Korea has been the top performer in 2025 in emerging markets equities through December 15, generating a 70.9% return in U.S. dollar terms. It has outperformed peers as well as developed markets, including the U.S.
CIO Sean Taylor reviews a year of strong performance across key Emerging Markets and Asia and looks ahead to robust investment opportunities in 2026.
Chinese equities have performed strongly this year amid a general re-rating driven by easing geopolitical tensions, continued government stimulus and the global AI-related buildout. Portfolio Managers Andrew Mattock, CFA, and Winnie Chwang explain the drivers of the rally and the opportunities and challenges ahead.
CIO Sean Taylor assesses a strong quarter for emerging markets which was driven by returns in North Asia and Latin America, and AI-related themes.
From managing exposure to leveraging growth opportunities—core active portfolio managers can unlock the full potential of emerging markets.
The U.S. market has outperformed the rest of the world over the past decade but may fade, making international equities—a timely and overlooked opportunity.
Japan represents a compelling investment case, where local insight and rigorous research can uncover under-owned assets with the potential to deliver strong returns.
How the Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund’s strategy helped it achieve outperformance during a historic period for global markets.
It was a positive quarter for emerging markets equities.
Right now we are in an incredibly complicated environment with regard to U.S. tariff policy gyrations and its whipsawing impact on global equity markets. One thing we can confidently assert is that however the trade negotiations play out, there will be higher tariffs and this will be negative for U.S. growth.
CIO Sean Taylor assesses a better-than-expected quarter for emerging markets and takes stock of the drivers that may support the asset class in what could be difficult months ahead for global markets.
Emerging markets offer the potential for long-term diversified investment returns but they can endure challenging periods of volatility and uncertainty. Head of Portfolio Strategy David Dali maps out the issues to consider when constructing and managing a portfolio for emerging markets.
It’s not U.S. tariffs we need to be fixated on to gauge China’s economic growth trajectory but the ability of its leadership to rebuild confidence among entrepreneurs and consumers.
Portfolio Manager Andrew Mattock, CFA, explains the importance of assessing U.S. tariffs as a component among external variables that can influence, rather than drive, investment returns.
We expect the playbook for emerging markets to be one of volatility at the start of the year, transitioning to growth and opportunity as U.S. trade policies and China stimulus plans become clearer.
Chief Investment Officer Sean Taylor considers the implications of a second Trump administration for emerging markets.
China’s leaders appear to be back on a pragmatic macro policy path, but more course corrections will be required to change the direction of the world’s second-largest economy. Beijing must continue to be less stubborn, and we will need to be patient.
Many emerging markets have delivered a robust performance this quarter amid a number of headwinds and we expect key geographies to build on that in the coming months.
Portfolio Manager Andrew Mattock, CFA, assesses the key components of the growth measures announced by the central bank and financial regulators in terms of their potential impact on the economy and the Chinese equity market.
Chief Investment Officer Sean Taylor provides his insights on how the Fed’s 50 basis point-rate cut may affect emerging economies, particularly in Asia and Latin America, how it impacts portfolio allocations and the sectors he believes are poised for growth amid this shift.
Many investors understandably are wondering where Japan’s equity markets are heading. The market had a good year through June. After that it changed. The Bank of Japan's hawkishly delivered interest rate increase on July 31 preceded the release of weak U.S. economic data.
Portfolio Manager Jeremy Sutch, CFA, and Chief Investment Officer Sean Taylor assess the issues besetting the region’s key markets—from domestic challenges to geopolitical headwinds—as well as their structural strengths, and whether prospects may brighten with the onset of a U.S. rate-cutting cycle.
Portfolio Managers Shuntaro Takeuchi, Michael Oh, CFA, and Andrew Mattock, CFA, assess the reasons for the heightened volatility and sharp moves in global markets.
Andy Rothman provides four reasons why he’s stubbornly convinced that Xi Jinping will eventually overcome his stubbornness and make the changes necessary to put China back on track to reach its potential growth rate.
Taking a closer look at the different types of active ETFs is important for investors. While many active ETFs incorporate some dynamic investment elements, their management philosophies can differ significantly and that has implications for their performance, risk profile, and alignment with investors’ financial goals.
CIO Sean Taylor says the second half of the year looks positive for emerging markets but country selection as a risk control will be critical in what is proving to be a politically-charged period for equities.
As the performance of China’s equity markets remains uneven and unpredictable, portfolio manager Hardy Zhu and Chief Investment Officer Sean Taylor highlight the potential growth agents that could improve long-term investment returns.
Portfolio Manager Peeyush Mittal says even as Narendra Modi looks set to remain as Prime Minister, India’s domestic growth agenda faces a pause until the political landscape takes shape following the country’s elections.
David Dali, Head of Portfolio Strategy, provides his 12-month outlook for global equity markets.
Andy Rothman says China’s moves to address key challenges in its housing sector mark a significant shift from its stance of downplaying problems and signal that further positive macro measures may be on the way.
We share some of the highlights from the past year that led to significant improvements in environmental protection, corporate governance, and transparency.
Learn how using a “switch” trading strategy can create efficiencies to improve overall execution cost and quality.
Portfolio Manager Shuntaro Takeuchi gives his take on the outlook for investor returns in Japan’s equity markets.
In this issue of Sinology, Andy Rothman offers his perspective on two key questions.
India is a long-term structural investment story but it isn’t cheap. To get the most from India we believe investors should adopt a selective approach in order to stay aligned with the country’s long-term value creation while not being distracted or paying too much for shorter-term, lower-growth opportunities.
India's economic journey over the last decade has been remarkable and it’s just getting started.
India's economic landscape offers a tapestry of growth opportunities.
At the beginning of the year, we took the view that emerging markets in Asia as well as Japanese equities would perform well but that the first few months would be unsettled. That's largely how it has played out.
India’s equity markets are being driven by fundamentals in the form of robust economic expansion which is leading to strong earnings growth. India is also, helpfully, in the draft of favorable geopolitical tailwinds. In this paper, we make the case for India.
Portfolio Manager Peeyush Mittal, CFA, offers his views on the outlook for India, the coming elections and longer-term themes.
Andy Rothman reviews data points that offer insights into the coming quarters.
Why we believe small companies present key opportunities to tap into the heart of innovation and expansion in emerging markets.
CIO designate Sean Taylor discusses his investment outlook for the year ahead and how he sees 2024 unfolding for emerging markets, regionally, economically and thematically.
Will Beijing take the necessary steps to restore confidence in its economic policies? Sinology explores.
Kathlyn Collins, Head of Responsible Investment and Stewardship, says a renewed purpose among regulators and pressure from investors is yielding breakthroughs in the governance and the capital efficiency of Japan’s-listed companies.
Our portfolio managers field some tough questions on Matthews Asia Dividend’s performance, its positioning and what they believe are its unique strengths for investors.
Our portfolio managers field some tough questions on Pacific Tiger’s performance, its positioning and what they believe are its unique strengths for investors.
