Matthews Asia Launches First Active ETF Strategies to Meet Growing Client Need

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Matthews Asia launched three active exchange traded funds (ETFs) on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) today that focus on global emerging markets, Asia and China.

The investment strategies of Matthews Asia’s new active ETFs will be substantially similar to existing mutual funds and be managed using the Firm’s long-standing fundamental research approach that seeks to identify compelling investment opportunities that we believe can generate above index returns. The three active ETFs:

• Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF (NYSE Arca: MEM)
• Matthews Asia Innovators Active ETF (NYSE Arca: MINV)
• Matthews China Active ETF (NYSE Arca: MCH)

Cooper Abbott, CEO of Matthews Asia commented: “The launch of our new active ETFs represents an exciting new chapter in our company’s history and a great opportunity for Matthews Asia to bring its deep expertise in the emerging markets to a growing number of investors who now view these global, regional and country-specific strategies as long-term, strategic, allocations.

At Matthews Asia, we have a history of offering new strategies when we believe there are attractive long-term opportunities for our clients. Our new active ETFs continue that tradition by providing another way for investors to access our deep expertise backed by over 30 years of active investment experience that we believe can provide investors with superior long-term investment returns.”

Robert Horrocks, PhD, CIO of Matthews Asia commented: “We continue to believe in the long-term benefits of actively managed portfolios, particularly when they are focused on less efficient markets in Asia and China. Our active ETFs will use the same established fundamental approach as our mutual funds to identify companies that we think represent the most attractive long-term opportunities within global emerging markets.”

This announcement follows the appointment of Michael Barrer as VP, Head of ETF Capital Markets. In this new role, Michael, who joined after a decade-long career at WisdomTree Investments, serves as the primary relationship manager for all capital markets relationships and partners with the Firm’s portfolio management, portfolio strategy, operations and distribution teams to support the Firm’s ETF initiatives.

About Matthews Asia

Since 1991, we have focused our efforts and expertise within the Asia and the emerging markets, investing through a variety of market environments. As an independent, privately owned firm, Matthews Asia is the largest dedicated Asia investment specialist in the United States. With approximately US$17.4 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2022, Matthews Asia employs a bottom-up, fundamental investment philosophy, with a focus on long-term investment performance. For more information, please visit matthewsasia.com.

You should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Matthews Asia Funds before making an investment decision. A prospectus with this and other information about the Funds may be obtained by visiting matthewsasia.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

The value of an investment in the Fund can go down as well as up and possible loss of principal is a risk of investing. Investments in international, emerging and frontier markets involve risks such as economic, social and political instability, market illiquidity, currency fluctuations, high levels of volatility, and limited regulation. Additionally, investing in emerging and frontier securities involves greater risks than investing in securities of developed markets, as issuers in these countries generally disclose less financial and other information publicly or restrict access to certain information from review by non-domestic authorities. Emerging and frontier markets tend to have less stringent and less uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, limited regulatory or governmental oversight, and limited investor protection or rights to take action against issuers, resulting in potential material risks to investors. Investing in Chinese securities involve risks. Heightened risks related to the regulatory environment and the potential actions by the Chinese government could negatively impact performance. In addition, single-country and sector funds may be subject to a higher degree of market risk than diversified funds because of concentration in a specific industry, sector or geographic location. Pandemics and other public health emergencies can result in market volatility and disruption.

ETFs may trade at a premium or discount to NAV. Shares of any ETF are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the Fund. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns.

Matthews Asia Funds are distributed in the U.S. by Foreside Distributors LLC and in Latin America by Picton, S.A.