Matthews International Capital is launching another new fund. The Matthews Asia Small Companies Fund will be managed by by Lydia So, and co-managed by Noor Kamruddin.
Company Press Release
San Francisco, CA, Sept. 15, 2008 — Matthews International Capital
Management, LLC, advisor to the Matthews Asia Funds, announced the
expansion of its fund lineup today to include a new portfolio
dedicated exclusively to investing in the small companies of Asia.
The Matthews Asia Small Companies Fund is a no-load fund that seeks
long-term capital appreciation by investing in the stocks of companies
in Asia ex-Japan with market capitalizations generally under $3
billion. The Fund is managed by Lydia So, and co-managed by Noor
Kamruddin.
"Throughout our history, Matthews has been investing in smaller
companies in Asia," said Andrew Foster, Matthews’ acting Chief
Investment Officer. "We believe the evolution of Asia’s markets has
progressed to a point at which we now feel confident to launch a fund
focused on this emerging asset class."
Today, there are more than 8,000 small companies listed on the stock
markets of Asia, excluding Japan—compared with more than 6,000 in the
U.S. Over the past five years, the region’s small companies have
raised US$116 billion through initial public offerings. During this
time, almost 2,000 new small companies joined the market and this
growth is taking place across all countries in the region.
“Entrepreneurs are seizing opportunities presented by Asia’s growing
economies and we are finding small companies with the management
expertise and ability to be leaders in a wide variety of industries,”
Ms. So noted. Asia’s small companies offer significant long-term
growth potential for investors who are willing to accept more risk by
placing a portion of their assets in this aggressive portfolio.
Investing in small companies is more risky and volatile than investing
in large companies. Investing in international markets may involve
additional risks, such as social and political instability, market
illiquidity, exchange-rate fluctuations, a high level of volatility
and limited regulation.
About Matthews
At Matthews, we believe in the long-term growth of Asia. Since 1991,
we have focused our efforts and expertise exclusively within the
region, investing through a variety of market environments. As an
independent, privately owned firm, Matthews is the largest dedicated
Asia-only investment specialist in the United States. Our investment
offerings provide a broad range of choices for building a global
portfolio that includes exposure to one of the world’s fastest-growing
regions. With nearly $9 billion in assets under management as of June
30, 2008, Matthews employs a bottom-up, fundamental investment
philosophy, with a focus on long-term investment performance. For more
information please visit matthewsasia.com.