Portfolio manager comments — Q1 2025
Fund performance was negative in Q1 2025. The Chinese equity market rose, primarily due to the progress within artificial intelligence (AI). The domestic AI advancement, particularly through the company DeepSeek, strengthened investors’ confidence in the country’s technology sector.
The Chinese internet giants, Alibaba and Tencent, were the strongest contributors to returns. Alibaba delivered a strong quarterly report and rose 14% on the report issue date, after an already strong performance ahead of the report. The Chinese electronic giant Xiaomi and the EV manufacturer BYD also contributed positively.
Taiwan’s equity market, which posted strength during 2024, declined in Q1 2025. The downturn was driven by concerns about potential US tariffs and a decreased interest in hardware-related AI investments. Large companies, such as TSMC and Foxconn were negatively affected and were among those companies that had the greatest impact on returns. The Thai airport company Airports of Thailand and the Indian consultancy company Infosys also had a negative impact on fund performance.
New holdings were added to the fund during the quarter, which included the Chinese auto glass manufacturer Fuyao Glass and the Vietnamese IT company FPT Corporation. Certain positions were sold at the same time, including the Chinese education companies TAL Education and New Oriental Education.
The fund is retaining its focus on strong companies within technology and digitalization.