The Fund seeks to achieve long-term capital growth by investing primarily in a portfolio of equity securities of large-capitalization securities companies in emerging markets.
Is this fund right for you?
- You want your money to grow over a longer term.
- You want to invest in equity securities of the developing countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
- You're comfortable with a medium to high level of risk.
Risk Rating
How is the fund invested?
(as of December 31, 2024)
Asset allocation (%)
|
Name |
Percent |
|
International Equity |
98.1 |
|
Cash and Equivalents |
1.9 |
Geographic allocation (%)
|
Name |
Percent |
|
India |
23.4 |
|
Mexico |
19.1 |
|
Taiwan |
15.2 |
|
Korea, Republic Of |
14.2 |
|
Indonesia |
6.7 |
|
Hong Kong |
5.7 |
|
Poland |
4.6 |
|
Argentina |
2.7 |
|
Brazil |
2.4 |
|
Other |
6.0 |
Sector allocation (%)
|
Name |
Percent |
|
Technology |
30.6 |
|
Financial Services |
20.0 |
|
Consumer Goods |
13.6 |
|
Consumer Services |
8.7 |
|
Industrial Goods |
8.6 |
|
Telecommunications |
7.8 |
|
Industrial Services |
5.2 |
|
Healthcare |
2.1 |
|
Cash and Cash Equivalent |
1.9 |
|
Other |
1.5 |
Growth of $10,000
(since inception)
Data not available based on date of inception
Fund details
(as of December 31, 2024)
Top holdings |
% |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufactrg Co Ltd |
9.4 |
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd |
5.9 |
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd |
5.6 |
Bank Central Asia Tbk PT |
5.5 |
HDFC Bank Ltd - ADR |
5.3 |
SK Hynix Inc |
4.7 |
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd |
4.7 |
Dino Polska SA |
4.6 |
Grupo Aeroportuario Pacifico SAB CV - ADR Sr B |
4.3 |
Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV - ADR |
4.2 |
Total allocation in top holdings |
54.2 |
Portfolio characteristics |
|
Standard deviation |
13.5% |
Dividend yield |
2.2% |
Average market cap (million) |
$205,761.8 |
Understanding returns
Annual compound returns (%)
1 MO |
3 MO |
YTD |
1 YR |
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3 YR |
5 YR |
10 YR |
INCEPTION |
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Calendar year returns (%)
2024 |
2023 |
2022 |
2021 |
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2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
2017 |
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Range of returns over five years
(November 1, 2018 - February 28, 2025)
Best return |
Best period end date |
Worst return |
Worst period end date |
7.9% |
Dec. 2023 |
6.0% |
Dec. 2024 |
Average return |
% of periods with positive returns |
Number of positive periods |
Number of negative periods |
7.1% |
100.0% |
17 |
0 |
Q4 2024 Fund Commentary
Market commentary
Emerging market equities were affected by the declaration of martial law in South Korea on December 3, even though the declaration was lifted the following day. Given this backdrop and the resulting political disruption, South Korea was one of the worst-performing emerging markets in December.
Performance
The Fund’s relative exposure to HDFC Bank Ltd. and Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB de CV (GAP Airports) had a positive impact on performance. Relative exposure to Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. had a negative impact.
HDFC Bank, India’s largest private bank, initially faced challenges from slower loan growth. However, the stock gained over the quarter because of an improved loan-to-deposit ratio and low credit costs. The sub-advisor believes the company has good long-term growth potential based on India’s status as an underbanked economy.
GAP Airports, Mexico’s leading private airport operator, benefited from a positive regulatory decision. Under a five-year plan until 2029, the company retains its “Dual Till” framework, allowing uncapped returns on commercial activities. Mexico is one of the most underpenetrated aviation markets in Latin America, which offers the potential for long-term passenger growth.
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. is India’s largest auto manufacturer. It performed well in 2024 but third-quarter results missed expectations. The company’s leading market share reflects its strong production, sales and servicing scale. The company aims to increase investment and double production to over four million units by 2032. This should be supported by strong technology partnerships to manage the industry transition to electric vehicles.
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. faced challenges related to high-bandwidth memory chips used in artificial intelligence servers. Despite increasing demand, technical difficulties led to market share losses. This resulted in a 10% stock price decline over the quarter. The sub-advisor is following the situation but believes the company can overcome these issues in the medium term.
At the sector level, stock selection in consumer staples had the most positive impact on performance. Overweight exposure to the information technology sector was also positive. Stock selection in the financials and information technology sectors was negative.
From a country perspective, overweight exposure to Taiwan had a positive impact on performance. Overweight exposure to India, Indonesia and South Korea had a negative impact.
Outlook
At the end of the quarter, the Fund remained focused on structural-growth companies with certain attributes. These include strong environmental, social and governance characteristics (particularly good and improving corporate governance), defendable business models, strong balance sheets, and high or improving return on capital.