Three Asian growth stocks to invest in the world's fastest growing markets
Avo Ora of Pictet Asset Management, picks three Asian growth stocks in the world's fastest growing markets and explains why he would put his money in them.

Pictet’s Asia ex-Japan strategy is a long-only, high conviction and fundamentally driven portfolio. We focus on cash-generative businesses and invest in both structural compounders and cyclical-inflection opportunities. Asian equities are attractive due to the strong earning potential of companies and appealing valuations, especially relative to developed markets. A focus on stock selection has been the driver of outperformance and the holding period for each stock is typically three to five years.
Asia remains the fastest-growing region in the world. It is among the most advanced in terms of e-commerce and fintech. The companies below showcase three of the most interesting picks across a variety of sectors.
A key player in renewables
Innovation across the region is on show in the renewable energy sector. Sungrow (Shenzhen: 300274) is a key player in the renewable energy manufacturing chain. It supplies inverters to solar module makers, as well as energy storage solutions (ESS) to solar farm operators. The company is looking to expand its inverter market share from both global and domestic leaders, such as Huawei.
MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Sungrow has benefited from strong tailwinds from global solar farm growth and the accompanying need to capture and store solar energy via its ESS business, as well as from China’s long-term policies of increasing green energy.
We believe current energy prices are likely to accelerate the renewables roll-out. What seem to be high near-term multiples (a forward price/earnings (p/e) ratio of 30 times estimated 2023 earnings) belie the value in the name due to its long-term, structural growth.
A safe play on China’s real-estate rebound
Midea (Shenzhen: 000333) is a white-goods manufacturer whose main product is air conditioners. We believe the company has been unfairly punished due to its exposure to the Chinese real-estate market and, more recently, to rising input costs. However, in our view Midea has managed past surges in input costs (copper) well and will now look to mitigate adverse effects on margins through efficiency gains, price increases and product mix.
We also believe that in order for China to reach its growth targets, it will have to address the real-estate market’s issues tactically and adjust policies so that buyers come back into the market. With Midea’s strong cash flow and net cash position, this should be a safe way to gain exposure to a Chinese property market rebound. At 10.6 times forecast 2023 earnings and a 4.3% dividend yield, it provides both the safety of value and the upside of growth in an otherwise difficult market.
Asia’s best insurer
We view AIA (Hong Kong: 1299) as Asia’s best insurer. A policy of financial liberalisation means there is a strong long-term structural tailwind to growth in the Chinese insurance market. Although the stock has been affected by Covid-19, with the added difficulty of its agents being less able to meet clients in person, we are now seeing the beginning of loosening restrictions in Hong Kong.
Given AIA’s strong presence across Asia, we consider the stock a good way to play an opening up of travel in mainland China and Hong Kong. In addition, valuations should be considered reasonable at 1.7 times 2021 book and 13.5 times earnings.
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
Avo Ora is manager of the Pictet Asian Equities ex-Japan fund
-
Reeves warned against property tax shake-up – 3 ways it could backfire on first-time buyers
Rachel Reeves reportedly has her eye on high-end property taxes in the upcoming Budget, but there are concerns a shake-up could unintentionally hamper those trying to get on the housing ladder
-
Average Brits want to retire five years before they can – who has the widest retirement gap?
Brits are expecting to work for longer than ever but there are big disparities in the number of extra working years predicted. A small tweak could help close the gap
-
Pierre-Édouard Stérin wants to make France great again
Conservative billionaire Pierre-Édouard Stérin is seeking to lead a political and spiritual renaissance across the Channel. The planning looks meticulous
-
Global investors have overlooked the top innovators in emerging markets
Opinion Carlos Hardenberg, portfolio manager, Mobius Investment Trust, highlights three emerging market stocks where he’d put his money
-
Pinewood Technologies: a drive for growth
Pinewood Technologies’ platform is one of the best in the business. Investors should buy in
-
'EV maker Faraday Future will crash'
Faraday Future Intelligent Electric is failing dismally to live up to its name, says Matthew Partridge
-
Investors should cheer the coming nuclear summer
The US and UK have agreed a groundbreaking deal on nuclear power, and the sector is seeing a surge in interest from around the world. Here's how you can profit
-
8 of the best houses for sale with follies
The best houses for sale with follies in the grounds – from a five-storey Victorian Gothic tower in Tonbridge, Kent, to a former mill in Oxfordshire with gardens that include a folly on an island in a lake
-
A tale of two Reits – why performance matters for valuation
AEW UK and Regional are two Reits that are valued very differently, despite a shared focus on properties outside London
-
Healthcare stocks look cheap, but tread carefully
Shares in healthcare companies could get a shot in the arm if uncertainty over policy in the US wanes, but are they worth the risk?