Three stocks from emerging Asia, a region racing ahead of its rivals
Emerging Asia should be the fastest-growing region in the world this year, says Avo Ora of the Pictet Asian Equities ex-Japan fund. Here, he picks three of his favourite stocks.
Emerging Asia has pulled out of the pandemic faster than many might have expected. Its outperformance relative to developed economies and emerging market peers is due to several factors. Its experience of dealing with past health crises – notably Sars – has allowed it to cope better with Covid-19.
What’s more, the bloc’s anti-crisis economic policies have been prudent and measured, in contrast to the West, where governments and central banks have been forced to take far more extreme measures.
Take China. Although it was at the epicentre of the pandemic, policymakers there have not had to resort to excessive fiscal or monetary largesse. The world’s second-largest economy has not experienced a build-up in borrowing on the scale of developed economies. For instance, it went into the crisis with public debt at less than 50% of GDP.
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
The picture is similar in the rest of emerging Asia, comparing favourably with G5-economies where the average debt-to-GDP ratio is expected to exceed 150% next year. Asia has managed to support growth without sowing the seeds of potential future financial shocks.
The economies of the regional heavyweights – China and India – are as diversified as the US, with a balanced mix of heavy industry and services sectors. Emerging Asia should be the fastest-growing region in the world this year, with GDP expanding by up to 8.6%. All of this throws up a number of attractive structural and cyclical investment opportunities.
One of these is Chailease International Finance Corp. (Taipei: 5871), a Taiwan-listed specialised-finance company that lends to consumers and small businesses. A market leader on its home turf, it is now successfully applying its expertise to the underpenetrated mainland Chinese market. Unlike some industries where economies of scale can make or break a company, this is an arena where being a smaller operator is a competitive advantage. This is because many of its customers are just too small for its larger peers to bother with, meaning it can pick a high-quality client base.
Another of our favourites is Ming Yang Smart Energy Group (Shanghai: 601615), a wind-turbine manufacturer. We believe the company will benefit from China’s 2060 carbon-neutral goal and the broader environmental aims set out in the country’s most recent five-year plan. This is a fragmented yet dynamic market that we believe should consolidate over time. It bodes well that Ming Yang is based in one of China’s richest provinces, which has both the intention and the capacity to spend money on more wind-turbine installations. While highly sought-after sectors such as renewables have frothy valuations, this is a well-priced company.
Finally, Wiwynn (Taipei: 6669) remains a core holding for us. It focuses on research and development as well as the distribution of servers for cloud services and hyperscale data centres. Demand for Wiwynn’s services is expected to grow as the world extends its move online and as the likes of Amazon and Facebook continue to build their servers and data centres. This stock has lagged its peers, but we remain impressed with the company’s structural growth potential as demand ramps up.
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
-
HMRC confirms crypto ETN ISA rules
With crypto ETNs now technically available for UK retail investors, HMRC has confirmed they can be held in an ISA – but there’s a complication
-
Pensioners targeted in fine wine scams – the tactics to watch for
Wine has emerged as the latest lure in investment fraud, with pensioners being specifically targeted by scammers
-
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?