featured insights & webinar
China market saw a material correction due to the regulatory crackdown in the offshore tech and education space. The panic sentiment led to indiscriminative unwinding of Chinese stocks by foreign investors, pushing the HK-listed tech names and the US-listed China ADRs into a bear market technically. Although the regulatory risks remain high in near-term, investors seem getting a stronger hint about the policy direction. The glory days when China tech can be simplistically covered by just the offshore tech giants is gone, and there is increasing need for more granular understanding of the related policy headwinds and tailwinds. In this article our Partner & Co-CIO David Lai shares the thesis behind our Premia China STAR50 ETF, and how this timely launch adds value through its diversified exposure of the leading innovative and strategically important hi-tech companies focusing on innovation and hardcore technology.
Aug 05, 2021
Due to popular demand, we have recorded again the STAR50 webinar for those of you who missed it last week or would like a recap of the discussion. In the webinar we shared about the genesis and strategic focus of the STAR Board, the index methodology and key features of the STAR 50 index, and also some interesting examples of emerging innovation leaders across including semiconductors, cloud, AI, 5G, biotech and also new materials and new energy. With its lower correlation with mainstream CSI300, China ADRs as well as very low correlation with S&P500 and Nasdaq, we hope it would be a good tool to serve your diversification need as you reconfigure your China/ EM construct for the new normal. [WATCH NOW]
Aug 04, 2021
Recently we wrote about how investors can navigate “Mr. Market’s manic-depressive mood swings”, cautioning that those swings are likely to get shorter and more frequent. Indeed, Mr. Market may already be getting grumpy again. And it is not quite because things are going badly. It will more likely be because he has gotten ahead of himself in terms of expectations. In this article our Senior Advisor Say Boon Lim shared his thoughts on why a correction is due and it’s important to watch the divergences - as the high growth with low inflation narrative is wearing thin and the US economy may be losing its ability to surprise on the upside.
Jul 22, 2021
Navigating Mr. Market’s Mood Swings Warren Buffett – channeling his teacher Benjamin Graham – famously said: “Mr. Market is kind of a drunken psycho. Some days he gets very enthused, some days he gets very depressed.” In recent times, the market has looked a lot more like the “drunken psycho” of Warren Buffett’s characterisation than usual. In this article our Senior Advisor Say Boon Lim shares his thoughts on how we would navigate through the market swings under signals from rate movements and expectations, economic recovery, covid control and vaccination roll outs, and in the process, the divide between the “vaxed” and the “vaxed-nots”.
Jul 15, 2021
We recently completed the annual rebalancing exercise for the two China A shares and Asia Innovative Technology ETFs. In this article our Portfolio Manager Alex and Partner & Co-CIO David will share more about the changes and portfolio characteristics post-rebalancing, which further align with strategic focuses of China’s 14th Five Year Plan, and recalibrate for opportunities in the new normal as COVID recovery in China and Asia enters the next stage.
Jun 24, 2021
Amidst the high risk of holding Developed Market government bonds and credits in an environment of rising inflation and historically low spreads, a frequent lament among institutions and large family offices is “but our mandate requires us to hold bonds.”
Jun 17, 2021
We are delighted to invite Edmund Ng, Founder & CIO of Eastfort Asset Management to share with us the nuances of investing in the China bond markets, and the tailwinds, headwinds and sweet spots for international investors. Edmund brings very deep understand of the China bond markets as a veteran practitioner, and was the Head of the Direct Investment Division of Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), which under his leadership started to diversify part of its large reserves into other asset classes including CNY bonds. [WATCH NOW]
Jun 16, 2021
The inflation threat is now clear and present. And while equities may tolerate rising US inflation for a while longer, the Developed Market bond markets are highly vulnerable.
May 26, 2021
China’s tough new regulations on its tech giants will result in competitive gains for consumers, level the playing field for small and medium enterprises, and generate productivity gains for the economy.
May 24, 2021
KOSPI and TWSE outperformed the S&P 500 over 6 months and 12 months. South Korea’s KOSPI and Taiwan’s TWSE indices have outperformed the S&P 500 over the past 6 months and 12 months. However, on a year-to-date basis, the S&P 500 has done better than the KOSPI but continues to lag the TWSE by a long way.
May 06, 2021
BY TOPICS
Chart Of the Week
David Lai , CFA
CFA
China A-share market has become increasingly polarized, as earnings momentum and growth expectations drove investor flows. While the Information Technology sector has surged 31.9% year-to-date, Consumer Staples have declined 13.8%, illustrating a clear market preference for growth-oriented industries over traditional defensives. The strength of the technology sector is often attributed to the global enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence and semiconductor demand, alongside Beijing’s continued support for domestic innovation and import substitution in critical technologies. However, the rally is far from being purely sentiment driven. Corporate fundamentals have provided substantial support. In the first quarter of 2026, Information Technology companies delivered earnings growth of 68.0% year-on-year, second only to Materials at 74.8%. In contrast, Consumer Staples reported a 15.4% earnings decline, reflecting weaker operating momentum. The earnings divergence has also been reinforced by analyst revisions, with full-year profit estimates for Information Technology revised upward by 7.4%, while Consumer Staples experienced a sharp 19.3% downgrade. Looking ahead, earnings growth is expected to remain concentrated in a handful of high-growth sectors. Consensus forecasts point to full-year 2026 earnings growth of 72.0% for Materials, 70.6% for Information Technology, 33.7% for Industrials, and 30.8% for Healthcare, while Utilities, Financials and Consumer Staples are expected to lag. For investors seeking exposure to China’s structural growth themes, the Premia China STAR50 ETF and Premia China New Economy ETF offer targeted access to innovative and high-growth segments of the market, both of which have outperformed the broader A-share market year-to-date.
Jun 15, 2026
