By VAM Marketing

Emerging Markets: An Opportunity for the Contrarian Investor

Whilst investor attention is understandably focusing on the almost-daily announcements from the US White House, the Alquity Investment team believes that the on-the-ground reality in Emerging Markets is being overlooked. In its view, the asset class is under-owned (given significant redemptions in recent years) and unloved, and the team suggests that this is perhaps an opportunity for the contrarian investor.

Both India and the Philippines – two of the least sensitive Asian countries to Trump-tariffs – cut interest rates again in early April to 6.0% and 5.5% respectively, as inflation continues to decline significantly. Domestic travel is one of the investment team’s key investment themes for both markets, which is completely unlinked to current global events, but could actually be boosted in India by the tariff war. As China has reportedly stopped buying Boeing aircraft, and given airlines cannot acquire planes as fast as they would like, any diverting of these ‘surplus’ planes to India can only be a positive.

Smaller markets are also offering interesting opportunities. For example, Argentina recently scrapped exchange controls and decided to partially float the Peso as part of a $20bn loan deal with the IMF. The investment team is also closely following the much-needed acceleration in reform in Kuwait with a view to entering the market imminently.

At the company level, Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) – the largest company in the Alquity Investment team’s portfolio and in the EM universe – reported strong and consensus-beating Q1 earnings, with revenue rising +42% year on year. The company’s 2025 revenue and capex guidance is unchanged, mitigating concerns of tariff or AI-related weakness. TSMC is one of the rare exceptions to its domestic growth focused portfolio, given the company’s huge and defensible ‘moat’ and multi-year structural opportunities, supercharged by the AI theme.

The investment team continues to believe that its strategy of diversification (investing in approximately 20 Emerging Markets) and a predominantly domestic, structural growth focus is particularly appropriate for the current environment. Its portfolio typically has a higher Return on Equity (ROE), cheaper valuations and faster earnings growth than the relevant ETF given its focus on ‘quality growth’ companies.

Source: Bloomberg, Alquity, Macquarie, April 2025.

For Professional Investors Only.

Disclaimer

The information in this document (this “Document”) is for discussion purposes only. This Document does not constitute an offer to sell, or a
solicitation of an offer to acquire, an investment (an “Interest”) in any of the funds discussed herein. This Document is not intended to be, nor
should it be construed or used as, investment, tax or legal advice. This Document does not constitute any recommendation or opinion regarding
the appropriateness or suitability of an Interest for any prospective investor. This material is for distribution to Professional Clients only, as defined
under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (“FCA”) conduct of business rules, and should not be relied upon by any other persons. Issued by Alquity
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“exempt reporting adviser” in reliance on the exemption in Section 203(m) of the United States Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
The Alquity Asia Fund, the Alquity Future World Fund, the Alquity Indian Subcontinent Fund and the Alquity Global Impact Fund are all sub-funds
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and Markets Act 2000 of the United Kingdom (the “FSMA”). This does not mean the product is suitable for all investors and as the Fund is invested
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