Traders in search of publicity to the Hong Kong inventory market may contemplate exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Traditionally, Hong Kong has thrived as a world monetary middle and capitalist financial system, and it largely has continued to take action because it grew to become a semi-autonomous area of China in 1997. However in the course of the previous two years, Hong Kong’s democratic authorities and financial system have been badly weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic and a significant political crackdown from the Communist authorities in Beijing. Companies have closed and politicians have been arrested. Hong Kong suffered a 6.1% decline in GDP final yr, its greatest decline ever, whereas the monetary hub is also seeing its greatest inhabitants drop in a long time as residents search to flee political repression. Developments like this are growing doubts about Hong Hong’s future position as a world monetary hub.
One constructive signal for traders is that Hong Kong forecasts the financial system will rebound this yr, increasing 6.5%.
Regardless of these disruptions, Hong Kong nonetheless stays open for enterprise and investor capital, with ETFs providing maybe one of the simplest ways to realize diversified publicity to this main monetary middle within the international financial system.
Key Takeaways
- Hong Kong equities underperformed the broader U.S. inventory market over the previous yr.
- Two Hong Kong exchange-traded funds (ETFs) commerce within the U.S: FLHK and EWH.
- The highest holding for every of those ETFs is AIA Group Ltd.
Simply two distinct Hong Kong ETFs commerce in the US, excluding inverse and leveraged ETFs. Hong Kong equities, as measured by the MSCI Hong Kong Index, have underperformed the U.S. fairness market over the previous 12 months, with a complete return of 15.6% in comparison with the S&P 500’s whole return of 41.2%, as of Oct. 29, 2021. The most effective-performing Hong Kong ETF, primarily based on efficiency over the previous yr, is the Franklin FTSE Hong Kong ETF (FLHK).
We take a look at each Hong Kong ETFs under. All numbers under are as of Oct. 28, 2021.
Change-traded funds (ETFs) with very low property underneath administration (AUM), lower than $50 million, normally have decrease liquidity than bigger ETFs. This can lead to increased buying and selling prices, which might negate a few of your funding positive factors or improve your losses.
- Efficiency Over One-Yr: 18.4%
- Expense Ratio: 0.09%
- Annual Dividend Yield: 3.14%
- Three-Month Common Day by day Quantity: 3,279
- Belongings Beneath Administration: $19.6 million
- Inception Date: Nov. 2, 2017
- Issuer: Franklin Templeton
FLHK tracks the FTSE Hong Kong Capped Index, a market capitalization-weighted index representing the efficiency of mid- and large-cap Hong Kong-listed shares. The ETF follows a blended technique, offering publicity to a mixture of progress and worth shares at a comparatively low price. The vast majority of FLHK’s holdings are corporations domiciled inside Hong Kong. That stated, China-based corporations account for almost 13% of the fund’s whole property, whereas there’s additionally a really small portion of shares primarily based in Macao, Italy, Singapore, Luxembourg, and a number of other different international locations. The fund’s largest publicity is to the monetary sector, adopted by actual property and industrials.
FLHK’s prime three holdings are AIA Group Ltd. (1299:HKG), a supplier of insurance coverage and monetary providers; Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. (388:HKG), an proprietor and operator of inventory and futures markets; and Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. (669:HKG), a multinational producer of energy instruments, hand instruments, outside tools, and extra.
- Efficiency Over One-Yr: 16.1%
- Expense Ratio: 0.51%
- Annual Dividend Yield: 2.45%
- Three-Month Common Day by day Quantity: 4,707,871
- Belongings Beneath Administration: $967.8 million
- Inception Date: March 12, 1996
- Issuer: BlackRock Monetary Administration
EWH is way bigger and extra liquid than FLHK, but it surely’s additionally costlier. This ETF tracks the MSCI Hong Kong 25/50 Index, an index designed to gauge the efficiency of the large- and mid-cap segments of the Hong Kong fairness market. It follows a blended technique, investing in each worth and progress shares, and actual property, insurance coverage, and diversified monetary shares are the three largest parts of the portfolio. The fund’s prime three holdings are AIA Group Ltd.; Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd.; and Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd., all described above.
The feedback, opinions, and analyses expressed herein are for informational functions solely and shouldn’t be thought-about particular person funding recommendation or suggestions to spend money on any safety or undertake any funding technique. Whereas we consider the data offered herein is dependable, we don’t warrant its accuracy or completeness. The views and techniques described in our content material might not be appropriate for all traders. As a result of market and financial circumstances are topic to speedy change, all feedback, opinions, and analyses contained inside our content material are rendered as of the date of the posting and should change with out discover. The fabric will not be supposed as a whole evaluation of each materials truth relating to any nation, area, market, business, funding, or technique.