Matthews Asia CIO: It is time to focus on the sustainability of Asia's dividend stream

Matthews Asia's chief investment officer, Robert Horrocks, discusses the best opportunities for investors seeking growth and income in the region today.

What sets Asia apart from a dividend perspective from developed markets? Most people associate Asia with growth in the economies and rightly so, as they have been growing faster than any other region in the world. It is almost counterintuitive to think of Asia as a place where you have a lot of income-producing companies. However, if you look at the total pool of dividends paid out in Asia, it is roughly comparable to what you would get in the US and Europe. Meanwhile, the yield in the Asian markets has historically been a little bit below Europe and significantly higher than the US...