Five reasons why you need Asian equities in your portfolio

Matthew Dobbs, manager of the £448m Schroder Asian Alpha Plus fund, argues the case for Asian equities, with five compelling reasons why investors need long-term exposure to the region.

Returns from Asian markets in 2012 exceeded all expectations – with the MSCI AC Asia ex Japan index up 22.7%. There is no doubt there were a host of broader external reasons for the ascent of global markets from July’s trough, from the coordinated global easing in September to the receding threat of an imminent eurozone collapse. However, Asia’s structural growth story remains very much intact. This is applicable for countries beyond the usual powerhouses of China and India, with the former’s pickup in growth towards the end of last year also helping boost sentiment across the region. ...