iShares Asia 50 ETF

AIA

Market cap $1.13B

AIA hit a 52-week high, surging 45.4% from its low as Asia-Pacific markets ride global trade and rate-cut optimism.

The iShares Asia 50 ETF has outperformed broader emerging markets, offering stable long-term returns by tracking Asia's top 50 equities. Despite its performance, AIA is heavily concentrated in Chinese and Taiwanese tech and banking stocks, increasing geopolitical and sector risks. The 0.5% management fee is high for a fund focused on large caps, and the ETF trades at a premium to MSCI EM alternatives.

Among APAC equity markets, Australia has a higher beta to oil prices while India, Indonesia and Thailand have lower betas. Domestic political uncertainties have been one main reason for the decoupling trend seen in Indonesia and Thailand.

AIA jumps 35% from its low to a 52-week high, as U.S.-China trade talks and a 24.10 weighted alpha fuel momentum.

Bullish on Asia, especially China, potentially bottomed economically. iShares Asia 50 ETF provides concentrated exposure to top Asian equities. Fund heavily weighted in Taiwan Semiconductor, tech sector dominates holdings, potential risks with China exposure.

AIA compares poorly to other competing products in this space. AIA's lack of exposure towards Indian equities could harm its prospects. AIA offers good earnings potential at cheap valuations, and the risk-reward on the charts looks encouraging.

While the China macro story of ongoing transition is a headwind to the rest of Asia, there is more to the region's economic health than this.

iShares Asia 50 ETF has been affected by a recent China flash crash and general major declines in Chinese indices. China's internal issues, such as the collapsing property market and demographic concerns, further contribute to the underlying risks of Chinese stocks. Technical effects, such as forced selling brought on by general declines, could cause measures by regulators that lose allocator trust. Especially the risk of market exit limits.

The total nominal GDP of the ten ASEAN nations measured in US dollar terms amounted to USD 3.6 trillion in 2022, more than doubling compared with total GDP of USD 1.6 trillion in 2009. Singapore's GDP growth rate improved to a pace of 2.8% y/y in the fourth quarter of 2023 according to the advance estimate of GDP from the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI).

The Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rate steady at a range of 5.25%-5.50% on Dec 13. However, the Fed hinted at three 25-bp rate cuts next year.