497K 1 d158152d497k.htm FORM 497K Form 497K

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Matthews Emerging Asia Fund

 

SUMMARY PROSPECTUS—INVESTOR CLASS

     April 29, 2016   
   

TICKER: MEASX

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s Prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s Prospectus and other information about the Fund online at matthewsasia.com/prospectus. You may also obtain this information at no additional cost by calling 800.789.ASIA (2742) or by sending an e-mail request to prospectus@matthewsasia.com. The Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, both dated April 29, 2016, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.

Investment Objective

Long-term capital appreciation.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of this Fund.

SHAREHOLDER FEES

(fees paid directly from your investment)

 

Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed on shares sold or exchanged within 90 days after purchase)             2.00%   
Maximum Account Fee on Redemptions (for wire redemptions only)           $9   

ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

Management Fees                 1.00%   
Distribution (12b-1) Fees1                 0.00%   
Other Expenses           0.75%   

Administration and Shareholder Servicing Fees

     0.14%              
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses           1.75%   

Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement2

                (0.25%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After
Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

          1.50%   

 

  1 The Trust’s 12b-1 Plan (the “Plan”) is inactive. Although the Plan currently is not active, it is reviewed by the Board annually in case the Board decides to re-activate the Plan. The Plan would not be re-activated without prior notice to shareholders. If the Plan were reactivated, the fee would be up to 0.25% for each of the Investor Class and Institutional Class, respectively.

 

  2 Matthews has contractually agreed (i) to waive fees and reimburse expenses to the extent needed to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding Rule 12b-1 fees, taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, short sale dividend expenses, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) of the Institutional Class to 1.25%, first by waiving class specific expenses (i.e., shareholder service fees specific to a particular class) of the Institutional Class and then, to the extent necessary, by waiving non-class specific expenses of the Institutional Class, and (ii) if any Fund-wide expenses (i.e., expenses that apply to both the Institutional Class and the Investor Class) are waived for the Institutional Class to maintain the 1.25% expense limitation, to waive an equal amount (in annual percentage terms) of those same expenses for the Investor Class. The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement for the Investor Class may vary from year to year and will in some years exceed 1.25%. If the operating expenses fall below the expense limitation in a year within three years after Matthews has made a waiver or reimbursement, the Fund may reimburse Matthews up to an amount that does not cause the expenses for that year to exceed the lesser of (i) the expense limitation applicable at the time of that fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement or (ii) the expense limitation in effect at the time of recoupment. This agreement will remain in place until April 30, 2017 and may be terminated at any time by the Board of Trustees on behalf of the Fund on 60 days’ written notice to Matthews.

EXAMPLE OF FUND EXPENSES

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example reflects the expense limitation for the one year period only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

One year: $153   Three years: $527   Five years: $926   Ten years: $2,042
 

 

PS-MEASX-0416


PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example of fund expenses, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 12% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategy

Under normal market conditions, the Matthews Emerging Asia Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, which include borrowings for investment purposes, in the common and preferred stocks of companies located in Asia excluding Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore. A company or other issuer is considered to be “located” in a country or a region, and a security or instrument will deemed to be an Asian (or specific country) security or instrument, if it has substantial ties to that country or region. Matthews currently makes that determination based primarily on one or more of the following criteria: (A) with respect to a company or issuer, whether (i) it is organized under the laws of that country or any country in that region; (ii) it derives at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed, or has at least 50% of its assets located, within that country or region; (iii) it has the primary trading markets for its securities in that country or region; (iv) it has its principal place of business in or is otherwise headquartered in that country or region; or (v) it is a governmental entity or an agency, instrumentality or a political subdivision of that country or any country in that region; and (B) with respect to an instrument or issue, whether (i) its issuer is headquartered or organized in that country or region; (ii) it is issued to finance a project with significant assets or operations in that country or region; (iii) it is secured or backed by assets located in that country or region; (iv) it is a component or its issuer is included in a recognized securities index for the country or region; or (v) it is denominated in the currency of an Asian country and addresses at least one of the other above criteria. The Fund may also invest in the convertible securities, of any duration or quality, of companies located in Asia excluding Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore. The Fund may also invest in depositary receipts, including American, European and Global Depositary Receipts.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund is expected to invest a substantial portion of its net assets in the emerging countries and markets in the Asian region, including, but not limited to, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China (including Taiwan, but excluding Hong Kong), India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam (“Emerging Asian Countries”). The list of Emerging Asian Countries may change from time to time. The Fund may invest in companies of any market capitalization, including micro-cap companies.

The Fund seeks to invest in companies capable of sustainable growth based on the fundamental characteristics of those companies, including balance sheet information; number of employees; size and stability of cash flow; management’s depth, adaptability and integrity; product lines; marketing strategies; corporate governance; and financial health.

Principal Risks of Investment

There is no guarantee that your investment in the Fund will increase in value. The value of your investment in the Fund could go down, meaning you could lose money. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are:

Political, Social and Economic Risks of Investing in Asia: The value of the Fund’s assets may be adversely affected by political, economic, social and religious instability; inadequate investor protection; changes in laws or regulations of countries within the Asian region (including countries in which the Fund invests, as well as the broader region); international relations with other nations; natural disasters; corruption and military activity. The Asian region, and particularly China, Japan and South Korea, may be adversely affected by political, military, economic and other factors related to North Korea. In addition, China’s long-running conflict over Taiwan, border disputes with many of its neighbors and historically strained relations with Japan could adversely impact economies in the region. The economies of many Asian countries differ from the economies of more developed countries in many respects, such as rate of growth, inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, financial system stability, the national balance of payments position and sensitivity to changes in global trade. Certain Asian countries are highly dependent upon and may be affected by developments in the United States, Europe and other Asian economies.

Currency Risks: When the Fund conducts securities transactions in a foreign currency, there is the risk of the value of the foreign currency increasing or decreasing against the value of the U.S. dollar. The value of an investment denominated in a foreign currency will decline in dollar terms if that currency weakens against the dollar. While the Fund is permitted to hedge currency risks, Matthews does not anticipate doing so at this time. Additionally, Asian countries may utilize formal or informal currency-exchange controls or “capital controls.” Capital controls may impose restrictions on the Fund’s ability to repatriate investments or income. Such controls may also affect the value of the Fund’s holdings.

Risks Associated with Emerging and Frontier Markets: Many Asian countries are considered emerging or frontier markets. Such markets are often less stable politically and economically than developed markets such as the United States, and investing in these markets involves different and greater risks. There may be less publicly available information about companies in many Asian countries, and the stock exchanges and brokerage industries in many Asian countries typically do not have the level of government oversight as do those in the United States. Securities markets of many Asian countries are also substantially smaller, less liquid and more volatile than securities markets in the United States.

Depositary Receipts: Although depositary receipts have risks similar to the securities that they represent, they may also involve higher expenses and may trade at a discount (or premium) to the underlying security. In addition, depositary receipts may not pass through voting and other shareholder rights, and may be less liquid than the underlying securities listed on an exchange.

Volatility: The smaller size and lower levels of liquidity in emerging markets, as well as other factors, may result in changes in the prices of Asian securities that are more volatile

 

 


 

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than those of companies in more developed regions. This volatility can cause the price of the Fund’s shares (NAV) to go up or down dramatically. Because of this volatility, it is recommended that you invest in the Fund only for the long term (at least five years).

Convertible Securities: The Fund may invest in convertible preferred stocks, and convertible bonds and debentures. The risks of convertible bonds and debentures include repayment risk and interest rate risk. Many Asian convertible securities are not rated by rating agencies like Moody’s, S&P or Fitch, or, if they are rated, they may be rated below investment grade (these are referred to as “junk bonds,” which are primarily speculative securities, and include unrated securities, regardless of quality), which may have a greater risk of default. Investments in convertible securities may also subject the Fund to currency risk and risks associated with foreign exchange rate. Convertible securities may trade less frequently and in lower volumes, making it difficult for the Fund to value those securities.

Risks Associated with Smaller Companies: Smaller companies may offer substantial opportunities for capital growth; they also involve substantial risks, and investments in smaller companies may be considered speculative. Such companies often have limited product lines, markets or financial resources. Smaller companies may be more dependent on one or few key persons and may lack depth of management. Larger portions of their stock may be held by a small number of investors (including founders and management) than is typical of larger companies. Credit may be more difficult to obtain (and on less advantageous terms) than for larger companies. As a result, the influence of creditors (and the impact of financial or operating restrictions associated with debt financing) may be greater than in larger or more established companies. The Fund may have more difficulty obtaining information about smaller companies, making it more difficult to evaluate the impact of market, economic, regulatory and other factors on them. Informational difficulties may also make valuing or disposing of their securities more difficult than it would for larger companies. Securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in lesser volume than more widely held securities and the securities of such companies generally are subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than more widely held or larger, more established companies or the market indices in general. The value of securities of smaller companies may react differently to political, market and economic developments than the markets as a whole or than other types of stocks.

Past Performance

The bar chart below shows the Fund’s performance for each full calendar year since its inception and how it has varied from year to year, reflective of the Fund’s volatility and some indication of risk. Also shown are the best and worst quarters for this time period. The table below shows the Fund’s performance over certain periods of time, along with performance of its benchmark index. The information presented below is past performance, before and after taxes, and is not a prediction of future results. Both the bar chart and performance table assume reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, please visit matthewsasia.com or call 800.789.ASIA (2742).

ANNUAL RETURN FOR YEAR ENDED 12/31

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AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2015

 

        1 year       

Since Inception

(04/30/13)

 

Matthews Emerging Asia Fund

                     

Return before taxes

       -2.56%           4.92%   

Return after taxes on distributions1

       -2.50%           4.95%   

Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares1

       -1.26%           3.89%   

MSCI Emerging Markets Asia Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

       -9.47%           -1.01%   

 

  1 After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 


 

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Risks Associated with Micro-Cap Companies: Investments in micro-cap companies are subject to the same types of risks described above for investments in smaller companies, but the likelihood of losses from such risks is even greater for micro-cap companies.

Investment Advisor

Matthews International Capital Management, LLC (“Matthews”)

Portfolio Managers

Lead Manager: Taizo Ishida has been a Portfolio Manager of the Emerging Asia Fund since its inception in 2013.

Lead Manager: Robert Harvey, CFA, has been a Portfolio Manager of the Emerging Asia Fund since its inception in 2013.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase and sell Fund shares directly through the Funds’ transfer agent by calling 800.789.ASIA (2742) or online at matthewsasia.com. Fund shares may also be purchased and sold through various securities brokers and benefit plan administrators or their sub-agents. You may purchase and redeem Fund shares by electronic bank transfer, check, or wire. The minimum initial and subsequent investment amounts for various types of accounts offered by the Funds are shown below.

 

Type of Account    Minimum Initial
Investment
   Subsequent
Investments
Non-retirement    $2,500    $100
Retirement and Coverdell    $500    $50

The minimum investment requirements do not apply to Trustees, officers and employees of the Funds and Matthews, and their immediate family members.

Tax Information

The Funds’ distributions are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal from those accounts.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase Fund shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), Matthews may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. Shareholders who purchase or hold Fund shares through an intermediary may inquire about such payments from that intermediary. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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4    MATTHEWS EMERGING ASIA FUND