Our Thoughts on the Mainland-Hong Kong Mutual Recognition of Funds

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1 Our Thoughts on the Mainland-Hong Kong Mutual Recognition of Funds Morningstar Analysts The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) and Hong Kong s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) launched the Mainland-Hong Kong Mutual Recognition of Funds, or MRF, on July 1, Prior to this initiative, international investors could only invest in China s onshore market through Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) or Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) schemes, while onshore Chinese fund investors could only gain access to global markets through Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor (QDII) funds. Through the MRF initiative, global investors will be able to invest in eligible onshore Chinese funds via Hong Kong and, similarly, onshore Chinese investors will be able to gain access to eligible Hong Kong-domiciled funds. With a net quota of RMB 300 million (about USD 48 million) each way, this regime is an important step towards the progressive opening of China s capital market. A memorandum was signed by the CSRC and SFC that set eligibility standards on asset class, fund size, track record, investment mandate, and more. Based on these standards, we have screened 844 mainland funds and 103 Hong Kongdomiciled funds that would qualify for the MRF. Here, we take a closer look at what the MRF could offer and give investors a better idea of what is to come. Breakdown of the 844 Qualified Mainland Funds We estimate that the 844 qualified mainland funds come from 69 fund companies, with an aggregate fund size of USD billion, or RMB 2,061 billion. The three fund companies with the most qualified funds to offer under the MRF are E Fund Management with 34 funds, GF Fund Management with 32 funds, and China Southern Fund Management with 31 funds. From a fund size perspective, China Asset Management, Harvest Fund Management, and E Fund Management are the top three fund companies with the most assets under management (AUM). That said, the three firms account for only around 5% each of total eligible AUM, reflecting the diverse number of onshore asset management firms that could participate in the MRF (Figure 1). Out of the estimated 844 eligible funds, about 46% (388) are equity funds, 16% (133) are aggressive-allocation funds, and 10% (85) are aggressive bond funds (Figure 2), as categorized by Morningstar. Additionally, 18 of the qualified funds are QDII funds and 30 are exchange-traded fund (ETF) feeder funds. Over half of the 388 qualified equity funds have a large-growthoriented investment style according to the Morningstar Equity Style Box, followed by preferences for mid-growth and largeblend styles (Figure 3). Breakdown of the 103 Qualified Hong Kong-domiciled Funds The estimated 103 qualified Hong Kong-domiciled funds come from 20 fund companies with an aggregate fund size of USD billion, or RMB billion. The three fund companies with the most funds qualified under the MRF are JPMorgan Funds (Asia) with 32 funds, BOCI-Prudential Asset Management with 19 funds, and PineBridge Investments Hong Kong with nine funds. From a fund size perspective, JPMorgan Funds (Asia), Hang Seng Investment Management, and State Street Global Advisors (Chicago) are the top three fund companies with the most AUM eligible under the MRF, with JPMorgan accounting for almost one third of the eligible AUM (Figure 4). This reflects the relatively concentrated nature of asset management firms in Hong Kong that could participate in the MRF compared with China. That said, it should be noted that the SFC-authorised universe in Hong Kong consists of almost 2,000 funds, many of which are UCITS vehicles domiciled in either Luxemburg or Ireland. As the MRF continues to develop and mature, there is scope for asset managers to either re-domicile or set up separate Hong Kong-domiciled versions alongside their UCITS vehicles for onshore Chinese fund investors.

2 Among the 103 Hong Kong-domiciled funds, about 68% are equity funds, followed by fixed-income funds at 22% and allocation funds at 10% (Figure 5). The qualified funds domiciled in Hong Kong offer diversified exposure, with most investing in Hong Kong, China, or the global market (Figure 6). Moreover, 10 ETFs are eligible, with most focusing on Hong Kong equity (Figure 7). What the MRF Means for Various Stakeholders For global asset managers, this represents a significant opportunity to tap into a market that has been a largely closed market with a population of 1.3 billion people looking for additional ways to invest their growing savings pool. Prior to the scheme s announcement, we understand that a number of asset managers had already established working groups to examine issues surrounding operations, tax, product strategy, and distribution. Furthermore, we expect a growing number of Hong Kong-domiciled funds as the scheme solidifies. For asset managers in China, the scheme provides the scope to use Hong Kong as a gateway to expand into international markets. Relative to their international peers, many Chinese asset managers have more established track records on onshore equities and fixed-income strategies and are well positioned to offer differentiated strategies for investors in Hong Kong. Most importantly, investors can benefit from additional choice and diversity that was not available to them previously. Through the MRF, mainland China investors can gain exposure to a large variety of funds that invest internationally and are managed by experienced global asset managers. This is a big improvement compared with when funds offering global exposure were only accessible through the QDII scheme, which are managed by onshore Chinese managers who may not necessarily be as wellversed in international markets investing. We believe Chinese investors would initially have the most interest in markets with which they are most familiar, such as Hong Kong equities, before gradually expanding into other asset classes. Moreover, we believe brand recognition may play a part for Chinese investors when selecting offshore funds, and they may favour global or Hong Kong asset managers who already have joint venture operations or distribution relationships in the mainland. On the other hand, Hong Kong-based investors will be able to gain access to a diversified range of A-share and onshore fixedincome strategies managed by onshore specialists, an asset class previously only accessible through limited QFII and RQFII quotas managed by offshore managers. Relative to their global peers, onshore China equity managers tend to employ a range of differentiated investment approaches and often invest without any references to an index (in fact, most funds do not have a prospectus benchmark). In addition, many tend to run concentrated portfolios that are biased to certain sectors. While the onshore equity funds offer differentiated alternatives to the typically benchmark-aware offshore offerings, they may also come with higher degrees of risks. We have also observed that onshore China equity managers tend to be more momentumdriven, which often results in high portfolio turnover and therefore higher costs. According to our 2015 Global Fund Investor Experience study, the asset-weighted median expense ratio for equity funds domiciled in China ranges from 1.75 to 2.00%, which is more expensive than Hong Kong-domiciled funds, which range from 1.50 to 1.75%. A range of onshore bond funds will also become available, some of which offer income opportunities that are not accessible prior to the MRF. However, investors should be mindful of the risks associated with internal gearing and have the scope to invest up to 20% of the fund in equities. This is a strategy often employed by onshore China managers. Again, we believe brand recognition may play a part for Hong Kong-based investors when selecting onshore China funds, which would benefit Chinese asset managers who already have a presence in Hong Kong. Looking Forward We expect more and more funds to become eligible under the MRF scheme as time progresses. Since 1 April 2014, 28 Hong Kong-domiciled funds and 671 China-domiciled funds have been launched that broadly satisfy the requirements to participate in the MRF, notwithstanding the minimum fund size guideline. While we welcome the MRF, it is not without its challenges. For example, although fund investors are likely to benefit from greater choice and diversity, it is unclear if a fund passport scheme would necessarily lead to lower fees.

3 Nonetheless, the scheme represents a major development in the opening of China s financial markets, and more countries may be accepted into the regime in the future. With 30 manager research analysts located across seven fund markets in the Asia-Pacific region, coupled with an extensive global database of managed investments, Morningstar s expansive manager research coverage means that we are well placed to support financial institutions, investment advisors, and individual investors in making better-informed cross-border investment decisions.k

4 Appendix Figure 1 Onshore China Fund Companies With Eligible Funds Firm Name Number of Funds Eligible for MRF Total Eligible Fund Size (USD) % of Total Eligible AUM E Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 34 16,626,751, % GF Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 32 13,843,613, % China Southern Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 31 12,728,523, % ICBC Credit Suisse Asset Mgmt Co.,Ltd 28 14,403,395, % Bosera Asset Management Co., Limited 26 12,614,753, % Fullgoal Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 26 9,122,026, % China Asset Mgmt Co.,Ltd 26 21,956,730, % Harvest Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 26 19,667,649, % CCB Principal Asset Mgmt Co.,Ltd 24 5,479,627, % HuaAn Fund Mgmt Co., Ltd 23 6,676,547, % Penghua Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 23 6,888,520, % China Universal Asset Mgmt Co.Ltd 22 12,044,366, % Yinhua Fund Mgmt Co., Ltd 22 9,767,310, % Guotai Asset Mgmt Co.,Ltd 21 8,068,352, % Invesco Great Wall Fund Mgmt Co. Ltd 21 7,952,171, % China Merchants Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 21 6,087,002, % Bank of China Investment Mgmt Co.,Ltd 21 6,327,777, % China International Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 20 6,500,849, % Da Cheng Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 19 8,675,212, % Bank of Communications Schroders 19 5,231,527, % UBS SDIC Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 16 3,613,053, % Fortune SG Fund Management Co.,Ltd 16 5,724,920, % Lion Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 16 6,695,297, % Huashang Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 14 7,641,687, % ABC-CA Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 14 2,341,523, % Galaxy Asset Mgmt Co.,Ltd 14 3,434,945, % Changsheng Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 14 2,625,438, % HFT Investment Mgmt Co., Ltd 13 2,500,068, % Rongtong Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 13 7,373,021, % GTJA-Allianz Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 12 3,351,319, % MANULIFE TEDA Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 12 3,216,357, % Great Wall Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 12 5,141,414, % CITIC Prudential Fund Mgmt Co Ltd 11 3,201,077, % AEGON-Industrial Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 11 6,224,784, % Everbright Pramerica Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 10 4,267,083, % Franklin Templeton Sealand Fund Mgmt 9 1,739,080, % New China Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 9 1,999,255, % Orient Fund Mgmt Co., Ltd 8 2,387,068, % Huatai-PineBridge Fund Mgmt Co., Ltd 8 2,304,182, % HSBC JinTrust Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 8 1,232,416, %

5 Minsheng Royal Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 8 2,029,955, % Morgan Stanley Huaxin Fund Mgmt Co., Ltd 8 1,594,351, % Tian Hong Asset Mgmt Co.,Ltd 8 1,896,675, % Chang Xin Asset Mgmt Co.,Ltd 8 3,268,804, % Lombarda China Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 8 3,505,738, % Baoying Fund Mgmt Co., Ltd 7 4,319,493, % SWS MU Fund Management Co., Ltd 7 8,903,338, % Zhonghai Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 7 1,608,662, % China Post & Capital Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 7 6,087,656, % Soochow Asset Mgmt Co.,Ltd 6 882,966, % First-Trust Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 6 1,370,692, % Wanjia Asset Mgmt Co., Ltd 6 1,100,974, % Harfor Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 4 852,105, % Golden Eagle Asset Management Co.,Ltd 4 498,818, % Essence Fund Co.,Ltd 3 1,139,422, % China Nature Asset Mgmt Co.,Ltd 3 788,965, % First State Cinda Fund Mgmt Co. Ltd 3 714,776, % CaiTong Fund Management Co., Ltd 2 174,450, % Lord Abbett China Asset Mgmt Co.,Ltd 2 366,330, % Ping An UOB Fund Management Company Ltd 2 184,374, % YIMIN Asset Mgmt Co., Ltd 2 624,060, % Orient Securities (China) Co., Ltd 1 265,633, % Fuanda Fund Management Co.,Ltd 1 113,154, % Goldstate Capital Fund Mgmt Co., Ltd 1 48,389, % AXA SPDB Investment Managers Co.,Ltd 1 884,334, % QHKY Fund Management Co.,Ltd 1 476,222, % Western Leadbank Fund Mgmt Co.,Ltd 1 74,547, % Yingda Asset Management Co.,Ltd 1 38,909, % ChangAn Fund Management Co.,Ltd 1 428,116, % Total ,918,631, % Source: Morningstar Direct; Fund Size as at 2015/3/31

6 Figure 2- Breakdown of Eligible Onshore Funds by Morningstar Category Broad Category Group Morningstar Category Number of Funds Eligible for MRF % of Total Eligible Funds Equity China OE Equity Fund % Allocation China OE Aggressive Allocation Fund % China OE Moderate Allocation Fund % China OE Conservative Allocation Fund % Fixed Income China OE Aggressive Bond Fund % China OE Normal Bond Fund % China OE Pure Bond % China OE Short-Term Bond Fund % Convertibles China OE Convertible Bond % Miscellaneous China OE Guaranteed Fund % QDII China OE QDII Asia-Pacific ex-japan Equity % China OE QDII Global Bond % China OE QDII Global Equity % China OE QDII Greater China Equity % China OE QDII Sector Equity % China OE QDII US Equity % Total % Source: Morningstar Direct; Fund Size as at 2015/3/31 Figure 3- Morningstar Equity Style Box Breakdown for Eligible Onshore Funds 1.03% 0.52% 0.26% 0.77% 18.56% 17.27% Large Blend Large Growth Large Value 4.38% 3.61% Mid Blend Mid Growth Mid Value Small Blend 53.61% Small Growth Small Value Source: Morningstar Direct; Morningstar Equity Style Box as at 2014/12/31

7 Figure 4 Hong Kong-Based Fund Companies With Eligible Funds Firm Name Number of Funds Qualified for MRF Total Eligible Fund Size (USD) % of Total Eligible AUM JPMorgan Funds (Asia) Limited 32 17,446,580, % Hang Seng Investment Management Ltd 3 9,761,084, % State Street Global Advisors (Chicago) 2 8,576,003, % BOCI-Prudential Asset Management 19 6,308,702, % Schroder Investment Management (HK) Ltd 1 5,577,119, % PineBridge Investments Hong Kong Limited 9 3,946,027, % BEA Union Investment Management Ltd 9 1,879,905, % ishares 2 483,912, % HSBC Investments (Hong Kong) Ltd 2 481,933, % BOCHK Asset Management Limited 2 430,675, % Amundi Hong Kong Ltd 5 406,333, % Zeal Asset Management Limited 1 233,664, % Ping An of China Asset Management (HK)Co 1 90,502, % BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited 1 87,617, % Mirae Asset Global Investments (HK) Ltd 2 82,950, % CCB International Asset Management Ltd 1 79,581, % First State Investments (Hong Kong) Ltd 1 66,800, % CITIC Securities International Investment 1 53,656, % Management (HK) Ltd Hai Tong Asset Management (HK) Limited 1 N/A N/A Principal Asset Management Co (Asia) Ltd 8 N/A N/A Total ,993,052, % Source: Morningstar Direct; Fund Size as at 2015/3/31

8 Figure 5 Breakdown of Eligible Hong Kong-domiciled Funds by Asset Class 22% 10% Allocation Equity Fixed Income 68% Source: Morningstar Direct as at 2015/3/31 Figure 6 Breakdown of Qualified Hong Kong-Domiciled Funds by Global Category Global Category Number of Funds ASEAN 1 Asia Pacific 7 Asia Pacific ex Australia 1 Asia Pacific ex Japan 8 Asia Pacific ex Japan ex Australia 5 Australia 1 China 20 China (Greater) 4 Europe 2 Global 20 Global Emerging Mkts 1 Hong Kong 19 India 1 Indonesia 1 Japan 4 Korea 1 Malaysia 1 Philippines 1

9 Thailand 1 United States of America 3 Vietnam 1 Grand Total 103 Source:Morningstar Direct as at 2015/3/31 Figure 7 ETFs in Hong Kong Eligible for MRF ETF Name Morningstar Category Fund Size USD ABF Hong Kong Bond ETF EAA ETF HKD Bond 391,168,457 Hang Seng ETF EAA ETF Hong Kong Equity 5,625,972,090 Hang Seng H-Share ETF EAA ETF China Equity 3,993,670,029 Horizons Hang Seng High Dividend Yld ETF EAA ETF Hong Kong Equity 42,179,034 Horizons MSCI China ETF EAA ETF China Equity 40,771,418 ishares MSCI China EAA ETF China Equity 311,862,685 ishares S&P BSE SENSEX India EAA ETF India Equity 172,049,626 SPDR FTSE Greater China ETF EAA ETF Greater China 31,365,730 Equity Tracker Fund of Hong Kong ETF EAA ETF Hong Kong Equity 8,544,637,271 W.I.S.E. - CSI HK 100 Tracker ETF EAA ETF Hong Kong Equity 48,935,805 Source: Morningstar Direct; Fund Size as at 2015/3/31