2017 Best Hong Kong Equity Fund Winner Q&A - Hang Seng Index ETF

M: Could you highlight any major changes you made to the portfolio over the course of 2016? Were there any particular holding that drove the fund’s performance for the year?

H: The Hang Seng Index ETF is an index-tracking fund which aims to match, before expenses, as closely as practicable the performance of the Hang Seng Index. It is passively managed. We, as the Manager of the fund, primarily adopt a replication strategy to invest in substantially all the constituent stocks of the Hang Seng Index in substantially the same weightings as these stocks have in the Hang Seng Index.

M: What is your outlook for 2017 specific to the markets you cover, and how are you positioned to take advantage of opportunities and/or mitigate potential risks?

H: Market environment would remain volatile and challenging. We seek to mitigate the potential investment risks through diversification of portfolio into a basket of securities constituting the index. 

M: Can you comment on the macro risks in the global economy, such as the change in leadership in the US, and the significant headwinds faced by emerging markets? How do these risks affect your investment decisions?

H: We expect there are two major macro risks in 2017. Firstly, whether the US President Donald Trump would keep realising his promise made during the election campaign, which includes the trade protectionism and “US first” policy. As US securities market has reached the highest by valuation in the past five years, any uncertainty in the Trump’s policy would put US’s market under pressure. The second risk comes from the uncertainty in the China’s monetary policy. Any surprise tightening of monetary policy or further deleveraging in the financial sector would have impact to the Hong Kong stock market.

The above would not affect our investment decisions for the fund as it is an index-tracking fund and passively managed.

M: How is your investment team organized? Have there been any changes to the investment team or structure over the past year? Do you anticipate adding to the team in the near future?

H: Our index investment team consists of investment professionals with a wide range of backgrounds and varied experience.

M. Can you highlight any areas where you feel that the investment team or the investment process can be improved upon?

H: There is ongoing assessment mechanism in place with a view to make sure that we evolve in line with the demands of the market and our clients' needs.

View all Morningstar Hong Kong Fund Awards 2017 articles here.

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Important risk warnings / Fund information

• Hang Seng Index ETF (the “HSI ETF”) is an index-tracking fund which aims to match, before expenses, as closely as practicable the performance of the Hang Seng Index (the “Index”). The HSI ETF invests primarily in the constituent stocks of the Index.
• The HSI ETF is different from a typical unit trust as it is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, and like other listed stocks, carry similar risks such as liquidity risk and risk of trading suspension. The market price per Unit could be significantly higher or lower than its Net Asset Value per Unit due to market demand and supply, liquidity and scale of trading spread in the secondary market and will fluctuate during the trading day.
• The HSI ETF is subject to tracking error risks, risks associated with passive investments and risks of concentration of investments in a single market/several constituent stocks of the Index.
• The Manager may, at its discretion, pay dividend out of capital. The Manager may also, at its discretion, pay dividend out of gross income while all or part of the fees and expenses of the HSI ETF are charged to/paid out of the capital of the HSI ETF, resulting in an increase in distributable income for the payment of dividends by the HSI ETF and therefore, the HSI ETF may effectively pay dividend out of capital. Payment of dividends out of capital or effectively out of capital amounts to a return or withdrawal of part of an investor’s original investment or from any capital gains attributable to that original investment. Any distributions involving payment of dividends out of the capital of the HSI ETF or effectively out of the capital of the HSI ETF may result in an immediate reduction of the Net Asset Value per Unit of the HSI ETF.
• Investment involves risks and investors may lose substantial part of their investment in the HSI ETF. Prices of fund units may go up as well as down and past performance information presented is not indicative of future performance.

Investors should not only base on this material alone to make investment decisions, but should read the HSI ETF’s offering documents (including the full text of the risk factors stated therein) in detail.

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Please read the full disclaimer in relation to the Hang Seng Index in the Hong Kong Offering Document of the Hang Seng Index ETF.

The answers to the questions above are provided by Hang Seng Investment Management Limited, as the Manager of the Hang Seng Index ETF, upon request by Morningstar Asia Limited and in relation to the 2017 Morningstar Award in the category “Best Hong Kong Equity Fund”. The views and opinions contained in the answers are for reference only. No responsibility or liability is accepted in relation to the use of or reliance on any views or opinions contained in the answers. All such views and opinions are subject to change without notice.

The Hang Seng Index ETF has been authorised by the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong ("SFC"). SFC authorisation is not a recommendation or endorsement of the Hang Seng Index ETF nor does it guarantee the commercial merits of the Hang Seng Index ETF or its performance. It does not mean the Hang Seng Index ETF is suitable for all investors nor is it an endorsement of its suitability for any particular investor or class of investors.

This material has not been reviewed by the SFC.