Asian Stars Strategy

A sustainable approach to investing in Asia

Inception DateDecember 2018
IndexMSCI AC Asia ex Japan TR Index
US$383mAUM

AUM 31.12.2024

46Holdings
70.96%
i

Figures are representative and are used here for illustrative purposes only.

Active Share
As at 12/31/2024

Strategy Overview

Investment Objective

The Strategy’s investment objective is to achieve long term capital growth. The Strategy seeks to achieve its objective by investing in a broad range of shares from companies domiciled in developed and developing (emerging market) Asian countries, or from companies which generate a significant amount of their business from these countries.

Investment Philosophy

The Investment Manager seeks to identify growth opportunities by looking at global growth expectations, demand drivers, supply drivers (including those which impact changes in supply), macroeconomic trends (such as social demographic trends, monetary and fiscal policy, government models, and competitiveness) and factors impacting company valuations to establish a dynamic understanding of the economic backdrop to the investment universe.

The Investment Manager’s process incorporates quantitative and qualitative analysis of environmental, societal and governance policies, performance, practices and impacts. The Investment Manager uses quantitative analysis (exclusionary screening) to avoid companies involved in activities deemed unacceptable or controversial from an environmental, societal and governance perspective, and uses qualitative methods (third party research and internal analysis) to identify companies which can demonstrate continual improvement from an environmental, societal and governance perspective.

The Strategy will seek to invest in a diversified portfolio of equity securities and equity related securities of, or relating to companies, which are domiciled, or exercise the predominant part of their economic activity, in Asian developed and emerging markets.

Key Facts

  • Team of dedicated sector specialists
  • The team has 95+ years of combined industry experience
  • Fundamentally-driven analysis and stock selection
  • ESG-based analysis incorporated as part of the investment process
  • Typically 40-55 positions

Strategy Availability

  • UCITS Fund
  • Separate Account

Management

None

Jorry Nøddekær

Lead Portfolio Manager
None

Palvir Bahia

Analyst
None

Peter Andersen

Analyst
None

Jerry Wu

Analyst
None

Andy Chen

Head of China Research (Shanghai-based)
Aatman Ajmera

Aatman Ajmera

Independent Research Consultant (Mumbai based)

Jorry Nøddekær

Jorry joined Polar Capital in June 2018 to set up the Polar Capital emerging markets growth franchise.

Prior to joining Polar Capital, Jorry worked at various firms including Nordea Investment Management, Danske Capital, F&C Investment Management, New Star Asset Management and BankInvest Asset Management.

  • MSc in Economics and Finance, Aarhus University
  • 25 years

Palvir Bahia

Palvir joined Polar Capital in 2025 as a Portfolio Manager in the Emerging Markets & Asia team. She joined from HALO Global Asset Management where she was a Co-Portfolio Manager focussing on Emerging Asian companies.

Prior to joining HALO in 2017, she worked at BlackRock Investment Management, from 2009, as an Equity Analyst in their Global Emerging Markets team. She joined from New Star Asset Management where she began her career as an Operations Assistant in 2004, leaving in 2009 as an Assistant Fund Manager, Asian equities.

  • BSc in Mathematics, University of Wales and an MSc in Financial Economics, University of Exeter.
  • 20 years

Peter Andersen

Peter joined Polar Capital in April 2018. Prior to joining Polar Capital, Peter worked for Nordea Asset Management as an analyst on their Emerging Markets team and prior to his tenure at Nordea Asset Management he worked as a junior sell side analyst for Jyske Bank in their corporate bonds team.

  • MSc in Economics and Management, Aarhus University
  • Passed CFA Level III
  • 12 years

Jerry Wu

Jerry joined Polar Capital in June 2018. Prior to joining Polar Capital, Jerry was the fund manager of the Nordea Chinese Equity Fund and prior to his tenure at Nordea, Jerry was an equity analyst at Generation Investment Management specialising in China.

Jerry has also worked for BlackRock as a fundamental equity research analyst based in London and the US, specialising in the global consumer and technology sectors. Further to this, Jerry is a native speaker of Mandarin and fluent in English.

  • BSc in Economics, Peking UniversityMSc in Management, London Business School
  • CFA Charterholder
  • 14 years

Andy Chen

Andy joined Polar Capital in June 2018. Previously, Andy was a portfolio manager at Laxey Partners Ltd, having joined the firm in 2008. During his tenure at Laxey, Andy specialised in Chinese and China-related equities. Andy is a native speaker of Mandarin and fluent in English.

  • BSc in Accounting and Finance, Lancaster UniversityMPhil in Real Estate Finance, University of Cambridge
  • 16 years

Aatman Ajmera

Aatman has provided investment research and advisory services on Indian equities to Polar Capital’s Emerging Markets and Asia team since April 2023. Previously, he was the co-portfolio manager of the Nordea Asian Stars Fund, having joined the firm in 2019, before which he worked with East Capital in Sweden, focussing on frontier markets. He is based in Mumbai, India.

    Risk Considerations

    Risks:

    • Capital is at risk and there is no guarantee the Strategy will achieve its objective. Investors should make sure their attitude towards risk is aligned with the risk profile of the Strategy.
    • Past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance. The value of investments may go down as well as up and you might get back less than you originally invested.
    • The value of a Strategy’s assets may be affected by uncertainties such as international political developments, market sentiment, economic conditions, changes in government policies, restrictions on foreign investment and currency repatriation, currency fluctuations and other developments in the laws and regulations of countries in which investment may be made. Please see the Strategy’s Prospectus for details of all risks.
    • The Strategy may enter into a derivative contract. The Strategy’s use of derivatives carries the risk of reduced liquidity, substantial loss and increased volatility in adverse market conditions, such as failure amongst market participants.
    • The use of derivatives will result in the Strategy being leveraged (where market exposure and the potential for loss exceeds the amount the Strategy has invested) and in these market conditions the effect of leverage will magnify losses. The Strategy makes extensive use of derivatives.
    • If the currency of the share class is different from the local currency in the country in which you reside, the figures shown on this webpage may increase or decrease if converted into your local currency.

    Important Information: This website is provided for the sole use of the intended recipient and is not a financial promotion. The Polar Capital Asian Stars Strategy (the “Strategy”) is a Strategy of Polar Capital Funds plc which is authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland as an Undertaking for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities under the European Communities (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 352/2011), as amended. This website does not seek to make any recommendation to buy or sell any particular security (including shares in the Strategy) or to adopt any specific investment strategy. This website does not contain information material to an investor’s decision to invest in the Strategy. Shares in the Strategy are offered only on the basis of information contained in the prospectus, key investor information document (“KIID”), and the latest annual audited accounts. Copies are available free of charge from Polar Capital at the below address or on www.polarcapitalfunds.com. The KIID is available in Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish and Swedish. The prospectus is available in English.

    Third-party Data: Some information contained herein has been obtained from third party sources and has not been independently verified by Polar Capital. Neither Polar Capital nor any other party involved in or related to compiling, computing or creating the data makes any express or implied warranties or representations with respect to such data (or the results to be obtained by the use thereof), and all such parties hereby expressly disclaim all warranties of originality, accuracy, completeness, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to any data contained herein.

    Information Subject to Change: The information contained herein is subject to change, without notice, at the discretion of Polar Capital and Polar Capital does not undertake to revise or update this information in any way.

    Benchmark: The Strategy is actively managed and uses the MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Total Return Index as a performance target and to calculate the performance fee. The benchmark has been chosen as it is generally considered to be representative of the investment universe in which the Strategy invests. The performance of the Strategy is likely to differ from the performance of the benchmark as the holdings, weightings and asset allocation will be different. Investors should carefully consider these differences when making comparisons. Further information about the benchmark can be found at http://www.msci.com/. The benchmark is provided by an administrator on the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) register of benchmarks which includes details of all authorised, registered, recognised and endorsed EU and third country benchmark administrators together with their national competent authorities.

    Country Specific Disclaimers: When considering an investment into the Strategy, you should make yourself aware of the relevant financial, legal and tax implications. Neither Polar Capital LLP nor Polar Capital Funds plc shall be liable for, and accept no liability for, the use or misuse of this document.