EM Fund Stock Picks & Country Commentaries (February 1, 2026)

Indian stocks & AI, branded jewellery market, Donroe Doctrine + tariff macro/market impacts, CEE market returns, Latin America’s resource potential, plenty of December/Q4 fund updates, etc.

As of the end of January, plenty of December/Q4 fund updates (our continuously updated post containing all funds is here) and new research is available starting with some non-EM pieces:

• 🔬🌐 Diversification in Agriculture is Critical to Achieving Investor Objectives in the Asset Class (Fiera Oaks) - Agriculture aims to effectively meet the needs of investors seeking the benefits of diversification and an expansion of the efficient frontier of their portfolio. Even a modest exposure to the asset class can accomplish these objectives.

• 🔬🇪🇺 What is the future of European supply chains? (Aberdeen Investments) - Secular trends including the rise of AI, the green transition, and geopolitical fragmentation are exacerbating vulnerabilities in the EU’s industrial supply chains. But the bloc’s strategy is changing, and involves de-risking at key nodes in critical supply chains and developing leverage in areas of strength.

• 🔬🇬🇧🚩 The Mercantile: 2025’s mid cap winners and the outlook for 2026 (JP Morgan) - With the new year underway, we reflect on the mid and small cap companies that stood out in 2025 and outline the team’s expectations for 2026.

  • 🇬🇧 3i Group

  • 🇬🇧 Serco

  • 🇬🇧 Plus500

  • 🇬🇧 B&M European Value Retail

  • 🇬🇧 Tate & Lyle

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New Asia Fund Documents & Research

• 🎙️🌏 Aberdeen Asia Focus – John Baron Portfolios Podcast (Aberdeen Investments) 32:26 Minutes - Gabriel Sacks shares insights into the Abrdn Asia Focus PLC (LON: AAS) investment approach on the John Baron Portfolios Podcast.

• 🔬🌏🚩 Making the right moves in the AI age (Aberdeen Investments) - AI is reshaping global markets. Here’s where Asia’s overlooked innovators are creating standout opportunities.

  • 🇺🇸 IBM

  • 🇨🇳 Hesai Group (NASDAQ: HSAI) - Lidar products for autonomous mobility, robots, etc. Three-dimensional light detection & ranging (lidar) solutions. 🏷️

  • 🇨🇳 Precision Tsugami China Corporation Ltd (HKG: 1651) - CNC high precision machines (precision automatic lathes, turret machines, machining centre, grinding machines, thread/rolling machines, etc.).

  • 🇹🇼 Taiwan Union Technology Corporation (TPEX: 6274) - Value-added materials & advanced mass lamination service to the global electronics industry.

  • 🇹🇼 Accton Technology (TPE: 2345) - Open hardware platforms for data center, carrier access, campus, SD-WAN networks & IoT. 🇼 🏷️

  • 🇺🇸 AvePoint Inc (NASDAQ: AVPT) - Data security. 🇼

  • 🇺🇸 Nvidia

• 🗄️🌏 The December monthly factsheet (detailed economic and portfolio) for the Abrdn Asia Focus PLC (LON: AAS), a high conviction portfolio of Asian small caps, discussed or mentioned:

  • 📈🇹🇼 Taiwan Union Technology Corporation (TPEX: 6274) - Value-added materials & advanced mass lamination service to the global electronics industry.

  • 📈🇺🇸 AvePoint Inc (NASDAQ: AVPT) - Data security. 🇼

  • 📈🇨🇳 Zhejiang Shuanghuan Driveline Co Ltd (SHE: 002472) - Gears, transmission & drive components.

  • 📈🇨🇳 Hesai Group (NASDAQ: HSAI) - Lidar products for autonomous mobility, robots, etc. Three-dimensional light detection & ranging (lidar) solutions. 🏷️

  • 🏧🇰🇷 Park Systems Corp (KOSDAQ: 140860) - Atomic force microscopy systems.

• 🗄️🎬 Asian Frontier Markets Update 22nd January 2026 (Asia Frontier Capital) 1:18:25 Minutes

  • 00:00 - Thomas Hugger – Introduction

  • 01:54 - Ruchir Desai – AFC Asia Frontier Fund

  • 22:15 - Ahmed Tabaqchali – AFC Iraq Fund

  • 32:23 - Scott Osheroff – AFC Uzbekistan Fund

  • 41:30 - Vicente Nguyen – AFC Vietnam Fund

  • 50:44 - Q&A