Japan Advantage Fund A-Jpy 31 August 2021
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MPR.en.xx.20210831.LU0161332480.pdf For Investment Professionals Only FIDELITY FUNDS MONTHLY PERFORMANCE REVIEW JAPAN ADVANTAGE FUND A-JPY 31 AUGUST 2021 Portfolio manager: Ronald Slattery Performance over month in JPY (%) Performance for 12 month periods in JPY (%) Fund 0.5 Market index 3.2 Tokyo Stock Index Market index is for comparative purposes only. Source of fund performance is Fidelity. Basis: nav-nav with income reinvested, in JPY, net of fees. Other share classes may be available. Please refer to the prospectus for more details. Fund Index Market Environment The Japanese market rose in August as positive corporate earnings countered concerns over the fast-spreading Delta variant of COVID-19. The Japanese government decided to extend the COVID-19 state of emergency covering Tokyo and five other areas to 12 September, while expanding the measure to seven more prefectures as the resurgence of infections shows no signs of subsiding. Meanwhile, the market reacted positively to the US Senate’s approval of a $1 trillion infrastructure bill. In addition, investors welcomed US Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s comments that allayed market fears of a fast withdrawal of pandemic-era stimulus. Markets were also enthused by upbeat earnings, although sentiment was dampened after Toyota Motor announced plans to slash its global output by 40% in September due to chip shortages. In keeping with the overall market trend, most sectors gained, while growth names outperformed value stocks. At a market-cap level, gains were largely similar, with large-caps slightly ahead. TSE Mothers, an index of emerging companies, also rose in August. At a sector level, marine transportation, iron & steel and precision instruments sectors were among the prominent gainers, while oil & coal products, pulp & paper and non-ferrous metals companies reported the biggest losses. On the economic front, preliminary data showed that Japan’s real GDP grew by 1.3% quarter-on-quarter on an annualised basis in the April–June period. That came after a 3.7% slump in the previous three months. Fund Performance The fund (A-JPY) returned 0.5% over the month, while the return for the index was 3.2%. Holdings in cyclical stocks across the industrials and technology sectors were among the most significant detractors from performance. The overweight exposure to energy and transportation constrained relative returns. Conversely, the fund’s positioning in telecommunications and media proved rewarding. In the machinery sector, THK, a leading manufacturer of linear motion systems used in industrial robotics, machine tools and semiconductor production equipment, reported record-high orders with strong growth across all regions, but profits fell short of market expectations due to shipment constraints and rising costs. Meanwhile, holdings in Toyota Motor suppliers Sumitomo Electric Industries and Denso lost ground after the automaker announced a 40% production cut in September. However, supply chain issues are well known and should be resolved in the coming months, and end demand remains strong. In the electric appliances sector, the position in industrial electronics company Hitachi faced profit taking though the risk/reward profile of the stock remains attractive. Chipmaker Rohm saw one-time costs hit margins, though the top-line is recovering sharply amid strong end demand. Meanwhile, not holding higher valuation names such as Keyence and Daikin Industries, which outperformed in a growth-led market, hurt relative returns. Elsewhere, the position in convenience store (CVS) and supermarket operator Seven & I Holdings relinquished a measure of its recent share price gains. The market was underwhelmed by the company’s earnings guidance, with sluggish trends at subsidiaries contrasting with the solid performance of its core CVS business in Japan and the US. The stock remains undervalued versus peers and we expect a rerating to occur amid improving earnings. On a positive note, the position in non-life insurer Sompo Holdings was again a key contributor to performance in August. Amid declines in long-term interest rates, the company found favour for its stable fundamentals, solid payout prospects and low valuation. In communication services, not holding laggard names Nintendo and SoftBank Group contributed to relative returns. Fund Positioning The effective resignation of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga came as a surprise, but the market reacted positively because a fresh face as PM is seen as increasing the chances that the ruling LDP retains its majority. In addition, the chance of a stimulus package has increased ahead of the likely November general election. The longer-term implications are less clear. Most of the candidates have not outlined their policy proposals. In fact, it is not even clear yet who the candidates will be. In any case, the LDP is most likely to still control the government so a radical change in policy is unlikely. In addition, the BoJ will still be led by Mr. Kuroda. Among the likely candidates, Kono is seen by many observers as the most likely to implement administrative reforms. However, details are currently lacking on a broader policy. The fund remains overweight in capital goods, automobiles/parts and semiconductors, where global leaders in machinery and electronics tied to secular trends continue to offer good value. Denso, Hitachi and Rohm remain key active positions in the fund. Within financials, the insurance sector remains overweight. Insurers do not have the structural problems that Japanese banks do, are more interest rate sensitive and offer attractive upside potential. As the vaccination rollout in Japan accelerates, value stocks in the foods, transportation and retail sectors look attractive. The manager has been selectively adding to reopening names in these areas of the market. On the other hand, the manager has been taking some profits in industrials and technology-related names. Important Information Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. The fund's returns can be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The value of investments and any income from them may go down as well as up and an investor may not get back the amount invested. The use of financial derivative instruments may result in increased gains or losses within the fund. MPR.en.xx.20210831.LU0161332480.pdf For Investment Professionals Only FIDELITY FUNDS MONTHLY PERFORMANCE REVIEW JAPAN ADVANTAGE FUND A-JPY 31 AUGUST 2021 Attribution Performance attribution is produced in the currency shown below. For funds with multiple share classes, the attribution return reflects the aggregate performance across all the share classes. It may therefore deviate from the published return for a particular share class. When using the analysis for hedged share classes, please consider that the attribution is shown before the impact of hedging. The contributions shown in the tables are before the impact of charges. If charges are applied, their effect is captured in the “Other” category in the tables and will also be reflected in the fund return. All investments, including derivatives, linked to a particular issuing company have been combined to form a total percentage for each issuing company. The sector/industry and geographic contribution tables (where relevant) display a maximum of eleven individual entries. Where applicable, only top five and bottom five are listed, with the remaining contribution shown in the "Other Sectors" or “Others” category. Currency of attribution Yen (JPY) One month relative return (%) -2.55 Position Contribution (%) 1 month Average Relative Average Relative Relative Performance Relative Performance TOP CONTRIBUTORS Weight Contribution TOP DETRACTORS Weight Contribution SOFTBANK GROUP CORP -1.9 0.26 THK CO LTD 2.2 -0.55 NINTENDO CO LTD -1.2 0.12 HITACHI LTD 3.7 -0.28 SOMPO HOLDINGS INC 3.1 0.09 DAIKIN INDUSTRIES LTD -1.2 -0.19 AGC INC 0.8 0.07 SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDS LTD 2.1 -0.19 ULVAC INC 0.9 0.07 SEVEN & I HLDGS CO LTD 3.3 -0.15 FUJITSU LTD 1.1 0.06 T&D HOLDINGS INC 1.7 -0.14 YAMATO KOGYO CO LTD 0.8 0.06 HOYA CORP -1.2 -0.14 TSUMURA & CO 0.8 0.04 PENTA OCEAN CONST CO LTD 1.4 -0.14 ORIX CORP 1.3 0.04 KEYENCE CORP -2.4 -0.13 KOMATSU LTD -0.5 0.04 ROHM CO LTD 2.7 -0.12 Positions in other funds - including ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) - can appear in this table, but index derivatives form part of an "Index / Unclassified" category which will appear in the table(s) below when relevant. Sector/Industry Contribution (%) 1 month CONTRIBUTIONS TO RELATIVE RETURN Average Sector/ Total Relative Security Industry Relative tpx Sector Weight Selection Selection Contribution Information & Communication -5.6 0.06 0.06 0.12 Other Products -2.2 0.00 0.09 0.09 Glass & Ceramics Products 0.5 0.04 0.01 0.05 Chemicals -2.8 0.04 0.01 0.05 Other Financing Business 0.7 0.04 0.01 0.05 Nonferrous Metals 1.6 -0.11 -0.06 -0.17 Precision Instruments -2.9 0.00 -0.20 -0.20 Construction 2.1 -0.15 -0.07 -0.22 Electric Appliances 5.9 -0.67 -0.05 -0.72 Machinery -0.8 -0.77 -0.01 -0.78 Other Sectors 1.3 -0.40 -0.36 -0.76 Total Primary Assets -2.3 -1.91 -0.58 -2.49 Other* 2.3 -0.06 TOTAL 0.0 -2.55 *Other includes portfolio components not already listed such as cash, expenses and other miscellaneous items. MPR.en.xx.20210831.LU0161332480.pdf For Investment Professionals Only FIDELITY FUNDS MONTHLY PERFORMANCE REVIEW JAPAN ADVANTAGE FUND A-JPY 31 AUGUST 2021 Important Information This information must not be reproduced or circulated without prior permission. Fidelity International refers to the group of companies which form the global investment management organisation that provides information on products and services in designated jurisdictions outside of North America.