iShares MSCI Philippines ETF stands out as a compelling value play amid globally stretched valuations. U.S. and other developed markets appear fully priced, while emerging markets, especially the Philippines, offer attractive P/E ratios. EPHE provides exposure to the Philippines, currently one of the world's cheapest markets by P/E, suggesting strong relative value.
Philippines' macro backdrop is improving, with accelerating GDP growth, easing inflation, and supportive monetary policy likely to boost EPHE's prospects. EPHE offers compelling value, trading at deep discounts to peers on both earnings and cash flow, alongside a decent yield above most Asian and global markets. Industrial sector recovery and favorable export conditions further support the ETF, while technicals suggest mean reversion potential after prolonged underperformance.
The iShares MSCI Philippines ETF which covers 32 stocks from the Philippines has experienced a volatile 2024 and is underperforming EMs quite significantly. EPHE's Q3 GDP was hampered by Tycoon Kristine, but the growth prospects for next year look more alluring. Manufacturing PMIs reflect healthy conditions in the industrial sector (the largest sector exposure), while the investment climate is also getting an uplift from favorable reforms.
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The fund is designed to provide investors with exposure to the Philippine equity market, encompassing a range of companies across large-, mid-, and small-capitalization segments. It aims to replicate the performance of an underlying index, which is a free float-adjusted, market capitalization-weighted index. By investing at least 80% of its assets in the securities that comprise this index, as well as in other investments with similar economic characteristics, the fund seeks to mirror the performance of the broader Philippine equity market. Notably, the fund is non-diversified, meaning it may focus its investments in fewer securities when compared to diversified funds.
The core offering of the fund involves investment in a diversified portfolio of stocks representing the large-, mid-, and small-cap segments of the Philippines equity market. This aims to provide investors with broad market exposure and the potential for growth by mirroring the performance of the underlying index.
Despite the broad market exposure it seeks to provide, the fund operates as a non-diversified fund. This strategy allows for a concentration in fewer securities, potentially increasing the fund’s volatility but also allowing for potentially greater returns from those securities. It's a strategy that may appeal to investors looking for higher risk and reward profiles.