ETF Evaluator:
Matthews Emerging Markets Sus Fut ActETF (EMSF)
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 07)
Best Performing in Diversified Emerging Mkts Over the Last Year
| 114.0% | Nomura Focused Emerging Mrkts Eq ETF (EMEQ) |
| 81.0% | FT EM Human Flourishing ETF (FTHF) |
| 68.7% | First Trust Bloomberg Emr Mkt Dem ETF (EMDM) |
| 67.8% | Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF (FRDM) |
| 59.4% | Pacific NoS Global EM Equity Active ETF (GEME) |
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Risk
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ETF Details
Matthews Emerging Markets Sus Fut ActETF Overview
Matthews Emerging Markets Sus Fut ActETF (EMSF) is an actively managed International Equity Diversified Emerging Mkts exchange-traded fund (ETF). Matthews Asia Funds launched the ETF in 2023.
The investment seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Under normal circumstances, the fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, which include borrowings for investment purposes, in the common and preferred stocks of companies of any market capitalization located in emerging market countries that satisfy one or more of the fund’s environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) standards. The fund is non-diversified.
About Matthews Emerging Markets Sus Fut ActETF (EMSF)
There are 5 members of the management team with an average tenure of 0.79 years: Vivek Tanneeru (2023), Cecilia Lau (2026), Sean Taylor (2026), Kathlyn Collins (2026) and Mark Headley (2026). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 1 primary benchmark: MSCI EM NR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Matthews Emerging Markets Sus Fut ActETF has 63 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 45.2% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Matthews Emerging Markets Sus Fut ActETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity ETF group. Matthews Emerging Markets Sus Fut ActETF has 90.2% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 3.3% There is 90.2% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Matthews Emerging Markets Sus Fut ActETF has 6.5% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $43 million in total assets, which is below the $3 billion average for the Diversified Emerging Mkts category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
EMSF Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Matthews Emerging Markets Sus Fut ActETF expense ratio is above average compared to funds in the Diversified Emerging Mkts category. Matthews Emerging Markets Sus Fut ActETF has an expense ratio of 0.79%, which is 53% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a F. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Matthews Emerging Markets Sus Fut ActETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 65%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 44% for the Diversified Emerging Mkts category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Matthews Emerging Markets Sus Fut ActETF returned -9.9%, which earned it a grade of F, as the Diversified Emerging Mkts category had an average return of -3.0%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
Matthews Emerging Markets Sus Fut ActETF has a trailing yield of 5.10%, which is above the 2.41% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income annually and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
Matthews Emerging Markets Sus Fut ActETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 32.6%, 15.5 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of A. The fund has returned 49.5% over the past year (grade of A).
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EMSF Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| EMSF Return (NAV) | -9.9% | 2.3% | 49.5% | na | na | na |
| EMSF Return (Price) | -12.8% | -1.3% | 48.6% | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 2.824% | 3.550% | 0.931% | na | na | na |
| Diversified Emerging Mkts Avg | -3.0% | 3.0% | 31.9% | 16.6% | 7.1% | 7.8% |
| EMSF Grade (NAV) | F | D | A | na | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -6.9% | -0.7% | 17.6% | na | na | na |
| EMSF Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 2.8% | na | na | na |
EMSF Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| EMSF Return (NAV) | 32.6% | 25.7% | -2.7% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| EMSF Return (Price) | 30.7% | 25.8% | -3.0% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.057% | 0.006% | 0.101% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Diversified Emerging Mkts Avg | 17.1% | 29.2% | 6.7% | 12.8% | -18.8% | 2.3% | 12.7% | 18.2% | -14.6% | 33.7% | 10.9% |
| EMSF Grade (NAV) | A | D | F | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | 15.5% | -3.6% | -9.4% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | na |
| R-Squared: | na |
| Standard Deviation: | na |
| Category Risk Index: | na |
| Category Risk Rating: | |
| Total Risk Index: | na |
| Total Risk Rating: | |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 5.1% |
| Total Assets: | $ 43 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 43 Mil |
| Turnover: | 65.5% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.79% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | MSCI EM NR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | Yes |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 5 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 2.9 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 0.8 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Tanneeru Vivek (2023), Taylor Sean (2026), Collins Kathlyn (2026), Headley Mark (2026), Lau Cecilia (2026) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 63 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 45.2% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 90.2% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 3.3% |
| Foreign Stock: | 90.2% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 6.5% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Matthews Asia Funds |
| Phone Number: | 833-228-5605 |
| Website: | www.matthewsasia.com/ |
| Inception Date: | September 21, 2023 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.79% (Rating: Above Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.52% |