Global Emerging
Markets SMID Equity

Investing in tomorrow’s blue chips, today.

Reasons to invest

Finding structural growth opportunities

Focusing on structural trends, we select small and medium-sized (SMID) companies with good long-term growth prospects, and in countries with conditions supportive of growth.

Attractive valuations

Our analysis focuses on finding quality companies trading at attractive valuations.

Truly active management

We manage a high-conviction portfolio – only investing in companies we believe have the potential to outperform.

Long-term track record

The Strategy builds on the award-winning success of our Global Emerging Markets Strategy, which the team has managed since 2008.
ASIA EX-JAPAN EQUITY[Icon] ESG integration: We incorporate ESG and engagement into our investment process, drawing on the resources of EOS at Federated Hermes, our leading stewardship team. [Icon]Track record: The Strategy ranks among the best performing Asian equity funds since inception, but has a significantly differ-ent composition to its peers[1]. GLOBAL EMERGING MARKETS SMID[ICON] Long-term track record: The Strategy builds on the award-winning success of our Global Emerging Markets Strategy, which the team has managed since 2008.[ICON] Responsible owner: We invest in companies as an active owner and partner. This means we maintain a regular dialogue and encourage strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. GLOBAL EMERGING MARKETS [ICON] Responsible owner: Investing in companies throughout cycles as an active owner and partner, we maintain a regular dialogue and encourage strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.[ICON] Quality and safety: Buying quality companies at a discount can provide a margin of safety in a volatile asset class. GLOBAL EQUITY[ICON] ESG integration: Companies with a good or improving ESG track record are favoured. Our leading stewardship team, EOS, provides best-of-breed engagement insights.[ICON] Risk management: Proprietary risk management tools enable the team to monitor and neutralise macroeconomic risks before they impact returns. GLOBAL EQUITY LOW CARBON[ICON] ESG supports long-term returns: Companies managing their ESG risk have historically outperformed, while those that are improving can generate greater shareholder value in the future.¹[ICON] Risk management: Proprietary risk management tools enable the team to monitor and neutralise macroeconomic risks before they impact returns. GLOBAL SMALL CAP [ICON] Responsible owner: We are an active owner and partner. In practice, this means we maintain a regular dialogue with the companies we own and encourage strong ESG practices.[ICON] Extensive experience in the asset class: The international business of Federated Hermes has managed regional small cap strategies since 1987. SDG Engagement High Yield Credit· [ICON] Investment strength: Since 2004, we have delivered attractive high yield credit returns through relative-value investing across the capital structures of companies worldwide.· [ICON] Engagement depth: Our dedicated engagers are supported by EOS at Federated Hermes, a leading global steward-ship team, and the pioneering Responsibility Office. Unconstrained Credit [ICON] Experienced team: A skilled, integrated team with a strong record of implementing relative-value credit strategies since 2004.[ICON] ESG integration: Our investment process incorporates Federated Hermes’ leading ESG integration and engagement insights. US SMID [ICON] Responsible owner: We are an active owner and partner. In practice, this means we maintain a regular dialogue with the companies we own and encourage strong ESG practices.[ICON] Extensive experience in the asset class: The international business of Federated Hermes has managed regional small-cap strategies since 1987.

Responsible owner

We invest in companies as an active owner and partner. This means we maintain a regular dialogue and encourage strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.

Quick links

Small and medium sized companies (SMIDs) in emerging markets are an under-researched area that present the opportunity to find hidden gems.

Kunjal Gala
- Lead Portfolio Manager

Why Global Emerging Markets SMID Equity?

Emerging markets are undergoing rapid change: urban development and technological revolutions are increasing standards of living and creating a growing middle class. Trends such as digitisation, electrification, biotechnology and cyber security present exciting opportunities to identify the winners of structural change.

Analyst coverage of the SMID market in emerging markets is limited, financial disclosure is less extensive and management teams can be less experienced or poorly served by financial advisers. This presents opportunities to dive deep into financial fundamentals, informed by ESG, and discover hidden gems.

In our experience, domestic emerging market SMID investors are often too focused on short-term developments and news flow. The long-term nature of the Strategy and its focus on structural growth opportunities enables us to look through short-term market fluctuations and seek compounding returns.

How we invest

Fundamental approach
Seeking discounts to intrinsic value
ESG integration

Investment philosophy

We believe:

  • Structural changes in the world economy are transforming emerging markets.
  • The winners that emerge from this transformation will be efficient and sustainable businesses.
  • This is a long-term trend requiring a long-term approach.
  • Quality companies trading at attractive valuations, in countries with conditions that are supportive of growth, provide the best investment opportunities.
  • In addition, we are not averse to investing in lower-quality companies where they are significantly mispriced and where we can determine a catalyst for value to be realised.
  • The best way to add value for investors is through a process that integrates top-down analysis with bottom-up fundamental stock selection, augmented by ESG analysis and engagement.

Investment process

Ideas are generated from a variety of sources, including meetings with company management, our global network of contacts, broker research, industry analysis and quantitative screens.

A proprietary quantitative model ranks companies on valuation, quality, and momentum factors. This screen assigns favourable scores to quality companies with a stable shareholder base and a strong management team.

We pay particular attention to the following investment criteria:

GEMSMID-investment process
Quality
Margin of safety
Moats/defensible franchises
Proven business models
Improving cash flow generation
Strong balance sheets
High ROE
Good governance
Consistency of, and improvements in, revenue and earnings
P/B justified with strong or improving ROE
Stable/improving regulation
Low PEG ratios
Improving cycle

We seek to establish a company’s financial health and long-term prospects. We model financial forecasts (one- and five-year earnings), cash flow and balance sheet. This is combined with the analysis of operational, financial and ESG risk factors to estimate the intrinsic value of the company.

We aim to hold 80-110 companies in a portfolio. In stock selection, potential long-term outperformers are emphasised. Position sizes are determined by a number of factors, including conviction levels, the degree of upside to ‘fair value’, liquidity, contribution to active risk, ESG rating, country and sector exposures. We initiate positions at typically 50bps and build them incrementally with conviction. Individual stock positions are limited to a maximum 10%.

Team

5890, 6002, 5854
Vivek Bhutoria

Vivek Bhutoria, CFA

Co-Portfolio Manager, Federated Hermes Limited

Kunjal Gala

Head of Global Emerging Markets, Lead Portfolio Manager, Federated Hermes Limited

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Our Purpose

To deliver Sustainable Wealth Creation

Like all our investment capabilities, Federated Hermes Global Emerging Markets SMID Equity aims to deliver Sustainable Wealth Creation: the generation of wealth through investments that enrich investors, society and the environment over the long term.

Our business provides three equally powerful pathways to achieving this aim. Federated Hermes Global Emerging Markets SMID Equity features in the Active ESG route.

Active ESG on blue background

Responsible, active investing for long-term performance.

  • Financial objective
  • Best-practice integration of ESG analysis and engagement insights
  • Some capabilities may enforce exclusions that reflect Portfolio Managers’ investment views
  • Delivery of sustainable outcomes through effective stewardship

Federated Hermes Global Emerging Markets SMID Equity

Impact on orange background

Mission-led investment strategies to create positive impact.

  • Financial and impact objectives
  • Best-practice integration of ESG analysis and engagement insights
  • Focus on companies generating impact or undergoing positive transformation
  • Some capabilities may enforce exclusions that reflect defined sustainability values, impact considerations, or both
  • Delivery of sustainable outcomes through effective stewardship
Sustainable on green background

Thematic and values-based approaches for sustainable outcomes.

  • Financial and sustainability objectives
  • Best-practice integration of ESG analysis and engagement insights
  • Exposure to sustainability themes
  • Exposure to ESG leaders and industry exclusions that reflect sustainability values
  • Delivery of sustainable outcomes through effective stewardship