T. Rowe Price Japanese Equity Qd GBP 1

Analyst Report
Morningstar's Take
|14/09/2023

by Ronald van Genderen
Performance has lately been subpar for T. Rowe Price Japanese Equity, but we remain convinced by its talented and knowledgeable lead manager, who benefits from solid research support. His approach rests on a well-articulated philosophy and structured process, while execution has been consistent. We confirm the Above Average ratings for the People and Process pillars.

This strategy has been managed by Archibald Ciganer since December 2013, which marked his first stint as a portfolio manager in his career. During his 10-year tenure on this strategy, he has proved to be a talented and knowledgeable investor. He benefits from his long experience in the Japanese equity market as an analyst, giving him 24 years of industry experience. His most important research support comes from 11 generally well-experienced analysts who are embedded in the firm’s global equity research team. The cohort of analysts dedicated to the Japanese equity market has been considerably strengthened in recent years, with eight new joiners since 2017. The team’s expansion closed several previously existing coverage gaps, and the broad Japanese equity market is now well-covered by the available analyst resources. On the other hand, three analysts left the firm, with one departure in 2021 and two in 2022. While the departures don’t lead to concerns at this stage, we do note that it contrasts with the historical stability in supporting resources.

Ciganer self-developed this approach and started implementing it since December 2013. His well-articulated philosophy and structured process is centered around uncovering companies that he believes can deliver growth in shareholder value. This generally leads him to select stocks with growth characteristics, but he can also invest in companies undergoing transformation. This flexibility gives him room to maneuver beyond stereotypical growth stocks and makes this approach different compared with many other growth-oriented Japanese equity strategies. Stock selection relies in great deal on the research by the analysts. In addition to the quality of their recommendations, Ciganer’s effective use of their work is a critical element in this strategy’s success. With most of the analysts based in Tokyo, the local presence can provide the strategy with an edge in the lower end of the market-cap spectrum.

Ciganer’s consistent execution of his approach is reflected by stable portfolio characteristics, although these have been more in flux in recent years. For example, the growth tilt has been softer during 2022, a move that reversed again in 2023. Meanwhile, Ciganer moved away from the lower-end of the market-cap ladder, adding to his exposure to mega- and large-cap companies. This has also decreased the active share of the portfolio versus the TOPIX Morningstar Category benchmark, which moved from slightly above 80% to below 70% as of June 2023. Finally, the portfolio’s sector allocations changed significantly, with increased exposures to the financials and technology sectors and lower allocations to the communication services and industrials sectors.

After a middling first year at the helm, Ciganer has built a very decent longer-term track record, however, it has lost much of its luster following strong underperformance in recent years. The relatively poor showing since the fourth quarter of 2020 is partly attributable to the strategy’s tilt toward growth stocks and the overweight in mid- and small caps, which have been out of favor by investors. Stock selection was also a major negative contributor to relative performance.
 
Morningstar Medalist Rating™Conviction maintained in this solid growth-oriented approach despite recent underperformance.
To find out how Morningstar rates a fund click here.
Morningstar Pillars
PeopleAbove Average
ParentHigh
ProcessAbove Average
 
Morningstar Medalist RatingMorningstar assigns the Medalist Rating to funds that are qualitatively and quantitatively assessed through manager research and algorithmic processes. The assessment turns on three key “pillars” – People, Process, and Parent – that yield an estimate of how well a fund will perform before fees but after adjusting for risk.
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A fim de prover consistência para todos os relatórios fornecidos por diferentes Asset Managers, os data points calculados apresentados são gerados usando uma metodologia de cálculo proprietária da Morningstar, que pode ser conferida com mais detalhes em(https://www.morningstar.com/research/signature)
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