Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering - MAY 2020 EQUITY MARKETS - Templeton Emerging Markets Investment ...

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Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering - MAY 2020 EQUITY MARKETS - Templeton Emerging Markets Investment ...
MAY 2020

Investing in China:
Consumers and
technology recovering
 FRANKLIN TEMPLETON THINKSTM   EQUITY MARKETS
Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering - MAY 2020 EQUITY MARKETS - Templeton Emerging Markets Investment ...
Introduction

                      China has been much in the news recently as it handles the COVID-19
                      virus, and because of political and trade tensions with the West.
                      We continue to believe China remains a growth opportunity for investors.
                      Indeed, by early-March, the Chinese A-share market hit a 12-month
                      high and was one of the world’s best-performing equity markets. Our
                      emerging markets team was on the cusp of publishing fresh thoughts
                      on China in January when Beijing locked down China’s economy to
                      flatten the COVID-19 infection curve. In scenes that were soon replayed
                      across the globe, factories, offices, restaurants and shops all closed.
                      Although China’s economy is opening again, it’s not back to normal.
                      Companies like Foxconn, which assembles iPhones for Apple, aren’t
                      back to full employment due to sagging global demand. Overall, retail
                      activity is improving, but discretionary spending remains muted,
                      while lingering anxieties over infections are accelerating consumer
                      migration to more online purchases and home deliveries. That said, the
                      macro themes and companies our emerging markets analysts wrote
                      of in January remain relevant to investors looking for growth opportuni-
                      ties today. In the near-term, we believe the business prospects for
                      the companies we highlight have brightened. Whether trade tensions
                      eventually prompt companies like Apple to pull supply chains out of
                      China remains to be seen. This updated discussion offers a window into
                      a post-COVID-19 economic recovery.

                      Stephen Dover, CFA
                      Head of Equities
                      Franklin Templeton

2   Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering
Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering - MAY 2020 EQUITY MARKETS - Templeton Emerging Markets Investment ...
Innovation at work

                      In the wake of the global COVID-19 recession, we believe China’s long-term
                      prospects remain intact. China’s ability to innovate (not simply replicate) in areas
                      like artificial intelligence and e-commerce offers significant long-term opportunities
                      for equity investors.

                      From our vantage inside China, analyzing China-based companies starts with a
                      top-down view of Beijing’s industrial policies, which can drive systematic risks
                      and profitable tailwinds. “Made in China 2025,” for example, earmarked RMB¥2.08
                      trillion or US$282 billion in 2015 to speed up China’s shift to a new economy
                      that’s oriented to home-grown technologies and China’s expanding middle class.

                      To bring aspects of our security analysis to life, our Shanghai- and Hong Kong-based
                      analysts have divided their discussion into three companies—each highlights a
                      macro investment theme that shapes our China equity strategies.

Three takeaways
• China has shifted its manufacturing      • With the world’s second largest          • China’s innovation in high-tech fields
  sector from low-cost output                consumer class, more of China’s            helps explain the dramatic rise
  toward high-tech exports—requiring         consumers are gravitating toward           of its largest technology start-up:
  a flexible and educated work-              higher-quality premium brands,             ByteDance. As investors in China-
  force. We think Luxshare Precision         including locally grown ones like          based technology firms that
  represents one upside of China’s           Three Squirrels. Its ability to            compete directly with ByteDance,
  investments in science and tech-           transform a humdrum commodity—             which is privately held, it’s important
  nology education. It resumed               nuts—into a sought-after millennial        for us to stay closely abreast of
  full production of Apple’s technically     brand offers fresh insights into           its rapid evolution. Its ability to
  complex AirPods in early-March.            China’s “premiumization” trend.            engage consumers globally with
                                             As online purchases soared during          algorithms showcases how “Internet
                                             China’s lockdown, Three Squirrels’         Plus” strategies can drive ad reve-
                                             revenues jumped nearly 25% in              nues through the mobile internet
                                             2020’s first quarter.                      using big data analytics. With the
                                                                                        popularity of its apps skyrocketing
                                                                                        globally, ByteDance announced in
                                                                                        April it’s hiring 10,000 new workers.

                                                                       Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering   3
Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering - MAY 2020 EQUITY MARKETS - Templeton Emerging Markets Investment ...
Investing in science
One cornerstone of China’s new                  overcome. AirPods are quite complex,                            course of 10 years, she learned the
economy is the size and skill of its            with several hundred tiny electric                              firm’s business philosophy and
workforce. Thanks to investments                components that must be carefully                               work style, eventually becoming
in science and engineering education at         knitted together—a process akin to                              Foxconn’s highest-ranking mainland
elite schools, such as Peking University,       brain surgery. Fortunately, Luxshare’s                          China employee.
China’s modern labor force is primed            core management philosophy takes
for innovation. China now issues                technical challenges in stride: when                            Luxshare’s ability to continually increase
over 1.65 million undergraduate degrees         confronting new hurdles “we simply                              efficiencies and lower costs hasn’t
annually in natural sciences and                make it happen.” (使命必达) To boost                                gone unnoticed by Apple. In addition to
engineering, quadruple the amount               efficiencies, Luxshare encourages its                           being the exclusive manufacturer of
from 2000, and double the annual                managers to continually experiment with                         Apple’s new noise-cancelling AirPods
number issued in the United States              new assembly processes, even though                             Pro, Luxshare will also produce
and European Union (EU).1 All said,             new approaches sometimes fail.                                  Apple’s newest technological jewel—
China’s investments in science and                                                                              the Series 6 watch. With demand for
technology overtook the United States           We think Luxshare’s drive to continually                        AirPods expected at 90 million headsets
in 2019, according to the National              fine-tune production is central to its                          this year (up from 60 million in
Science Board.2                                 ongoing success and point to founder,                           2019), Luxshare revenues may experi-
                                                Wang Lai Chen, as an important                                  ence a tailwind.3
We think China’s support for education          conveyer of its workplace culture. She
and research has been key to helping it         built this view from the ground up,                             Although Luxshare’s AirPods production
transition toward high value-add exports        starting her career in 1988 as a factory                        slumped 20% in February in the
like biopharmaceuticals and electronics,        worker at Foxconn, a Taiwanese                                  wake of China’s lockdowns, the
and away from lower-cost exports like           company that opened a manufacturing                             company announced in early-March it
textiles and footwear. As illustrated in        facility in mainland China. Over the                            would resume full operations, with
Exhibit 1, China’s global share of high                                                                         plans to produce 48 million units of
value-add exports now surpasses coun-
tries like the United States, Germany           CHINA SHIFTS TO HIGH VALUE EXPORTS
and Japan.                                      Exhibit 1: Percentage of global high value-added exports
                                                As of August 2019
From our vantage in Shanghai, we think          % Exports
Luxshare Precision offers one of                20%
the best examples of China’s shift up           18%
the export value chain. Founded in              16%
Shenzen in 2004 as an electronics               14%
manufacturer, Luxshare initially focused        12%
on assembling basics such as cables
                                                10%
and chargers that connect computers,
                                                 8%
like the iMac, to power sources. As new
                                                 6%
wireless technologies took hold,
                                                 4%
Luxshare expanded its expertise by
                                                 2%
producing more complex wireless char-
gers, and eventually Apple’s intricately             1990    1992    1994     1996   1998    2000       2002   2004    2006   2008     2010    2012    2014    2016    2018
designed wireless AirPods in 2017.                   China          Germany          US         Japan          Korea
                                                Sources: Intracen; As of August 2019. High Value Exports includes electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof;
When Apple first sent its engineers to
                                                sound recorders and reproducers, television, machinery, mechanical appliances, nuclear reactors, boilers; parts thereof,
Luxshare to guide AirPods’ production,          optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical, plastics and articles thereof,
there were big assembly challenges to            vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof, aircraft, spacecraft,. and parts
                                                thereof. See www.franklintempletondatasources.com for additional data provider information. Indexes are unmanaged,
                                                and one cannot invest directly in an index.

4    Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering
Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering - MAY 2020 EQUITY MARKETS - Templeton Emerging Markets Investment ...
AirPods in 2020.4 To ensure worker          It’s important to point out that                             hard pressed to resume full operations
safety, Luxshare makes its own              Luxshare’s return to full operating                          without production interruptions.
COVID-19 face masks, tests employee         capacity didn’t happen on its own.                           Given China’s educated workforce
temperatures each morning before            Without Beijing’s rapid mobilization of                      and Luxshare’s innovative management
entry, and re-configured its assembly       national COVID-19 testing, digital                           practices, we think Luxshare
lines to maintain China’s country-wide      tracing and targeted quarantines,                            remains a standout inside China’s
social distancing protocols.                even the best manufacturer would be                          electronics sector.

Craving premium experiences
For companies the world over, the chief     CHINA’S CONSUMERS ARE TRADING UP
allure of China’s new economy is its        Exhibit 2: Percentage of consumers intending to trade up vs. trade down in 2019
enormous, and digitally sophisticated,      As of 2018
consumer class. The scale is impres-                                   10%            0%          10%           20%           30%    40%          50%
sive—China’s middle class could             Cosmetics

surpass 550 million people by 2022.5        Spirits

At the same time, rising female labor       Wine

participation is producing more dual        Rice

income households eager to try new          Hair Care

premium brands, healthier foods and         Dairy Milk

eco-friendly products.                      Fresh produce
                                            Bottled water
Although foreign brands used to capture     Beer
a larger slice of China’s premium           Frozen pre-cooked meals
purchases (imports were perceived as        Salty packaged snacks
higher quality), a flood of new local       Juice
brands is showing strong momentum.          Cookies
Since 2016, upstart brands home-            Carbonated beverages
grown in China grew their market share
                                                Intend to trade down         Intend to trade up
by 15%, whereas foreign brands
grew just 9%.6 They’ve largely done so      Source: McKinsey Consumer Sentiment Survey; McKinsey Global Institute analysis.

by tailoring products to local tastes,
and harnessing China’s advanced             China’s top 10 brands, sitting alongside                     Instead, Three Squirrels would focus
e-commerce technologies and online          tech giants Alibaba and Huawei.7                             on online customer service and (eventu-
platforms. To succeed in China, foreign     By that measure, it’s done a far                             ally) two- or same-day delivery,
companies must do a better job              better job figuring out China’s                              while handling the blocking and tackling
orienting their products to match           millennial consumers than most global                        of supply chain infrastructure in
China’s distinct tastes and culture or      food conglomerates.                                          the background.
continue losing market share.
                                            Three Squirrels founder Liaoyuan Zhang                       The nuts proved popular with consumers
To understand how local companies are       started with an asset-light digital                          looking for a healthy protein punch,
capturing market share, look no further     model—another hallmark of China’s                            confirming Liaoyuan Zhang’s asset-light
than Three Squirrels. Its success selling   new economy. By selling high-quality                         model was profitable. To boost sales
nuts and snacks online is now studied       nuts directly to consumers online,                           higher, the company focused on tapping
at business schools across the globe.       the company wouldn’t need to                                 into Chinese millennials’ affinity for
Founded in 2012 as a five-person            own factories or manage nut farms.                           cute animals by creating three cartoon
startup, Three Squirrels is now one of                                                                   squirrels as mascots.

                                                                                        Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering     5
Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering - MAY 2020 EQUITY MARKETS - Templeton Emerging Markets Investment ...
For Three Squirrels, its brand “experi-         rates. Other than snacks, offline                       from home. By offering online discounts
ence” now spreads beyond its                    customers can buy special merchandise                   to grab market share, Three Squirrels
fastidious packaging and animated               not available online, including Three                   saw its revenues jump 20%–25%
commercials to include the interactions         Squirrels smartphone cases, school                      in the first quarter, besting many of its
Three Squirrels employees have                  bags, pillows and stuffed toys. The                     competitors. Profit margins, however,
with online customers on digital plat-          strategy is less about boosting bottom-                 took a hit. In addition to promotional
forms like WeChat. Liaoyuan Zhang, for          line profits—offline sales average                      charges, the costs of “contactless
example, calls himself “鼠老爹”                    RMB¥8 million or US$1.1 million per                     home delivery” spiked higher in
(Chinese for “the papa squirrel”), while        store—and more about expanding the                      China as its logistics industry struggled
employee nicknames start with the               Three Squirrels brand experience while                  to adapt to new lockdown procedures,
Chinese character “鼠” (the last char-           collecting more customer data to stay                   social distancing and record demand.
acter of “squirrel” in Chinese).8               abreast of millennial trends.9                          That said, we think Three Squirrels
                                                                                                        remains an online leader in food
More recently, Three Squirrels began            From the outset of China’s COVID-19                     retailing, demonstrating the importance
integrating over 70 brick-and-mortar            lockdown, online food purchases rock-                   of tailoring brands to fit China’s
locations (called Feeding Stores) in            eted across China, as did the frequency                 consumer culture.
smaller cities with lower online shopping       of snacking for middle class consumers
                                                who suddenly found themselves working

Home-grown innovations
Twenty years ago, China’s factories were        CHINA TAKES THE LEAD IN PATENTS                         hiring 10,000 new employees, and
very good at replicating products               Exhibit 3: Percentage of “patent families”              expects to have 100,000 by year-end
from overseas. Few, however, appeared           by country or region 2018                               globally (up from 62,000 in 2019).12
                                                As of 2019
able to come up with their own
world-beating products or services.                                                                     ByteDance is the brainchild of Zhang
To help China innovate at home,                                      US                                 Yiming (張一鳴), a millennial
                                                                     6.8%                               entrepreneur who majored in software
Beijing started delivering strategic                        EU
                                                            7.2%                                        engineering at Nankai University
industrial policies that aimed to catapult
China to the forefront of high-tech                                                                     in Tianjin. Zhang Yiming’s early vision
                                                    South Korea                                         for ByteDance was to harness machine
sectors. Backed by major investments                12.0%                              China
from Beijing, China now leads the                                                                       learning algorithms to feed tailored
                                                                                       49.4%
world in areas like 5G infrastructure and                                                               streams of content to mobile users.
is busy patenting its own breakthroughs:                    Japan                                       Many of China’s 847 million mobile
inventors in China now account for
                                                            17.5%                                       internet users find search engines
nearly half (49%) of worldwide patents,                                                                 like China’s Baidu cumbersome.13
as shown in Exhibit 3.10                                                                                With algorithms, ByteDance would keep
                                                                                                        consumers engaged by feeding
Within the field of social media apps,          Source: NCSES, special tabulations (2019) of PATSTAT,   them individually tailored content. The
our team thinks ByteDance (an unlisted          European Patent Office. Indicators 2020: Innovation.    more time spent on ByteDance
                                                January 2020.
tech start-up) offers one of the best                                                                   apps, the more advertising revenues
illustrations of China’s home-grown                                                                     it could collect.
innovations succeeding outside China.           news, short videos and streaming
Recently valued between US$90                   music—is positively booming.11 Indeed,                  Zhang Yiming’s original concept struck a
billion–US$100 billion, demand for              while other companies are downsizing                    chord with a US venture capital firm,
ByteDance’s suite of apps—spanning              in the wake of the COVID-19 recession,                  which gave Zhang seed capital in 2012
                                                ByteDance announced in April it is

6    Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering
to start Toutiao, a news aggregator           TIKTOK’S SWIFT RISE TO 1 BILLLION USERS
app. After surpassing 13 million daily        Exhibit 4: Monthly active users since product launch (millions)
viewers in only two years, Zhang Yiming       As of November 8, 2019
secured a fresh infusion of RMB¥1.45          Users (millions)
billion (US$204 million) from more             2,500
                                                                                                                                              Facebook
overseas investors, including Sequoia
Capital. Two years later in 2016, Zhang        2,000
Yiming launched a video-streaming
app in China called Douyin, followed by
                                               1,500
its international cousin TikTok in 2017.                                                                  WhatsApp

                                                                                               WeChat
Think globally, act locally                    1,000
                                                                     TikTok
                                                                                                                   Instagram
To understand TikTok’s meteoric rise
outside China, it’s important to note           500                                                     Snapchat
how it got a head start. By acquiring the                                                                                                        Twitter
lip-syncing app Musical.ly (founded
in China) in 2017, ByteDance gained                    1         2     3      4    5      6         7      8       9     10    11   12   13     14       15   16
                                                       Years After Launch
200 million worldwide users and a
strong following in the United States.14      Source: Financial Times Research. November 8, 2019.
After integrating ByteDance’s sophisti-
cated algorithms (which help make             and is close to overtaking Facebook’s                            operating from home. Consider the
TikTok addictive) and slick video editing     Instagram and Tencent’s WeChat in                                rustic cook Yeshi Xiaoge—roughly trans-
technologies, TikTok videos started           China, as shown in Exhibit 4.                                    lated, his name means “brother who
going viral.                                                                                                   cooks in the wilderness.” After gaining
                                              TikTok may be a global sensation, but                            a large following on Douyin cooking
We think a key driver of TikTok’s growth      the majority of ByteDance profits still                          rural meals, he bottled and sold his own
spurt is its adaptability—it’s not a          come from its apps in China, like                                beef sauce online.18
one-size-fits-all-cultures kind of app.       Douyin, which evolved into a more
When a TikTok video goes viral, it’s          overtly commercialized version of                                As a private company, ByteDance
reflecting distinct cultural factors (geog-   TikTok. Browsing through Douyin videos,                          doesn’t publish its revenues. That said,
raphy, gender, age, local pop culture),       for example, Chinese millennials can                             we can confirm ByteDance raked in
which vary by region and country.             buy products featured in videos with a                           23% of China’s digital ad spending
TikTok users in the United States, for        few clicks or take virtual tours of a city’s                     (RMB¥50 billion or US$7 billion) in the
example, tend to skew younger (43%            stores before collecting special coupons                         first half of last year.19 In addition,
are 16–24 years old) and female, and          to use when visiting them in person.                             some of ByteDance’s private investors
prefer light-hearted slapstick. TikTok                                                                         indicated last year’s revenues were
users in India, by contrast, skew heavily     China’s home-grown consumer brands                               between RMB¥104 billion–RMB¥140
male, whereas South Korean users              are now turning to Douyin to promote                             billion or US$15 billion–US$20
are largely females in their mid-40s.15       their products in creative ways. Take the                        billion—more than Uber, Snapchat
In China, knowledge-based content like        domestic cosmetics brand PROYA,                                  and Twitter combined.20 As investors in
cooking videos and foreign language           which launched a digital campaign for                            China-based technology firms that
education are quite popular on Douyin,        its Bubble Spa Mask last year. It                                compete directly with ByteDance,
and users skew slightly older (60% are        invested in 200 micro-influencers with                           it’s important for us to stay abreast of
25–44 years old).16                           large followings on Douyin to drum up                            its rapid evolution. By offering
                                              sales. The Douyin campaign went                                  technically advanced advertising solu-
Thanks to TikTok’s cultural adaptability      viral, and PROYA sold 1 million boxes                            tions across its suite of apps, we think
(and ByteDance algorithms), the app           of the its spa mask in a month, and                              ByteDance could grow its revenues
has eclipsed Twitter and Snapchat in          RMB¥300 million in sales over                                    and profits even further by monetizing
record time with 1 billion active users,      three months.17 Douyin is also popular                           TikTok’s advertising potential.
                                              among “mom and pop” entrepreneurs

                                                                                       Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering                7
Uptrend continues
China was the first to experience                             class that is eager to spend, and these                       On top of this, the consumer base is
COVID-19, and it’s the first to emerge                        companies are devoting their know-how                         diverse, with urban and rural regions
from lockdown. The macro themes                               to fulfill these needs. For home-grown                        at different stages of economic develop-
that shaped our China equity strategies                       companies like Three Squirrels, success                       ment exhibiting different spending
last year remain intact—driving tail-                         requires leapfrogging over traditional                        patterns. However, technology and the
winds that can boost company profits                          business models, and tailoring brands to                      expansion of apps and mobile
and earnings power. In our view, a                            fit China’s distinct culture and trends.                      technologies are quickly bridging this
variety of China’s companies are finding                      We view China’s consumer market                               gap across China. Understanding
success by engineering consumer-                              as a force to be reckoned with—growing                        these dynamics in the wake of
focused innovations that integrate                            at a breakneck pace over the past                             COVID-19 is necessary to find the best
advanced technologies. They are keenly                        20 years. We believe the uptrend                              local and global investing opportunities.
attuned to the needs of a rising middle                       can continue as incomes increase.

Endnotes
1. Source: National Science Board, “Rapid Rise of China’s STEM Workforce Charted by National Science Board Report,” January 31, 2018.
2. Source: Philips, J. “The State of U.S. Science and Engineering 2020”. National Science Board. January 15, 2020.
3. Source: Wuerthele, M. “Third generation AirPods expected in 2021, new AirPods Pro in 2022,” Apple Insider, April 23, 2020.
4. Source: Ho, A. “AirPods Producer Luxshare Gains More Than 6% as Operations in China Resume,” Investing.com, March 10, 2020.
5. Source: McKinsey, 2019. There is no assurance that any estimate, forecast or projection will be realized.
6. Source: B. Lannes, D. Deng, M. Kou, and J. Yu. “Premium Products, Small Brands and New Retail,” Bain & Company, June 20, 2019.
7. Source: China People’s Media Network and Baidu. November 2019.
8. Source: Dauxe Consulting. “How the Chinese brand Three squirrels uses Meng Culture to become No.1,” November 27, 2018.
9. Source: Liang S. “Chinese Consumers are Nuts for Thee Squirrels” Equal Ocean, April 2, 2019.
10. Source: Decker, S. “China Erodes U.S. Dominance in Tech With an Avalanche of Patents,” Bloomberg, May 10, 2019.
11. Source: The Economist. “ByteDance is going from strength to strength,” April 18, 2020.
12. Source: McMorrow, R. “ByteDance looks to hire 10,000 thanks to TikTok boom,” Financial Times, April 15, 2020.
13. Source: China Internet Network Information Center. June 30, 2019.
14. Source: Schneider, M. “Musical.ly Acquired By Chinese Startup for $800 Million,” Billboard, November 10, 2017.
15. Source: Yokota, S. “A Look at TikTok Overtaking the World in 2019,” App Ape Lab., January 23, 2020.
16. Source: Douyin Data Report. ByteDance, January 2020.
17. Source: Chen. T. “2020 China Digital Marketing Trend,” WalktheChat, December 29, 2019.
18. Source: Tolentino, J. “How TikTok Holds Our Attention,” The New Yorker, September 23, 2019.
19. Handley, L. “TikTok’s owner ByteDance just beat Tencent and Baidu in digital ad revenue,” CNBC, November 19, 2019.
20. Source: The Economist. “ByteDance is going from strength to strength,” April 18, 2020.

8      Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering
Franklin Templeton Thinks: Equity Markets highlights the global views our equity invest-
ment teams have across developed and emerging economies, sectors and individual
companies. Each quarterly issue spotlights fresh insights that our analysts and portfolio
managers bring to active security research, examining risks and opportunities from
both growth and value frameworks.

Contributors

Stephen H. Dover, CFA   Manraj S. Sekhon, CFA      Michael Lai, CFA                Vivian Chen Xushan           Tony Sun
Head of Equities        Chief Investment Officer   Portfolio Manager               Senior Research Analyst      Research Analyst
Franklin Templeton      Franklin Templeton         Franklin Templeton              Franklin Templeton           Franklin Templeton
                        Emerging Markets Equity    Emerging Markets Equity         Emerging Markets Equity      Emerging Markets Equity

                                                                             Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering      9
Notes

10   Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering
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                                                                     Investing in China: Consumers and technology recovering   11
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575 2890. United Arab Emirates: Issued by Franklin Templeton Investments (ME) Limited, authorized and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. Dubai office: Franklin
Templeton Investments, The Gate, East Wing, Level 2, Dubai International Financial Centre, P.O. Box 506613, Dubai, U.A.E., Tel.: +9714-4284100 Fax:+9714-4284140. France: Issued by
Franklin Templeton France S.A., 20 rue de la Paix, 75002 Paris France. Hong Kong: Issued by Franklin Templeton Investments (Asia) Limited, 17/F, Chater House, 8 Connaught Road
Central, Hong Kong. Italy: Issued by Franklin Templeton International Services S.à.r.l. – Italian Branch, Corso Italia, 1 – Milan, 20122, Italy. Japan: Issued by Franklin Templeton
Investments Japan Limited. Korea: Issued by Franklin Templeton Investment Trust Management Co., Ltd., 3rd fl., CCMM Building, 12 Youido-Dong, Youngdungpo-Gu, Seoul, Korea 150-
968. Luxembourg/Benelux: Issued by Franklin Templeton International Services S.à r.l. – Supervised by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier - 8A, rue Albert Borschette,
L-1246 Luxembourg - Tel: +352-46 66 67-1- Fax: +352-46 66 76. Malaysia: Issued by Franklin Templeton Asset Management (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. & Franklin Templeton GSC Asset
Management Sdn. Bhd. Poland: Issued by Templeton Asset Management (Poland) TFI S.A.; Rondo ONZ 1; 00-124 Warsaw. Romania: Issued by Bucharest branch of Franklin Templeton
Investment Management Limited (“FTIML”) registered with the Romania Financial Supervisory Authority under no. PJM01SFIM/400005/14.09.2009,, and authorized and regulated in the
UK by the Financial Conduct Authority. Singapore: Issued by Templeton Asset Management Ltd. Registration No. (UEN) 199205211E. 7 Temasek Boulevard, #38-03 Suntec Tower One,
038987, Singapore. Spain: FTIS Branch Madrid, Professional of the Financial Sector under the Supervision of CNMV, José Ortega y Gasset 29, Madrid, Spain. Tel +34 91 426 3600, Fax +34
91 577 1857. South Africa: Issued by Franklin Templeton Investments SA (PTY) Ltd which is an authorised Financial Services Provider. Tel: +27 (21) 831 7400 ,Fax: +27 (21) 831 7422.
Switzerland: Issued by Franklin Templeton Switzerland Ltd, Stockerstrasse 38, CH-8002 Zurich. UK: Issued by Franklin Templeton Investment Management Limited (FTIML), registered
office: Cannon Place, 78 Cannon Street, London EC4N 6HL Tel +44 (0)20 7073 8500. Authorized and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority. Nordic regions:
Issued by Franklin Templeton International Services S.à r.l. , Contact details: Franklin Templeton International Services S.à r.l., Swedish Branch, filial, Blasieholmsgatan 5, SE-111 48,
Stockholm, Sweden. Tel +46 (0)8 545 012 30, nordicinfo@franklintempleton.com, authorised in the Luxembourg by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier to conduct cer-
tain financial activities in Denmark, in Sweden, in Norway, in Iceland and in Finland. Offshore Americas: In the U.S., this publication is made available only to financial intermediaries by
Templeton/Franklin Investment Services, 100 Fountain Parkway, St. Petersburg, Florida 33716. Tel: (800) 239-3894 (USA Toll-Free), (877) 389-0076 (Canada Toll-Free), and Fax: (727)
299-8736. Investments are not FDIC insured; may lose value; and are not bank guaranteed. Distribution outside the U.S. may be made by Templeton Global Advisors Limited or other
sub-distributors, intermediaries, dealers or professional investors that have been engaged by Templeton Global Advisors Limited to distribute shares of Franklin Templeton funds in cer-
tain jurisdictions. This is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase securities in any jurisdiction where it would be illegal to do so.
Please visit www.franklinresources.com to be directed to your local Franklin Templeton website.
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© 2020 Franklin Templeton Investments. All rights reserved.                                                                                                              FTEQA_2Q20_0520
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