EM Fund Stock Picks & Country Commentaries (March 15, 2026)

As of mid-March, some new January/February fund updates (our continuously updated post containing all funds is here) have become available along with plenty of new emerging markets and especially Middle East conflict focused research pieces:

• 🗄️🌏 abrdn Asia-Pacific Income Fund, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: FAX)’s quarterly commentary (market review and outlook) is dated from the Quarter ended January 31, 2026. It gives or covers an economic & market overview, Asian bonds, Asian currencies, Asian credit, EM debt & currencies and an outlook.

• 🎥🌏 Aberdeen Asia Focus: UK Investor Magazine webinar (Aberdeen Investments) 23:53 Minutes (March 2026) – Gabriel Sacks, Lead Manager of Abrdn Asia Focus PLC (LON: AAS), outlined the trust’s approach to identifying high‑quality smaller companies across Asia that are positioned to benefit from long‑term structural growth. He provided an overview of the portfolio by country and sector, before discussing stock‑level attribution and the key contributors to performance.

• Asia Frontier Capital has the following updates:

  • 🗄️🌏🚩 The latest monthly newsletter (detailed economic and portfolio) for the AFC Asia Frontier Fund is from the end of February (Asian Frontier Macro Intact – Middle East Tensions Provide an Excellent Buying Opportunity – February 2026 Update) noted that in the last six years, any major economic shock has been an excellent buying opportunity as frontier markets have reacted swiftly to any stock market correction. Gains were led by Bangladesh, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Papua New Guinea, Oman, and Iraq while Pakistan detracted. Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh, on the ground in Vietnam in February for an investor conference, top-down case for Pakistan, etc were discussed:

    Named or unnamed performers/transactions (that can be guessed) discussed or mentioned:

  • 🗄️🇮🇶 AFC Iraq Fund’s February newsletter (economic and portfolio) noted and discussed the start of the war with Iran.

  • 🗄️🇺🇿 AFC Uzbekistan Fund’s February newsletter discussed America’s Central Asian strategy increasingly focuses on Uzbekistan, the upcoming AFC Uzbekistan Tour 2026, etc.

  • 🗄️🇻🇳 AFC Vietnam Fund’s February newsletter discussed the Supreme Court striking down Trump’s global tariffs (positive implications for Vietnam), Vietnam’s state budget surplus (a structural fiscal breakthrough), fiscal discipline and revenue breakthrough under strong leadership, structural turning point for Vietnam, etc. Stocks discussed or mentioned:

    • 📈🇻🇳🏛️ Petrovietnam Gas JSC (HOSE: GAS) – Oil & gas exploration, production, storage, processing, transportation, distribution & services. 🇼

    • 📈🇻🇳🏛️ Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) (HOSE: PLX) – Oil & gas (incl. gas stations) + insurance, transport & trading. 🇼

    • 📈🇻🇳 Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Co Ltd (HOSE: BSR) – Receiving, managing & operating the Dung Quat Refinery.

    • 🇻🇳 Minh Phu Seafood Corp (HNX: MPC) – Shrimp farming & processing.

    • 🇻🇳 Agriculture Bank Insurance JSC (HNX: ABI) – Insurance.

    • 🇻🇳 Tng Investment And Trading JSC (HNX: TNG) – Garment maker.

    • 🇻🇳 Lam Dong Mineral and Building Material JSC (HOSE: LBM) – Precasted concrete, tuynel brick, construction stone, refractory material, kaolin & Bentonite.

    • 🇻🇳 Phu Tai Corporation (HOSE: PTB) – Manufacture & trade of stone & wood products.

• 🎥🌏 Ruchir Desai, Co-Fund Manager of the AFC Asia Frontier Fund Discusses with Steven Filby on Why He Remains Positive on the Outlook Despite the Conflict in the Middle East (RTHK Money Talk) 10:04 Minutes (March 2026)