During the world’s worst crisis since the second world war, countries in the Asia Pacific region reacted swiftly and managed to contain the pandemic through a combination of stringent mobility restrictions and extensive based programmes. As a result, profits and dividends in the region were remarkably resilient compared to the rest of the world.

Today, the outlook for dividends looks even brighter, with the International Monetary Fund forecasting the region to grow 7.5% in 2021, compared to 4.6% growth in Europe and 7.0% growth for both the UK and US. Combined with the fact that dividend cover levels are substantially higher than those found elsewhere, for the income-seeker, the investment case for Asia-Pacific seems particularly compelling

The Asia Pacific region is increasingly becoming a ‘dividend powerhouse’. Whether we look at profit, cash balances, net debts, or cash flow, the region’s companies are showing that the fast-growing dividends they are paying are extremely well supported by fundamentals.