China stocks have come under pressure this year as Beijing deals with a beleaguered property sector and a slower-than-expected rebound from the pandemic. The iShares MSCI China ETF is down by more than 7% this year. By comparison, the S & P 500 is up by 16% over the same period. There are other concerns: The country is dealing with high rates of youth unemployment, consumer spending is weak and the economy is on pace to see only lackluster growth.
"This is a year where it should be a lot higher than that, and next year should be a lot higher than that because of the pent up demand of people who were in their homes and are able to go and do stuff now," Kirby added. Another "off the beaten path" opportunity Kirby sees is consumer health care company Imeik Technology Development .