กรุงเทพฯ--21 ต.ค.--Manulife Asset
Strategic partnership to expand and strengthen Manulife Asset Management (Thailand)'s fund distribution network and build awareness of compelling investment products
On 29 September 2015, Manulife Asset Management (Thailand) Co. Ltd. (Manulife AM (Thailand)) and TMB Bank Pcl. signed an agreement to become strategic partners in the distribution of mutual funds managed by the former. The deal will significantly strengthen Manulife AM (Thailand)'s distribution network by giving it access to TMB Bank's extensive customer base via 459 branches nationwide. The first funds to be made available under the relationship, Manulife Strength - Asian Small Cap Equity FIF (MS-ASIAN SM) and Manulife Strength - Money Market Fund (MS-MONEY), will be open for investment at TMB Bank from 13 October 2015. Further Manulife AM (Thailand) funds are expected to be added to the TMB platform going forward.
Mr. Indren Naidoo, Regional Chief Executive Officer for Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, Manulife Financial and Chairman of Manulife Asset Management (Thailand), commented: "We are pleased to be one of five asset management companies whose funds will be available on the TMB open architecture distribution system. We believe the key factor that led TMB Bank to select Manulife AM as a partner is our global investment footprint, which enables us to offer clients a selection of Foreign Investment Funds (FIFs) with the potential to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns."
Manulife AM (Thailand) is one of only a few asset management companies in Thailand with access to a global network of on-the-ground investment professionals. Manulife Asset Management has investment operations in 17 countries and territories, including Canada, the US and 10 markets across Asia (including Thailand). These offices collectively host more than 370 dedicated equity, fixed income and asset allocation investment professionals, including more than 75 in Asia.
Tor Indhavivadhana, Chief Executive Officer of Manulife Asset Management (Thailand), expanded on this: "We believe that Manulife Asset Management's global network of investment professionals gives us an information advantage in the market as our investment decisions are based on proprietary, on-the-ground research. This generally includes real-time, local-market information that has the potential to affect securities valuations but may not yet be widely known to the international investment community.
"The MGF Asian Small Cap Equity Fund, the master fund for the MS-ASIAN SM, utilises this investment strategy to identify potential 'hidden gems' – which have earnings growth potential, strong pricing power, solid management teams and niche market positions – and purchase them before the broader market recognises their potential. The master fund's exposure to multiple Asian markets makes it an effective diversification tool in the face of current volatility in the Thai market and the potential for global and political uncertainties to continue affecting the market in the short run."
The uniqueness of the MS-ASIAN SM's investment approach and its track record of attractive returns make it a flagship fund for Manulife. The MS-ASIAN SM is consistently on our distributors' and investors' investment short lists.