Affin Hwang Capital Asian Series fund launched

PETALING JAYA: Affin Hwang Asset Management Bhd (Affin Hwang AM), formerly known as Hwang Investment Management Bhd, yesterday launched its first Affin Hwang Capital Asian Series, a Luxembourg registered Undertaking for Collective Investments in Transferable Securities (UCITS) fund.
"We are the first company in Malaysia to launch a Luxembourg registered UCITS fund. This is an exciting time for Affin Hwang AM as this marks its foray into the European market with an umbrella of two Asian equity focused funds, namely Affin Hwang Select Asia Opportunity Fund (SAOF) and Affin Hwang Select Asia Quantum Fund (SAQF)," its chief strategy officer Esther Thye said in a statement.
The company has appointed BNP Paribas Securities Services as its administrative, registrar, transfer and domiciliary agent as well as custodian.
Its head of equity, Gan Eng Peng said its house investment strategy is largely based on a holistic and total return approach, making the underlying investments in the portfolios different from other Asian funds.
"We adopt an alpha investment strategy, where we strive for positive returns irrespective of market performance, and the newly launched UCITS will be adopting our same winning strategy," said Gan, who is also the portfolio manager of the two funds.
Gan said, the UCITS offers an opportunity for global investors to allocate and enhance their allocations to Asia, as Affin Hwang AM is strategically located in the heart of Southeast Asia.
"This has enabled us the opportunity to become cornerstone investors in new initial public offerings in companies within the region, providing us with ability to gain access into new and upcoming investment opportunities," he said.
Affin Hwang AM manages over RM29.4 billion of assets through its investment expertise in Asian equity and fixed income instruments, with recognition from 58 local and international rating agencies.