Winners rationale

2017 was not an entirely kind year for ASEAN economies – or its markets – as subdued prices for agricultural products and political uncertainties suppressed consumption, which is a key driver of economic growth across the region.

However, against the uncertain background, the equities market of the region still delivered some 30.1% return on the MSCI AC ASEAN Index in the year, making it essential for managers to provide the necessary services and insights to guide their clients to stay invested.

With some 1,700 professionals based across eight locations in Asia, the J.P. Morgan Asset Management team dedicated to private banking clients in Asia may be the largest of its kind.

The team has consistently demonstrated its commitment to client services in the region, with a client-centric approach, integrating events and bespoke content into services and generating actionable insights.

Since the launch of its first ASEAN country fund in 1974, the company has also led the sector as one of the few asset managers that offer private banks comprehensive market access through both regional and single-country ASEAN funds.

Its flagship strategy, the ASEAN Equity Fund, has performed strongly over the past few years, while its all-embracing product suite – covering major ASEAN countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam – has earned the company continued recognition from private bank clients and the industry.

With technological disruption inevitable in the financial services industry, uniquely, J.P. Morgan Asset Management has met the trend head-on, having adopted uses of digital and information technology in its investment processes. In 2017, the company was among the first to start applying machine learning to the trading process to identify the best possible strategy to execute orders through.

Further, having envisaged private banking clients’ more stringent demands, J.P. Morgan Asset Management has also been proactively integrating a best-in-class environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies into its offerings – both for active, and passive, strategies.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management is Asian Private Banker’s Best Fund Provider – ASEAN Equity in 2018.