Winners rationale

Of the few asset managers offering both regional and single-country ASEAN equity funds, J.P. Morgan Asset Management has retained pole position with an all-embracing product suite covering major economies in the variegated and fast-growing region, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The asset manager has seen continued success since entering the ASEAN funds space in 1983. Its ASEAN Equity Fund has outperformed peers by achieving first-quartile performance across various time periods — including one-year, year-to-date, and since-launch — as of end-September 2018. Further, the fund’s (acc) USD Class boasts a five-star Morningstar rating and a silver Morningstar Analyst Rating, and has delivered an annualised since-launch return of 9.3%, versus the 7% benchmark.

Included in its single-country offerings is the JPMorgan Vietnam Opportunities Fund, which bore increasing relevance in 2018 as the frontier economy continued to post robust growth while attracting foreign direct investment, garnering continued recognition from private bank clients and the asset management industry alike.

Exemplifying the asset manager’s capacity to take an active, deeper dive into nascent opportunities within the ASEAN emerging market where investors currently have little exposure, the fund has grown by 90% over the span of a year to US$339.9 million as of end-September 2018. The fund’s (acc) USD Class also attained first-quartile status by delivering strong returns of 23.9% and 196.3% for the past one and ten years, respectively, as of end-September 2018.

Managing US$1.7 trillion of assets globally, employing 1,700 professionals across eight locations in the region, and servicing 13 of Asia’s private banks, J.P. Morgan Asset Management has once again been voted Asian Private Banker’s Best Fund Provider – ASEAN Equity.