Winners rationale

Building on its notable track record for providing accurate, in-depth, and independent fund research, Morningstar further distinguished itself amongst rivals in 2018 with its ability to anticipate and cater to the needs of a fast-evolving market, headlined by the introduction of fresh constructive solutions.

Reflecting its commitment to product innovation and delivering results to Asian markets, Morningstar introduced its Morningstar Quantitative Rating™ (MQR) to Asian private banks in 2018, addressing the latter’s pressing need to navigate a rapidly expanding funds universe.

The MQR, an extension to the research provider’s industry-leading Morningstar Analyst Rating™, offers a forward-looking analysis of a fund’s ability to outperform its peer group or a relevant benchmark on a risk-adjusted basis over a full market cycle.

Leveraging machine learning in a forward-looking process of digital transformation, the rating provides a predictive statistical model to assist portfolio managers in making better-informed investment decisions. With this evolution, Morningstar has also expanded its research coverage to encompass approximately 100,000 funds in international markets outside the US.

Further, as sustainability investing begins to gain traction, the research provider has been addressing the growing concerns over the effects of ESG factors on business risk, financial performance, and future prospects and introduced the Morningstar Portfolio Carbon Metrics in 2018. Analysing the degree of risk to which companies in a portfolio are exposed amid an increasingly low-carbon economy, the product adds a new analytical dimension to the Morningstar Sustainability Rating™, which evaluates how well funds meet the relevant ESG factors.

In the face of an increasingly stringent regulatory environment, Morningstar has also sought to relieve its clients’ pain point of a lack of access to unbiased pertinent information for fund due diligence. To this end, its Product Due Diligence solution uses its proprietary database to assist fund distributors in developing a more thorough understanding of investment products and their suitability for clients.

On Morningstar Direct — its flagship investment research platform — the firm continues to cover more than 4,000 managed investments across active, passive, multi-asset, ETFs, and closed-end fund strategies. For private banks that prefer bespoke solutions, Morningstar boasts a full suite of advisory services from strategic asset allocation to model portfolio construction.

For the fourth consecutive year, the region’s private banks and wealth managers have selected Morningstar as the Best Service Provider – Fund Research.