February 20, 2019
Manila, Philippines - Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corporation (MAMTC) recently launched the Dragon Growth Equity Feeder Fund (the ‘Fund’). For a minimum of Php 5,000 or USD 100, the new Unit Investment Trust Fund (UITF) gives investors exposure to a diversified portfolio of equity related securities of public companies listed in Hong Kong and/or China.
“The Dragon Growth Equity Feeder Fund enables investors to take advantage of China’s transformative growth story and access its impressive domestically-driven economy,” said Aira Gaspar, President and CEO of MAMTC.
The Fund is supported by the Hong Kong and China Investment team of Manulife Asset Management which consists of over 40 investment professionals. As an award winning team, the Hong Kong and China Investment team received numerous prestigious recognitions in the past years, such as ‘Best-in-Class, House Award- Hong Kong Equity’ by BENCHMARK Fund of the Year Awards 20181, and ‘Best Fund Group- Hong Kong Equity’ by Citywire Asia Awards 20182.
“With China’s rapidly changing economic structure, its equity markets will inevitably continue to liberalize and evolve. With the new Dragon Growth Equity Feeder Fund, investors can draw on the talents of our experienced and nimble team who are equipped to seize emerging opportunities and navigate China’s new investment landscape,” said Gaspar.”
The Fund adopts flexible and dynamic allocations between China and Hong Kong equities, according to changes in market conditions, government policies, industry trends and individual holdings.
“The Chinese government has subsequently embarked on a series of reforms that are designed to push the economy further up the value-added chain over the past years. We expect the Chinese government will continue to implement fiscal policies to support economic growth and provide backing for private enterprises. Macroeconomic data is also expected to improve this year which should see corporate earnings growth bottom out,” said Kai Kong Chay, Managing Director and Lead Portfolio Manager of China/Hong Kong Equities at Manulife Asset Management.
Chay also added that there are various favorable factors driving China and Hong Kong equity markets including, robust inflows of foreign capital following the lifting of A-shares in global indexes, strong consumer spending, and the increasing support on Research and Development (R&D) by the Chinese government. “Chinese consumers are beginning to pursue higher quality brands and services, and opting for premium experiences and more personalized products.
Investment opportunities could be identified in companies with strong R&D capabilities, unique brand values, or market-leading positions.”
For more information about the Manulife Dragon Growth Equity Feeder Fund, visit www.manulifeim.com.ph / or call (02) 884-7000.
1 Source: BENCHMARK, January 2019. The awards recognize players of the different asset classes and strategies that have delivered sustained consistent out-performance on a risk-adjusted basis with a clear, coherent and sustainable 3-steps methodology and by following the 5-prong criteria designated by Benchmark.
2 Source: CITYWIRE, February 2018. Citywire Best Fund Group Awards are issued based on the Citywire Group Ratings which recognise the expertise of the group as a whole in managing money in specific investment sectors over seven years.
About Manulife
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services group that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better. We operate primarily as John Hancock in the United States and Manulife elsewhere. We provide financial advice, insurance, as well as wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups and institutions. At the end of 2018, we had more than 34,000 employees, over 82,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving almost 28 million customers.
As of December 31, 2018, we had over $1.1 trillion (US$794 billion) in assets under management and administration, and in the previous 12 months we made $29.0 billion in payments to our customers. Our principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States are where we have served customers for more than 100 years. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong.
About Manulife Asset Management
Manulife Asset Management is the global asset management arm of Manulife Financial Corporation (“Manulife”).
We provide comprehensive asset management solutions for investors across a broad range of public and private asset classes, as well as asset allocation solutions. We also provide portfolio management for affiliated retail Manulife and John Hancock product offerings.
Our investment expertise includes public and private equity and fixed income, real estate and infrastructure equity and debt, timberland and farmland, oil and gas, and mezzanine debt. We operate in the United States, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, as well as through a China joint venture, Manulife TEDA. We also serve investors in select European, Middle Eastern, and Latin American markets.
As of September 30, 2018, assets under management for Manulife Asset Management were approximately C$509 billion (US$393 billion, GBP£301 billion, EUR€339 billion). Additional information may be found at ManulifeAM.com.
About Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corporation
Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corporation (MAMTC) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. (Phils.) Inc. (Manulife Philippines). It provides investment solutions to both retail and institutional clients. MAMTC started its operations in September 2017. MAMTC is part of Manulife Asset Management, the global asset management arm of Manulife.