2024 Asset Management Awards for Excellence – The Winners by Asian Private Banker

The Winners

#APBAMA2024

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Contents 5

House of the Year – Overall J.P. Morgan Asset Management

26 Best Fund Provider – Asia Pacific Bond PineBridge Investments

House of the Year – ESG Fidelity International

27 Best Fund Provider – Emerging Market Bond BNP Paribas Asset Management

Portfolio Manager of the Year James Donald, Lazard Asset Management

28 Best Fund Provider – High Yield Bond Barings

Best Fund Provider – Money Market Pictet Asset Management

29 Best Fund Provider – Investment Grade Bond Lord Abbett

Best Fund Provider – Multi-Asset Solution Goldman Sachs Asset Management

30 Best New Fund – Bond Capital Group

Best Fund Provider – Global Equity J.P. Morgan Asset Management

31 Best Fund Provider – Bond ETF iShares by BlackRock

12 Best Fund Provider – US Equity J.P. Morgan Asset Management

33 Best Fund Provider – Private Equity KKR

13 Best Fund Provider – Europe Equity GAM Investments

34 Best Fund Provider – Private Credit Blue Owl Capital

14 Best Fund Provider – Asia Pacific Equity Federated Hermes Limited

35 Best Fund Provider – Alternatives KKR

15 Best Fund Provider – Greater China Equity Matthews Asia

36 Best Fund Provider – Real Assets Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions

16 Best Fund Provider – Japan Equity Goldman Sachs Asset Management

37 Best New Fund – Alternatives Apollo

17 Best Fund Provider – Emerging Market Equity Nomura Asset Management

39 Best Fund Provider – ESG/Sustainable Equity Fidelity International

18 Best Fund Provider – Equity ETF iShares by BlackRock

40 Best Fund Provider – ESG/Sustainable Bond Robeco

19 Best New Fund – Equity Federated Hermes Limited

41 Best Fund Provider – Thematic Provider Pictet Asset Management

20 Best Fund Provider – Equity Income BlackRock

42 Best Fund Provider – Technology Fidelity International

21 Best Fund Provider – Value Equity Harris Associates (An affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers)

43 Best New Fund – ESG/Sustainability Matthews Asia

22 Best Fund Provider – ASEAN Equity Fidelity International 24 Best Fund Provider – Global Bond J.P. Morgan Asset Management 25 Best Fund Provider – US Bond Neuberger Berman Asia Limited

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Dear Friends of APB, It is fair to say that 2023 was another challenging year for asset managers in Asia Pacific. As the narrative shifted from it being a question of when and by how much the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates, to one of “higher for longer”, product distributors were forced to address a conundrum of both elevated cash rates and risk averse private bank clientele. That is without mentioning the continued uncertainty from geopolitical tensions, major dislocations in the private banking landscape and a weak Chinese economy. Fortunately, many industry players turned out to be equal to the task, as shown by the unrivalled quality of prize recipients at Asian Private Banker’s latest Asset Management Awards for Excellence (AMA) across asset classes including fixed income, equities and – increasingly so – private markets. All shortlisted and successful applications to the Asset Management Awards for Excellence demonstrated several key attributes. Of course, fund performance and inflows inevitably remained key and cannot be disputed. Invariably though it was in the more intangible factors that the judging panel made its decisions. Among those factors were resilience, flexibility and willingness to innovate among portfolio managers and distribution executives when it came to capturing the hearts and minds of private bank fund selectors, and – ultimately – their end clients. What was common among all successful entries was an unwavering commitment to delivering excellence to those clients, regardless of market volatility. But what most pleasantly surprised me about this year’s iteration of the Asset Management Awards for Excellence was the record levels of competition across all of the categories, and – on a more personal note – the trajectory of the programme’s development in recent years. Since this editor took the hot seat at Asian Private Banker roughly two-and-a-half years ago, the number of submissions to the Asset Management Awards for Excellence has roughly doubled. That feat is all the more remarkable given the largely uncooperative market conditions during that time. That development is solely down to the industry’s unwavering support of our awards programmes, as well as the hard work of everyone at Asian Private Banker. Thank you. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the asset managers that competed in these most recent awards and congratulate all of those that submitted successful entries. Given the difficult underlying market conditions and client sentiment, that success should be all the sweeter. We hope you enjoy reading about the prize recipients at the Asset Management Awards for Excellence as much as we enjoyed choosing them. Yours sincerely,

Daniel Shane editor Asian Private Banker

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Specialised Awards

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ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Congratulations to

What we said... “Throughout 2023, J.P. Morgan Asset Management has maintained a steady track record of investment success, while also continuously experiencing inflows through its private banking platform in Asia,” said Audrey Raj, south Asia editor, Asian Private Banker. “In addition to offering a diverse product range including global equities, ASEAN equities, China A-Shares, global fixed income, currency and commodities and multiasset solutions, the fund manager has also expanded its coverage in the alternatives sector and made strides in the active ETF space.

Dan Watkins

chief executive officer, Asia Pacific J.P. Morgan Asset Management

What they said... We are delighted and honoured to receive the prestigious House of the Year award for the third straight year in a row. It is a true testament to the strength of our core investment capabilities and a recognition of our steadfast commitment to helping our clients achieve stronger outcomes.

“Sustainable investments continue to be a focus. In 2023, the group welcomed J.P. Morgan Asset Management China into the fold, further strengthening its investment capabilities in the China equities space. “Leveraging a variety of communication tools including thought leadership, webinars and flagship events, J.P. Morgan Asset Management has helped clients navigate a challenging market environment. The US fund manager has also shown commitment to making continuous investments into technology to deliver data-driven decisionmaking capabilities.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Congratulations to

What we said... “Fidelity International has continued to evolve its ESG business by adding more staff to the sustainable investing team and expanding its product range. The fund manager has also improved its entity level disclosure and sustainable investment process, along with enhancing its sustainability frameworks to align with the stricter EU standards,” said Audrey Raj, south Asia editor, Asian Private Banker. “In 2023, Fidelity International not only uplifted and launched new Article 9 funds, but also introduced new sustainable funds focused on biodiversity, China equity, global equity, and Asian equity. “Additionally, the group’s engagement efforts focused on climate, social disparities, and governance have increased in the number of companies involved. In 2023, Fidelity International appointed its first chief sustainability officer. The company has also reduced its carbon footprint and achieved its gender representation target.”

Jenn-Hui Tan

chief sustainability officer Fidelity International

What they said... We are delighted to be named House of the Year – ESG for the third consecutive year at the 2024 Asian Private Banker Asset Management Awards for Excellence.

This year has been marked not only by uncertainty across economies, markets and politics, but also by extreme weather events which are bringing home the reality and consequences of climate change across the world. Our approach to systemwide stewardship recognises that rising to these challenges will require collaboration amongst regulators, policymakers, industry groups, corporates and investors. I am proud of our unwavering focus on sustainable investment and the dedication of our teams to integrate ESG into our investment process. As a firm, we are committed to making a difference through sustainability and partnering with our investee companies to progress in their ESG journeys as we do in ours.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

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Congratulations to

What we said... “James Donald has been instrumental in developing and fulfilling the potential of Lazard Asset Management’s emerging markets capabilities since joining the firm in 1996 and taking overall leadership of the platform five years later. Under his deft stewardship, that platform has grown to encompass more than US$30 billion in client assets” said Audrey Raj, south Asia editor, Asian Private Banker. “All of Donald’s experience and expertise in emerging markets was put to the test when the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate hiking cycle began two years ago, and his philosophy passed this challenge with flying colours. Amid a focus on relative value and bottom-up stock-picking, Lazard Asset Management’s emerging markets strategies benefited from a major shift from growth into value styles. The result has been tangible outperformance by the firm’s emerging markets products relative to their MSCI Emerging Markets Equity Index benchmark.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

James Donald

portfolio manager/analyst and head of emerging markets Lazard Asset Management

What they said... It is truly an honour to receive this award from Asian Private Banker. With so many investors from around the world working in the Asian market, this is great recognition for the whole of Lazard’s emerging markets platform. With over 35 years of emerging markets investing experience, it is key to our firm’s DNA. The Lazard Emerging Markets Equity team have, through a challenging anti-value period, maintained our discipline and patience and delivered for our clients. Emerging markets has been for much of the last decade, and remains today, an unloved asset class. The current environment, with relatively low valuations and very interesting fundamentals, reminds us of a period around twenty or so years ago when the asset class started to perform well. Lazard takes this opportunity to thank our clients for their continued support of our investment capabilities.

Congratulations to

What we said... “Pictet Asset Management’s short-term money market fund, attracting interest from private banks, holds top position in the 1st quartile within the Morningstar Short Term Money Market category among 63 funds,” said Audrey Raj, south Asia editor, Asian Private Banker. “The firm’s money market team works closely with the credit analysis team which is focused on sector coverage and actively participates in the investment process. Unlike employing a systematic buy-and-hold strategy, the team adopts an active approach based on market conditions and valuations. “Pictet Asset Management’s conservative credit selection process has contributed to the fund demonstrating resilient risk-adjusted return and outperforming the peer group average over the past 12 months.”

Philippe Billot

head of money markets Pictet Asset Management

What they said... We are proud and grateful to be recognised with the Best Fund Provider – Money Market award at the 2024 Asian Private Banker Asset Management Awards for Excellence.

Pictet Asset Management has 26 years of experience and expertise in money market strategies and other liquidity solutions. The award is a testament to our pioneering money market franchise and unique investment approach, highlighting our ability to navigate the changing market environment and consistently deliver outperformance. We are delighted to see strong demand for our money market strategies globally. We are committed to continuing to provide our topclass solutions and services to our clients.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

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Congratulations to

What we said... “The Goldman Sachs Global Multi-Asset Income Portfolio combines high-conviction income stocks with diversified market cap weighted equity index future investments. Within fixed income, the fund invests in corporate credit with investment grade and high yield credit rating issued in hard currencies,” said Audrey Raj, south Asia editor, Asian Private Banker. “Key trades like closing long tactical positions in European oil and gas stocks and European banks this year, and maintaining a long tactical position in US Energy Infrastructure have all contributed to the fund’s strong performance relative to peers. “What’s more, the fund has also attracted fresh inflows from private banks in the region, as well as added new distributors. Asian Private Banker offers its warmest congratulations to the fund’s managers.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

David Copsey

portfolio manager, multi-asset solutions Goldman Sachs Asset Management

What they said... Today’s macroeconomic backdrop is challenged, with uncertainties continuing to drive markets. We believe it is critical to focus on delivering income alongside growth, not at the expense of growth. Thus, we source attractive income opportunities from both traditional and nontraditional income drivers globally. We also seek capital growth and sustainable yield through active securities selection, with a strong focus on quality to avoid pitfalls of over-stretching for income. Moreover, through dynamic risk management, we seek to adjust the strategic allocation for changing market conditions. Blending all these key components together in our multi-asset solutions, we are humbled to be awarded Best Fund Provider – Multi-Asset Solution.

Equity Awards

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ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Congratulations to

What we said... “The strategy follows an investment discipline which has been in place for almost four decades", said Twinkle Sparta, associate editor, Asian Private Banker. "With a core, risk-controlled, style agnostic, fundamental research portfolio, the strategy invests in 70 to 100 of the highest conviction ideas globally. Alpha generation is primarily driven by stock selection across sectors and regions. The strategy also includes ESG and active management, alongside the use of traditional financial data points to further complement the investment process. “The strategy saw solid net inflows for the first half of 2023 and continues to see interest from retail and institutional clients alike globally. For these reasons, Asian Private Banker congratulates J.P. Morgan Asset Management for winning the coveted 'Best Fund Provider - Global Equity' in this year's Asset Management Awards for Excellence.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Helge Skibeli

portfolio manager, international equity group J.P. Morgan Asset Management

What they said... We are delighted to be recognised as the Best Fund Provider for Global Equity. Our strategy offers a styleagnostic exposure to global equities, driven by our differentiated fundamental research insights, high conviction ideas and compelling longterm valuation approach. With a highly experienced and well-resourced global equity research platform dedicated to a consistent research process that has been in place for almost four decades, we have built a proprietary database that is second to none. This has helped us capture attractive investment opportunities in our Global Select portfolio through a disciplined and consistent portfolio construction process.

Congratulations to

What we said... “Global markets are moving faster than ever, with more and more complexity to navigate. A more challenging macro backdrop is anticipated for equity markets in 2024,” said Twinkle Sparta, associate editor, Asian Private Banker. “In 2023 and beyond, the fund is a differentiated solution for clients who wish to gain exposure to the US large cap space. The strategy employs a flexible bottom-up approach to finding the best quality growth and value ideas, in a concentrated portfolio of 40 stocks. The complementary investment styles of growth and value also present an expanded opportunity set beyond the S&P 500 Index in the long run. “The strategy is supported by a solid investment team which has more than 40 research analysts, with each analyst taking on research responsibilities for a specific sector. They are also responsible for idea generation and ongoing monitoring of securities within their respective spheres of expertise.”

Lee Spelman

head of US equity J.P. Morgan Asset Management

What they said... It is a great honour to be recognised as the Best Fund Provider – US Equity. This award is a testament to the strength of our US research platform and robust investment process. As bottom-up managers, we leverage proprietary fundamental research, which is key to constructing a best ideas portfolio of both value and growth stocks, with a particular focus on quality. This strategy provides a differentiated solution for clients looking to gain exposure to large cap US equities and has achieved robust performance over the medium-to-long term.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

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Congratulations to

What we said... “GAM Star European Equity invests in a broadly diversified equity universe and seeks opportunities for returns wherever they exist. A highly qualified and experienced management team actively manages the fund on the basis of a fundamental valuation approach,” said Twinkle Sparta, associate editor, Asian Private Banker. “The scope of the strategy is to invest in European equities with a goal of achieving +300 bps of outperformance per annum, gross of fees, from managing a concentrated portfolio of high conviction ideas that are highly researched and constructed into a portfolio in an intelligent fashion. “The investment philosophy of the strategy has remained unchanged over eighteen plus years and has been successfully applied at GAM for the last 13 years. A good example of this is the positions in European semiconductor equipment manufacturers. The team believed that low levels of automotive end production, significant semiconductor content growth in automotive and industrial applications as well as low starting valuations made for attractive sector fundamentals.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Rossen Djounov

global head of client solutions GAM Investments

What they said... We are honoured to be named Best Fund Provider – Europe Equity at the 2024 Asian Private Banker Asset Management Awards for Excellence. This is a testament to GAM’s investment expertise and specialisms backed by the robust investment processes and risk control frameworks, which we believe contribute to positive investment outcomes for our clients. As an independent active asset manager, GAM offers strategies designed to thrive amid market fluctuations and deliver solutions which fit with our client’s needs, whether it be the resilience of our High Conviction Equities, the innovative edge of our Specialist Fixed Income, the creative solutions within our Alternatives and Private Market offerings, the balanced approach of our Multi-Asset solutions, or the forward-thinking of our Sustainable Investing.

Congratulations to

What we said... “Federated Hermes Asia ex-Japan Equity Fund invests in undervalued stocks based on the quality of the underlying company,” said Twinkle Sparta, associate editor, Asian Private Banker. “The fund has overperformed its benchmark MSCI AC Asia ex-Japan IMI Net since inception as well as on a 1-year, 3-year and 5-year basis. “The fund leverages its in-house steward resource, EOS at Federated Hermes (EOS), which is one of the world’s largest stewardship resources of any fund manager. Launched over 18 years ago, EOS provides a platform for like-minded investors to pool resources, creating a powerful force for positive change.

Jonathan Pines

head of Asia ex-Japan, lead portfolio manager Federated Hermes

What they said... The Asia ex-Japan team is delighted to have its fund recognised by Asian Private Banker. Our asset class has not always been in favour, and we are pleased that our differentiated, contrarian approach to bottomup stock selection has helped our investors navigate often turbulent markets. We hope to continue to do so going forward.

CMY

“For these reasons and more, Asian Private Banker would like to congratulate Federated Hermes on its success in the category of Best Fund Provider – Asia Pacific Equity at the Asset Management Awards for Excellence 2024.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Congratulations to

What we said... “The Matthews China Small Companies Fund over all trailing periods has exceeded its benchmark’s return by a significant margin, around 850 bps annualised since inception in 2012. The fund is also ranked as top decile against its Greater China Equity peers on 3-year, 5-year and 10-year returns,” said Twinkle Sparta, associate editor, Asian Private Banker. “The foundation of the strategy is the team’s long-term optimism for economic growth and development in Asia Pacific countries. It invests in small cap companies in China, which provide opportunities for higher growth at lower valuations because they are less well known. “Through rigorous on-the-ground research and due diligence, the actively managed fund is positioned to uncover opportunities among high-quality companies with good corporate governance at attractive valuations.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Winnie Chwang

lead portfolio manager Matthews Asia

Andrew Mattock, CFA lead portfolio manager Matthews Asia

What they said... We are thrilled and honoured to be recognised with the Best Fund Provider – Greater China Equity award. This achievement underscores our dedication to navigating the dynamic landscape of the Chinese equity markets and delivering outstanding results to our clients. As active investors, we are excited by the opportunities and remain committed to unlocking the immense potential that China holds for client portfolios.

Congratulations to

What we said... “In recent years, Goldman Sachs Japan Equity Fund has received strong net cash inflows which have primarily been driven by leading private bank distributors,” said Twinkle Sparta, associate editor, Asian Private Banker. “The fund is actively managed and researchdriven and invests primarily in equities of Japanese companies. While the fund seeks longer-term capital appreciation in 3-5 years through selective exposure to 25 to 40 stocks, and seeks capital appreciation over 1-3 years by investing in a broad range of investment ideas.

Ichiro Kosuge

lead portfolio manager and head of Japan equity, fundamental equity Goldman Sachs Asset Management

What they said... We are delighted and humbled to be recognised as the Best Fund Provider – Japan Equity by Asian Private Banker. We believe this acknowledges our longterm performance and our efforts to maximise returns for investors.

“The Japan equity strategy is managed by a dedicated Tokyo-based team, which is led by Ichiro Kosuge who has 32 years of investment experience, and comprises six other members.”

At Goldman Sachs Asset Management, we aim to identify high quality companies with strong growth prospects available at attractive valuations. Beyond benefitting from a supportive macroeconomic backdrop, we focus on creating a differentiated portfolio with exposure to structural global themes, including AI, digital commerce, advanced healthcare, energy efficiency and automation, to name a few. With over 35 years of successful investing in Japanese equities, we remain committed to enhancing capital appreciation for our invested clients.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

CMY

Congratulations to

What we said... “Nomura India Equity Fund has generated consistent long-term outperformance of 550 bps per annum over a 10-year period,” said Twinkle Sparta, associate editor, Asian Private Banker. “The fund is predominantly focused on identifying opportunities for investments which will outperform the benchmark and provide returns to investors. To achieve this objective, the investment team has their own areas of comfort in terms of research coverage without having any hard rules of division of the markets. “In terms of outstanding trades, there have been numerous instances of picking up early opportunities and making outsized returns. Some examples of successful investments include names such as AU Small Finance Bank, Macro Tech Developers, Kalyan Jewellers, Global Health Care, and Gravita. The fund also avoided a number of stocks which are huge benchmark weights.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Vipul Mehta

head of investment (Asia Pacific ex Japan), lead portfolio manager of Nomura India Equity Fund Nomura Asset Management

What they said... It’s an honour to receive the award for Best Fund Provider – Emerging Market Equity, which is a recognition of our long-standing commitment and extensive effort to deliver consistent performance to our unitholders over a long period of time. It has not been easy in the emerging markets world. While India has been a stand-out market, it has warranted a deep knowledge of the intricacies of the Indian markets to deliver a top-quartile performance over all time periods. We run a high conviction, focused and concentrated India strategy and offer to investors what they really want: a domestic and a high growth exposure generating higher returns.

Congratulations to

What we said... “With India becoming a more sizeable growth engine for emerging markets, Indian equity ETFs took in a net US$1.5 billion in July, the second-highest monthly figure for India on record, beaten only by the US$2.3 billion witnessed in March of this year,” said Twinkle Sparta, associate editor, Asian Private Banker. “As of end-September, iShares MSCI India ETF has US US$6.0 billion in AUM and a +7% YTD performance. The firm uses a crossdisciplinary structure comprising portfolio managers, index strategists, and research and trading professionals. The portfolio managers’ primary focus is on managing index portfolios. The index strategy, research and trading teams enable the portfolio managers to focus on making hundreds of investment decisions annually to ensure they deliver performance as expected by their clients. “In addition, ETF portfolio management teams work closely with BlackRock’s Risk & Quantitative Analysis Group to ensure portfolio risks are consistent across mandates and each portfolio’s formal risk guidelines.”

Peter Loehnert

head of iShares and index investments for Asia-Pacific BlackRock

What they said... We are extremely proud to win the award for Best Fund Provider – Equity ETF. At iShares, our mission is to champion investor progress for millions by relentlessly pursuing better ways to invest. We do this by offering the best quality and selection of investments for the greatest number of people at the best possible value. This year in Asia Pacific, we continued this mission with the launch of various innovative equity ETFs, including the largest-ever equity ETF launch in Singapore and the largest-ever sustainable equity ETF launch in Japan.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

CMY

Congratulations to

What we said... “Investing in China comes with unique challenges and opportunities that may not suit all investors. The Chinese economy is undergoing a transition. Political and regulatory changes – as well as a shifting geopolitical backdrop – have altered the risk/ reward dynamic, creating the demand for a separate consideration,” said Twinkle Sparta, associate editor, Asian Private Banker. “The firm launched the Global Emerging Markets ex-China Fund in 2022 with an aim to mitigate geopolitical and ESG risks related to China while benefitting from the vast growth potential across emerging markets. “The investment objective of the fund is to achieve an excess return over rolling fiveyear periods against the benchmark MSCI EM ex-China Net Index. Tracking error is typically 3-7% p.a. over a rolling three-year period relative to the benchmark. The fund generated around 15% in returns in the first seven months of 2023.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Kunjal Gala

head of global emerging markets, lead portfolio manager Federated Hermes

What they said... The Federated Hermes Global Emerging Markets team is delighted to have its newest fund, GEMS exChina, recognised by Asian Private Banker. The investment environment has changed as China’s growth model saturates, and economies within GEMS ex-China offer investors opportunities benefitting from the rising middle class, digitalisation, access to critical commodities, infrastructure, and structural reform opportunities. The fund offers investors an alternative to emerging markets while following the same investment philosophy, process, and ESG integration as the flagship emerging market strategy.

Congratulations to

What we said... “The BlackRock Systematic Global Equity High Income Fund seeks to generate a high level of income. The fund invests globally, with no prescribed country or regional limits, and with at least 70% of its total assets in equity securities,” said Twinkle Sparta, associate editor, Asian Private Banker. “The fund takes advantage of heightened market volatility to earn a higher income premium in its covered calls strategy. Analysis of vast amounts of real-time and alternative data enables the fund manager to potentially cut through the noise to increase the accuracy and forecasting power of the stock and income return. “The fund provided a dividend of 8.5% p.a. in A6 USD share class, as of 29 September 2023.”

Anthony Kruger

APAC head of platform strategy BlackRock Systematic Investing

What they said... We are honoured to win the award for Best Fund Provider – Income Equity. As the BlackRock Systematic investment team, we believe an innovative approach to investing allows us to make more informed decisions at a greater scale and identify diversified income sources consistently. This award underscores our commitment to delivering differentiated income-generating strategies to investors across the APAC region.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

CMY

Congratulations to

What we said... “The Harris Associates U.S. Value Equity Fund seeks to invest in companies whose stocks are trading at a substantial discount to intrinsic value and have owner-oriented management teams. The fund follows a rigorous, independent fundamental research process that seeks to identify businesses with growing value. The portfolio is well-diversified across industries as a risk management tool without sacrificing stock selection,” said Twinkle Sparta, associate editor, Asian Private Banker. “At the same time, the firm has a broader definition of value than many of its peers. A value investment to the firm is simply a business that trades below its estimate of intrinsic value, and the standard for that of around 60-65 cents on the dollar has been fairly consistent over time. Many of its holdings would profile as traditional value, trading at low multiples of reported earnings or book value. “Relative to the S&P 500, the fund has outperformed over the 1- and 3-year time periods. However, the fund’s performance has been close to that of the S&P 500 over the 5-year period, despite the headwinds for value-oriented managers over this time period. The fund has outperformed the Russell 1000 Value Index over the 1-, 3-, and 5-year time periods.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Dora Seow

CEO Natixis Investment Managers Singapore

What they said... With Harris Associates, our investment manager specialising in value investing, we are delighted to be named the Best Provider for Value Equity at the 2024 Asian Private Banker Asset Management Awards for Excellence. Against a challenging year for value, this is a testament to the resilient and outstanding performance of our US Value Equity strategy. At Harris Associates, we have a broader definition of value than many of our peers. We focus on estimating the intrinsic value of a business, not on predicting the near-term market price. This longterm, patient approach allows us to look beyond the short-term noise and deliver solid returns to clients over time. Value has evolved and is here to stay.

Congratulations to

What we said... “The FF ASEAN Fund was launched in October 1990 and invests primarily in equities of companies listed or traded in the Association of South East Asian Nations bloc. The fund invests at least 50% of its assets in securities of companies with favourable environmental, social and governance (ESG) characteristics,” said Twinkle Sparta, associate editor, Asian Private Banker. “The fund has delivered excess returns of 1.2% and 0.1% against the benchmark (MSCI AC ASEAN Index) net of fees for the Y-ACCUSD version of the strategy for the yearto-date and 1-year periods, as of 31 August 2023. Over a longer horizon, the fund has outperformed the benchmark over three years, five years, and since its inception. “The strategy has attracted renewed focus from private banks as they increasingly seek Asia ex-China solutions. The firm has a large and dedicated global investment network, totalling 541 investment and sustainable investing resources, which provide a significant competitive advantage in idea generation and sector/country-level analysis – particularly as ASEAN is an under-researched universe.”

Madeleine Kuang portfolio manager Fidelity International

What they said... We are honoured to be named Best Fund Provider – ASEAN Equity at the 2024 Asian Private Banker Asset Management Awards for Excellence. We believe that ASEAN is an emerging powerhouse in Asia, where Fidelity’s research resources dedicated to these regional markets underpin the in-depth search for the best opportunities. As a result, our active and differentiated approach has consistently created value for our clients, and it will be our endeavour to maintain such outcomes.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

CMY

Bond Awards

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Congratulations to

What we said... “Against a backdrop of slowing global growth and rising interest rates, delivering consistent returns from a diversified fixed income portfolio was no easy task in 2023. However, J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Income Fund proved more than up to the job,” said Daniel Shane, editor of Asian Private Banker. “The Income Fund has proved adept at delivering stable and predictable income, all while ensuring that volatility remains at a low level. A big part of this success is down to the strategy and its managers’ expertise in consistently allocating to the best incomegenerating ideas globally – without constraint and across a wide array of sectors – all the while managing risk via diversification. “Ultimately, the Income Fund’s success is illustrated by its admiral track record of delivering returns above its benchmark. For these reasons, Asian Private Banker would like to congratulate J.P. Morgan Asset Management for its success in the category of Best Fund Provider – Global Bond at the Asset Management Awards for Excellence 2024.”

Jonathan Liang

head of Asia ex-Japan investment specialists, Global Fixed Income Currency & Commodities Group J.P. Morgan Asset Management

What they said... We are honoured to be named the Best Fund Provider for Global Bond. This is a pleasing recognition of J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s deep expertise across all major fixed income sectors as well as niche markets.

The robust capabilities of our well-resourced platform have been instrumental in helping us steer the Income Strategy through a volatile couple of years, while still tapping into a wide universe of compelling fixed income opportunities. The upshot has been a resilient portfolio that continues to harness opportunities of attractive yield with lower volatility.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

CMY

Congratulations to

What we said...

Ashok Bhatia

“For investors in the US bond fixed income market in 2023, there was no shortage of headwinds, ranging from multi-decade high inflation to a regional bank liquidity crisis at the start of the year, to an aggressive Federal Reserve hiking cycle. But Neuberger Berman’s flagship Strategic Income Fund proved deft in navigating all of these obstacles and delivered above benchmark returns to private bank clients in Asia Pacific,” said Daniel Shane, editor of Asian Private Banker.

What they said...

“The recipe for this success lies in the strategy’s approach of investing across the entire US market spectrum with a relativevalue, conviction-oriented approach that focuses on mispricings in specific sectors. Doing so allows the Strategic Income Fund’s managers to adeptly and fluidly switch between opportunities depending on underlying market conditions. “That approach, combined with a highly experienced and stable portfolio management and analysis team, resulted in robust demand from the region’s private banking channel in 2023. For these reasons and more, Asian Private Banker would like to congratulate Neuberger Berman on its success in the category of Best Fund Provider – US Bond at the Asset Management Awards for Excellence 2024.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

deputy chief investment officer – fixed income Neuberger Berman Asia Limited

We are honoured to receive the Best Fund Provider – US Bond award from Asian Private Banker. This award is a testimony to our consistent relative value-oriented investment process and our commitment to deep research within an integrated global platform to capitalise on market inefficiencies. In today's environment, we believe a dynamic approach to asset allocation and duration management provides investors with maximum flexibility across the wider fixed income opportunity set in order to achieve investment outcomes, including stability of income and consistent total returns over time. We are grateful to our clients and Asian Private Banker for their continued support of our Strategic Multi-Sector Fixed Income Strategy. We look forward to continued partnership in the future.

Congratulations to

What we said... “For most fixed income investors in Asia Pacific, 2023 was a year to forget. From rising interest rates to the latest default crisis in China’s high-yield market, the environment was truly unforgiving. PineBridge proved the exception to the rule, however, with its Asia Pacific Investment Grade Bond Fund navigating all of these pitfalls and ultimately delivering an above benchmark return to regional private banking clients,” said Daniel Shane, editor of Asian Private Banker. “The reasons behind this outperformance include the PineBridge Asia Pacific Bond Fund’s single-minded focus on pure investment-grade, US dollar exposure and its strong boots-on-the-ground investing presence in the region. Led by portfolio managers Omar Slim and Andy Suen, the fund harnesses robustly defined bottom-up and top-down research processes that are both adaptable to market conditions and proven in terms of unearthing alpha-generating opportunities. “The fund’s commendable, risk-adjusted performance is a testament to PineBridge’s rich heritage in Asia Pacific. Asian Private Banker would like to congratulate everyone at PineBridge on their success in the category of Best Fund Provider – Asia Pacific Bond at the Asset Management Awards for Excellence in 2024.”

Omar Slim, CFA

co-head of Asia ex-Japan fixed income PineBridge Investments

Andy Suen, CFA, FRM

co-head of Asia ex-Japan fixed income PineBridge Investments

What they said...

We are delighted to receive recognition from Asian Private Banker, which reflects our commitment to investment excellence. Our outperformance is fueled by two key sources of alpha drivers: credit selection and duration positioning. Our fund distils the best ideas produced by our fundamental, high-conviction, researchdriven process led by our on-the-ground teams. We take particular pride in our risk-adjusted performance, which allowed us to outperform throughout the cycle in both up and down markets. We are entirely focused on continuing to do so.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

CMY

Congratulations to

What we said... “Investing in fixed income in emerging markets can be an undeniably tricky affair: from currency fluctuations to diverging central bank policies, to geopolitical risk. But BNP Paribas Asset Management appears to have cracked the code with its Emerging Bond Opportunities, which has successfully delivered long-term, above-benchmark returns all while adeptly managing volatility,” said Daniel Shane, editor of Asian Private Banker. “A big part of the success of the Emerging Bond Opportunities fund comes down to how its portfolio managers take high conviction – and often contrarian views – that enable them to flexibly allocate across both local and hard currency assets. A clear example of doing so that generated alpha for clients was BNP Paribas Asset Management’s bullish view on Turkey in mid-2023, a notoriously tricky call to get right given that regime’s often unconventional stance on monetary policy.

Jean-Charles Sambor

head of emerging markets fixed income BNP Paribas Asset Management

What they said... We are honoured and pleased to be named Best Fund Provider - Emerging Market Bond. It is an acknowledgement of the strength of BNP Paribas Asset Management’s Emerging Markets fixed income team’s performance and the robustness of our process across emerging markets rates, currencies, and credit. It is also a testament to our commitment to ESG in emerging markets. The fund has been able to navigate very strong geopolitical and macro uncertainties and demonstrate the added value of our differentiated process.

“That has clearly resonated with private bank clients in Asia Pacific, who contributed positive inflows to the Emerging Bond Opportunities fund despite a tough underlying investment environment. For these reasons, Asian Private Banker would like to congratulate BNP Paribas Asset Management on its success in the category of Best Fund Provider – Emerging Market Bond at the Asset Management Awards for Excellence 2024.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Congratulations to

What we said... “With a track record of investing in high yield bonds that stretches back almost a quarter of a century and multiple credit cycles, Barings is arguably better placed than most in the industry when it comes to spotting mispriced opportunities to the benefit of private banking clients in Asia Pacific,” said Daniel Shane, editor of Asian Private Banker. “All of that proved true in 2023, when – despite difficult underlying market conditions – the Barings Global High Yield Bond Fund was able to generate notable outperformance all while attracting significant, positive net flows from the wealth channel in Asia. Among the profitable calls that the portfolio management team made are those focused on the unloved oil and cruise sectors, both of which have benefited strongly following the re-opening of the global economy post-COVID-19. Just as importantly, the fund managers have been adept at avoiding problem industries – such as commercial real estate. “Based on these reasons and more – and in the face of stiff competition – Asian Private Banker is delighted to award Barings the category of Best Fund Provider – High Yield Bond at the Asset Management Awards for Excellence 2024.”

Martin Horne

global head of public assets Barings

What they said... We are honoured to have been recognised as Best Fund Provider for High Yield Bond. This is a testament to our rigorous investment process and outstanding performance across market cycles, driven by one of the largest public fixed income investment teams in the industry with 140+ dedicated investment professionals, including 60+ research analysts covering bonds, loans, securitised and structured credit globally. The depth and breadth of our high yield and broader global fixed income platform enables us to source differentiated opportunities across the credit spectrum, from investment grade to high yield, in both developed and emerging markets and across public and private credit. We have also been able to accumulate strong net inflows across our high yield bond business in 2023, at a time when broader market flows into the high yield asset class have been more challenged, which is a testament to our investment expertise and client servicing capabilities.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

CMY

Congratulations to

What we said... “2023 proved a challenging year for fixed income, with volatility and tight credit spreads among the obstacles that successful investors needed to overcome. Lord Abbett was one such investor, and the US asset manager’s Short Duration Income Fund has resonated with private bank clients in Asia Pacific in this tricky environment,” said Daniel Shane, editor of Asian Private Banker. “What has been key to the Short Duration Income Fund’s approach in 2023 amid a Federal Reserve narrative of ‘higher for longer’ and yield curve inversion has been a resolute focus on quality and liquidity; sector diversification across investment grade corporates; and an effective duration of less than two years for much of the portfolio. “All of those benefits have clearly appealed to Asia Pacific private banks and their clients, with the fund attracting significant regional net inflows and adding new distribution partners during the period under consideration for the Asset Management Awards for Excellence 2024. Asian Private Banker would like to congratulate everyone at Lord Abbett for their success in the category of Best Fund Provider – Investment Grade Bond.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Andrew O’Brien

partner, portfolio manager Lord Abbett

What they said... We are thrilled to be named the Best IG Bond Fund provider in 2023. We are proud to have helped our clients navigate the volatility of the last few years. As a flexible, high quality credit-oriented bond fund focused on short maturities, we believe the Short Duration Income strategy can be an excellent complement to fixed income allocations that rely on rates or lower quality credits. The opportunity set at the short end of the market is compelling today, with competitive yields and limited exposure to rate and default risk. In the current market, you don’t have to stretch too far for yield, so we are conservatively positioned but also maintain the flexibility to find relative value over a wide range of fixed income sectors and issuers.

Congratulations to

What we said... “Despite only being onboarded to private banks in Asia Pacific for the first time in mid2023, Capital Group’s Global Corporate Bond Fund has already enjoyed strong net inflows from the region’s private wealth channel,” said Daniel Shane, editor of Asian Private Banker. “This is all the more commendable given the backdrop of high cash rates has led private bank clients in the region to sit on the sidelines. But it pays a huge testament to Capital Group’s approach with the fund’s conservative strategy – allocating only to investment grade quality issuances, avoiding high-yield exposure, moderate duration and hedging back to US dollars – all clearly resonating with clients amid a risk-off environment. “For these reasons, Asian Private Banker is delighted to award Capital Group the prize of Best New Fund – Bond at the Asset Management Awards for Excellence 2024.”

Haran Karunakaran

fixed income investment director Capital Group

What they said... We are honoured that Capital Group Global Corporate Bond Fund (LUX) has been named the best new bond fund at the 2024 Asian Private Banker Asset Management Awards for Excellence.

The award is a testament to the investment credentials of the fund and the strength of our growing fixed income business. We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with distribution partners in the region to deliver investment excellence for private bank clients.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

CMY

Congratulations to

What we said... “Given how tricky the fixed income landscape proved in 2023, with fears over a US recession gradually giving way to a ‘higher for longer’ interest rates narrative, it was essential for Asia Pacific private banks and their clients to have access to tools allowing them to tactically and flexibly express their views on bond markets,” said Daniel Shane, editor of Asian Private Banker. “In this regard, the iShares $ Treasury Bond 7-10 Year UCITS ETF provided the perfect solution. Throughout the year, private banks used the liquidity afforded by this product to nimbly take tactical positions along the yield curve as and when clients indicated they were willing to take on more duration risk, enhancing opportunities for harvesting beta. This clearly resonated with regional private banks and their clients, with the ETF attracting significant inflows via wealth distribution partners during the period under consideration for our awards.

Darren Wills

head of product and fixed income ETFs for iShares at BlackRock

What they said... We are honoured to win the award for Best Fund Provider – Bond ETF. It was more than 20 years ago that iShares launched the first bond ETFs, enabling all investors to buy a portfolio of thousands of bonds with the click of a button. This award is a testament to the work we have led to bring this modernising technology to investors across Asia Pacific, providing efficient, affordable, and convenient access to all parts of the bond market for all types of investors.

“For these reasons, Asian Private Banker is thrilled to crown iShares the winner of the category of Best Fund Provider – Bond ETF at the Asset Management Awards for Excellence 2024.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Alternatives Awards

CMY

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Congratulations to

What we said... “KKR in 2023 introduced its flagship private equity fund K-PRIME to Asia’s wealth channel. K-PRIME, which benefits from an open-ended structure, harnesses the unrivalled potential of KKR’s global private equity capabilities, delivering an unparalleled and globally diversified portfolio of investments,” said Carly Lau, senior reporter, Asian Private Banker. “The fund provides a direct route for wealth investors to access a diversified strategy of high-quality buyout, growth, global impact and core private equity. Previously only available to institutional investors, these investments have a proven track record of delivering both an attractive total return and diversification. “With its high targeted return, K-PRIME has already captured extensive inflows through private banks’ channels in the less than 10 months since launch. Asian Private Banker’s Asset Management Awards for Excellence judging panel congratulates the KKR private wealth team on its success.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Alisa Amarosa Wood partner, private equity KKR

What they said... On behalf of the Private Equity Team at KKR, we are thrilled to be recognised by Asian Private Banker as the Best Fund Provider – Private Equity. At KKR, we believe private equity should no longer be regarded as an ‘alternative’ used by some but rather a ‘mainstream’ part of today’s asset allocation, in particular against today’s macro environment where we see a compression of returns in public equities and fixed income, along with higher resting rate inflation. KKR’s approach to private equity is to invest in good businesses and make them great using our value creation tool kit. Our global platform enables us to support companies beyond just providing capital, helping to drive growth and operational best practices, and in turn, making us a partner of choice to the companies we invest in.

Congratulations to

What we said... “In a year in which private credit saw huge demand, Blue Owl’s Technology Income Corp (OTIC) strategy has generated high returns, outperforming most major asset classes. What is more, since launching in May 2022, that performance has come with only a fraction of the volatility of public fixed income markets,” said Carly Lau, senior reporter, Asian Private Banker. “Unlike many other private credit strategies, OTIC focuses on dominant or growing software companies in niche markets that are selling products to established customer bases – providing high quality, predictable revenue profiles. Its portfolio is by nature conservative, consisting primarily of senior secured positions that are typically supported by high-quality financial sponsors. “Despite being a new player in the private wealth space, Blue Owl has successfully built its presence in Asia and captured significant inflows from this channel. Asian Private Banker’s Asset Management Awards for Excellence judging panel congratulates Blue Owl on the success of the fund.”

Sean Connor

president of global private wealth Blue Owl Capital

What they said... We are honoured to be recognised as the Best Fund Provider – Private Credit for the 2024 Asian Private Banker Asset Management Awards for Excellence.

Blue Owl provides businesses with private capital solutions and investors with access to private markets. Our credit platform is differentiated by its scale, independence, approach, and track record. As the opportunity in private markets continues to grow, this award is a testament to the hard work and diligence of our team and the quality of our private credit strategies. We look forward to growing and strengthening our partnerships across Asia Pacific in 2024.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

CMY

Congratulations to

What we said... “KKR has successfully built an impressive private wealth team in Asia Pacific in less than two years. Led by Markus Egloff, it is not only strong in size, but also in terms of its diversified products. Apart from its bread and butter private equity offerings, KKR also provides comprehensive offerings across private credit, infrastructure, and other growth-oriented strategies,” said Carly Lau, senior reporter, Asian Private Banker. “In a year when public markets struggled and alternative assets enjoyed rising demand, KKR successfully onboarded a number of its strategies across different asset classes onto private banks and digital wealth channels in the region. “For that, Asian Private Banker’s Asset Management Awards for Excellence judging panel is delighted to award KKR the accolade of Best Fund Provider – Alternatives.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Markus Egloff

managing director, head of global wealth solutions, international KKR

What they said... It is an honour to be recognised with this accolade. For nearly five decades, we have been delivering investment excellence to institutions. Today, we look to offer ways to share this with individuals across our platforms and through our Global Wealth Strategy, which is a strategic priority for KKR across the world, including in Asia Pacific. KKR’s collaborative approach and bold thinking are creating new possibilities for investors. Over the past two years, we have built our teams across the region and developed new private market solutions covering all alternative asset classes. These are the same types of opportunities that institutions have long had access to but are now tailored to meet the needs of eligible individual investors.

Congratulations to

What we said... “Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions celebrated 2023 not only by building up its team in Asia, but also with the success of its new infrastructure fund – Brookfield Infrastructure Income. The fund has already captured inflows of close to US$1 billion from the Asia wealth channel since it was launched in February 2022,” said Carly Lau, senior reporter, Asian Private Banker.

David Levi

CEO Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions

What they said... 2023 was a strong year for Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions, and it’s an honour to be recognised for our real assets capabilities in the region. We are committed to serving the growing private wealth segment in APAC and look forward to providing innovative alternative capabilities for years to come.

CMY

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Congratulations to

What we said... “Being one of the top private markets investors in the world, Apollo Debt Solutions (ADS) has proved to be an ideal strategy for clients seeking both diversification and to mitigate the volatility and poor performance of public markets in 2023. The fund focuses on downside protection with a target portfolio allocation of predominantly first lien and floating rate loans in high-quality, large cap companies. The goal is to provide investors with attractive, risk-adjusted returns,” said Carly Lau, senior reporter, Asian Private Banker. “Apollo launched the fund in 2022 amid poor public market performance and rising demand for private markets products. The strategy’s conviction and good track record of performance have helped to attract strong inflows from the regional wealth channel. “Asian Private Banker’s Asset Management Awards for Excellence judging panel would like to congratulate Apollo’s private wealth team for their success in the inaugural edition of this highly sought-after category.”

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Edward Moon

head of Asia Pacific global wealth management Apollo

What they said... We are honoured that Apollo Debt Solutions BDC has been selected as the best new alternatives strategy in an incredibly competitive landscape. This recognition reinforces Apollo’s commitment to delivering an exceptional experience to our valued clients and is a testament to the dedication of Apollo’s investment, product, and global wealth teams. This award serves as an inspiration to continue our pursuit of excellence and to stay true to Apollo’s ethos: “Purchase price matters, seek excess return per unit of risk and alignment”. We want to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to our valued partners across the region for our strong collaborations. We are incredibly grateful for their trust and confidence which has been integral to our capital-raising success and to delivering best-in-class client service. We look forward to strengthening our valued partnerships and forging new ones in 2024 and well beyond.

Thematic / ESG Awards

CMY

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Congratulations to

What we said... “Given the relative scarcity of Asia-focused sustainable investment funds, Fidelity International’s Sustainable Asia Equity Fund offers investors the opportunity to participate in Asia’s longer-term growth story,” said Audrey Raj, south Asia editor, Asian Private Banker. “Despite challenges posed by Chinese equities, the fund delivered excess returns over the past year and outperformed its benchmark, the MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index, over three and five-year periods. “The fund provides investors exposure to companies in China, Taiwan, India, Korea, and Singapore, with information technology, financials, and consumer discretionary making up the top three sector exposures. Positions in Indian financials and select semiconductor names have added value to the portfolio. Asian Private Banker congratulates Fidelity International.”

Dhananjay Phadnis portfolio manager Fidelity International

What they said... We are honoured to have been awarded Best Fund Provider - ESG/ Sustainable Equity in the 2024 Asian Private Banker Asset Management Awards. While our efforts to build a strong ESG proposition continue, we are pleased to see recognition of all the work that has gone into developing this product through our proprietary ESG ratings, integration, and engagement efforts. This has been possible due to Fidelity’s strong global research network, which has been able to not only drive deep fundamental research but also bottom-up work on the ESG aspects of each company we cover. We hope to build on our work and deliver longterm performance using a sustainability-centred investment process.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Congratulations to

What we said... “Within the Morningstar Global Flexible Bond category, the RobecoSAM SDG Credit Income strategy has maintained a position in the top quartile on five-year performance, and its target dividend is in line with key peers,” said Audrey Raj, south Asia editor, Asian Private Banker. “To address the widening credit spreads of rising risk-free rates, the Robeco credit team employs a flexible approach, allowing active adjustments within a 0-6-year range to limit downside risks. “What sets them apart is their Open Access platform which enables clients to gain direct insights into specific SDG scores for each security held in the portfolio. The strategy is also distinguished as the sole credit income fund that implements SDGs. Asian Private Banker congratulates Robeco on their achievement.”

David Hawa

director, client portfolio manager fixed income Robeco

What they said... We are incredibly honoured to receive the Best Sustainable Bond House award for our SDG Credit Income strategy, which was launched five years ago for Asian clients. This award is a validation of the combined effort and research conducted by our Sustainable Centre of Expertise and Fundamental Credit investment teams.

CMY

We take great pride in our structured and disciplined approach to credit market investing. Our methodology involves defining the investable credit universe through our SDG framework, utilising top-down analysis to allocate to various credit markets, and employing a rigorous bottom-up issuer selection process. These steps are specifically designed to achieve the objective of our strategy, which is to provide attractive income to our investors throughout the credit cycle. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the APB team for recognising our efforts, as well as our clients who have placed their trust in and invested in this strategy.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Congratulations to

What we said... “Pictet Asset Management continues to impress with its thematic range consisting of both single and multi-themed products covering environment, digitalisation, emerging consumer trends, and healthcare. Private banks have the choice of selecting from both public and private offerings,” said Audrey Raj, south Asia editor, Asian Private Banker. “What’s new in Pictet Asset Management’s shelf is an SFDR Article 9 fund with a focus on the Chinese environmental theme, marking the industry’s first strategy of its kind. The fund manager also introduced its first private equity strategy focused on technology, and a global equity fund focused on regenerative economy. “Pictet Asset Management’s ability to capture growth and return opportunities in different business cycles and market environments in the thematic space is recognised by the industry and clients.”

Freeman Tsang

head of intermediaries, Asia ex-Japan Pictet Asset Management

What they said... We are honoured to receive the Best Thematic Fund Provider award for the seventh time in eight years at the Asian Private Banker Asset Management Awards for Excellence. We give our thanks to APB for the recognition. This accolade underscores the strength and success of our thematic equities franchise, with nearly three decades of experience. Our 17 thematic equity strategies reflect our continued drive for innovation and commitment to identifying new global and regional opportunities, helping investors unlock and capture the growth potential of megatrends which underpin our thematic franchise. As part of our continued efforts, last year we launched our first thematic strategy with a regional focus, capitalising on China’s thriving environmental sectors. We will remain focused and continue to bring leading thematic products and strategies to Asian investors.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Congratulations to

What we said... “Fidelity International’s global technology fund has about 50% of its assets in companies with sustainability characteristics. Biased towards mid and small-cap holdings, the fund has one of the lowest growth exposures among its peer group because it avoids overpaying for growth stocks,” said Audrey Raj, south Asia editor, Asian Private Banker. “The strategy has received fresh inflows from private banks in the region this year, reflecting its strong returns, outperforming the MSCI ACWI Information Technology Index and peers over three and five years, as well as since inception. The fund has a Morningstar five-star rating. “Within the telecommunications, media and technology sector, Fidelity International has most of its research analysts sitting across offices in Asia, followed by the US and Europe, contributing to its bottom-up cross-asset research.”

Hyun Ho Sohn

portfolio manager Fidelity International

What they said... We are honoured to have been awarded Best Fund Provider – Technology Equity in the 2024 Asian Private Banker Asset Management Awards.

Our long-term performance delivery has been built on the bedrock of support from Fidelity’s global research network, which continues to provide a world-class forum for ideas and debate around investments. Recognition like this is highly gratifying and we remain focused on identifying the best investment opportunities available to us globally.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

CMY

Congratulations to

What we said... “Filling a regional product gap in the industry, Matthews Asia’s Asia Sustainable Future Fund provides investors the opportunity to tap into the region’s information technology, industrial, financial, consumer discretionary, and healthcare names,” said Audrey Raj, south Asia editor, Asian Private Banker. “The fund not only provides exposure to markets like mainland China, Taiwan, and India, but it also has allocations to companies in Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. “Since inception in August 2023, the fund has exceeded its benchmark return and ranked top decile relative to its Asia ex-Japan peers, according to Morningstar. Three positions purchased in the last year – including an Indian lender, semiconductor design firm, and Chinese electrical products firm – have added value to this success. Asian Private Banker congratulates Matthews Asia on the launch and the award.“

Vivek Tanneeru

lead portfolio manager Matthews Asia

Inbok Song

co-portfolio manager Matthews Asia

What they said... Asia stands at the forefront of numerous global sustainability challenges, spanning environmental concerns, social inclusion, and economic development. We see these challenges not only as pressing issues but also as distinctive opportunities for investment, underlining our unique perspective on the region's potential for positive impact. We are delighted to receive the Best New Sustainability Fund Award at the 2024 Asian Private Banker Asset Management Awards for Excellence. This recognition reaffirms our commitment to generating alpha and driving positive change through sustainable investing in Asia.

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

Congratulations to this year's winners Specialised Awards James Donald

House of the Year – ESG

Portfolio Manager of the Year

Best Fund Provider Money Market

Best Fund Provider Global Equity

Best Fund Provider US Equity

Best Fund Provider Europe Equity

Best Fund Provider Asia Pacific Equity

Best Fund Provider Greater China Equity

Best Fund Provider Japan Equity

Best Fund Provider Emerging Market Equity

Best Fund Provider Equity ETF

Best New Fund Equity

Best Fund Provider Equity Income

Best Fund Provider Value Equity

Best Fund Provider ASEAN Equity

House of the Year – Overall

Best Fund Provider Multi-Asset Solution

Equity Awards

Bond Awards

Best Fund Provider Global Bond

Best Fund Provider US Bond

Best Fund Provider Asia Pacific Bond

Best Fund Provider Emerging Market Bond

Best Fund Provider High Yield Bond

Best Fund Provider Investment Grade Bond

Best New Fund Bond

Best Fund Provider Bond ETF

Alternatives Awards

Best Fund Provider Private Equity

Best Fund Provider Private Credit

Best Fund Provider Alternatives

Best Fund Provider Real Assets

Best New Fund Alternatives

Best Fund Provider Thematic Provider

Best Fund Provider Technology

Best New Fund ESG/Sustainability

Thematic / ESG Awards

Best Fund Provider ESG/Sustainable Equity

Best Fund Provider ESG/Sustainable Bond

Recognising the highly commended recipients For the 2024 edition of the Asset Management Awards for Excellence, Asian Private Banker awarded Highly Commended titles for certain categories. These awards are handed out on merit alone, recognising a strategy or fund manager that has demonstrated quality investment skills, a strong sense of value proposition, and a willingness to innovate. They are awarded purely at the discretion of the judging panel.

Asian Private Banker would like to congratulate all of the recipients of Highly Commended awards for their richly deserved success.

Multi-Asset Solution

Global Equity

US Equity

Asia Pacific Equity

Greater China Equity

Japan Equity

Emerging Market Equity

Value Equity

Global Bond

Asia Pacific Bond

CMY

Emerging Market Bond

High Yield Bond

Investment Grade Bond

Private Equity

Private Credit

Alternatives

Real Assets

Best New Fund Alternatives

ESG/Sustainable Equity

ESG/Sustainable Bond

Thematic Provider

Technology

ASSET MANAGEMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2024

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