Manulife Investment Management and Trust Corp. (Manulife IM Philippines) has launched a first-of-its-kind unit investment trust fund (UITF) that invests at least 70 percent of its net assets in equity-related securities of listed companies with significant economic exposure to the Asean region.
In a statement, the company said yesterday the Manulife ASEAN Equity Feeder Fund gives investors access to investment opportunities in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
“Through the Manulife ASEAN Equity Feeder Fund, we’re bringing to investors easy access to ASEAN’s robust growth potential, driven by its growing working population, the digitalization of its resilient economy, and its evolving tourism story,” Aira Gaspar, president and chief executive officer of Manulife IM Philippines, said.
She added that Asean is the fifth largest economy in the world with a combined gross domestic product of over $3 trillion.
“Its abundant and growing human capital of over 600 million people provides a strong pillar of support to its economic growth, particularly given the promising opportunities from the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and digital transformation,” said Gaspar.
She noted the massive growth opportunity in Asean that is boosted by its continued progress in digitalization, banking on the region’s young, mobile-enabled population.
“Additionally, the tourism sector provides an attractive structural story in the form of medical tourism — as we believe there is sizable demand in healthcare, while supply may not be sufficient to meet this particular demand,” Gaspar said.
“Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia had become major players in medical travel, driving inbound travel to ASEAN for their competitive rates, top-of-the-line medical care, technological advancement and renowned medical expertise,” she added.
The company said the Manulife ASEAN Equity Feeder Fund is the newest among Manulife IM Philippines’ suite of UITFs, many of which are first in the market.
“Our equity UITFs are suitable for aggressive investors looking to capture the long-term capital growth potential of professionally selected companies across the world,” Gaspar said.
