Axa Investment Managers (Axa IM) has launched the All China Evolving Trends strategy, which invests in Chinese companies that fall in either one of five themes: Ageing and lifestyle, connected consumer, automation, clean technology and transitioning societies, according to a statement from the firm.
The strategy invests in A-shares via the Hong Kong Stock Connect, H-shares listed in Hong Kong, as well as Chinese companies that are listed globally.
The strategy is only available to professional investors. It is not yet registered for retail sale in both Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission and the Monetary Authority of Singapore, according to the regulators’ records.
FSA sought more information from the firm, but it was not able to provide more details in time for publication.
The fund was first launched in Europe in November, according to data from FE Fundinfo.
“We felt this was the optimum time to launch an All China strategy as the Chinese A-share market attracts greater interest following its inclusion into various indices,” William Chuang, Hong Kong-based portfolio manager of the strategy, said in the statement.
“There are plenty of high quality companies, which are benefitting from structural growth drivers, including rising consumption, technology, innovation and shifting demographics,” he added.
The new strategy adds to the firm’s thematic fund range, which includes a global equity product with a similar name, the AXA World – Framlington Evolving Trends Fund, the Clean Economy Fund, the Digital Economy Fund and the Fintech Fund, according to data from FE Fundinfo. In total, the firm has at least 10 thematic funds available to accredited investors in Singapore.
A number of fund managers have launched thematic products in the past year, with Capital Group, Mirae Asset Global Investments and Allianz Global Investors being the most recent to roll out such products in Asia.
In Hong Kong, the firm has 13 SFC-authorised funds. In Singapore, it has 51 products available to accredited investors and 11 for retail investors.
