Generally, 2017 was calm and the markets had warm upside. The returning surge of volatility and the plunging markets in China and Hong Kong characterised 2018 in Asia, which is one reason why fund flow articles were widely read.
Top 20 most read articles:
1) Which HK funds gathered the most assets in 2017? (31 Jan 2018)
JP Morgan handily beat all rivals in gathering new assets in its Hong Kong-domiciled bond and mixed asset funds, as investors retreated from pure equity products, Morningstar data shows.
2) Opt in our out? Singapore’s accredited investors must choose (9 Feb 2018)
Recent defaults on bond payments by companies such as Swiber Holdings last year offer validation for the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) push for enhanced investor protection.
3) Which SG funds gathered the most assets in 2017? (20 Feb 2018)
The Singapore-domiciled funds with the highest inflows in 2017 were from Schroders and UOB, while a Fullerton fund had the highest net outflows.
4) China’s mutual fund industry in two charts (8 Feb 2018)
The domination of China’s domestic mutual fund market by money market funds becomes apparent from looking at two charts.
5) EY: Private banking shakeout to continue in 2018 (20 Feb 2018)
Regulatory costs are expected to increase while clients increasingly prefer digital channels for financial advice, suggesting wealth managers rethink traditional business models, according to Elliot Shadforth, Hong Kong-based Asia-Pacific wealth and asset management leader at EY.
6) China’s QDII programme makes a comeback (26 Apr 2018)
China has relaxed its outbound investment schemes with the revival of the qualified domestic institutional investor (QDII) programme and the expansion of two other outbound programmes, according to records from China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE).
7) Foreign managers expand in Taiwan (18 Jan 2018)
Foreign fund managers set up in Taiwan are growing their presence, with a number of firms seeing more demand for their locally-domiciled funds.
8) A look at Asia’s online fund distribution (26 Feb 2018)
Both China and India lead in online distribution initiatives in Asia ex-Japan. However, the drivers for online distribution are different in both markets.
9) How will AI change asset management? (23 Mar 2018)
Nigel Faulkner, head of global technology at T Rowe Price, sees artificial intelligence as a solid support technology, but he believes it is unlikely AI will be making final investment decisions.
10) China’s Noah opens WM office in Canada (1 Mar 2018)
Shanghai-based Noah Wealth Management has established a branch in Vancouver, Canada, to target the overseas Chinese investor base.
11) As PBs up threshold, do boutiques go in? (30 Jul 2018)
The high minimum amount to open a private bank account is creating opportunities for small boutique wealth managers, according to Simon Parfitt, director at Hong Kong-based Pyrmont Wealth Management.
12) Global heavyweights quietly setting up in China (1 Feb 2018)
Seven of the world’s ten biggest asset managers have entered mainland China so far, by setting up an investment management wholly foreign owned enterprise (IM WFOE).
13) Schroders poaches head of multi-asset from Amundi (15 Jan 2018)
Schroders has hired Reginald Tan as head of multi-asset products for Southeast Asia to replace a team member who left last year.
14) How did China’s AM joint ventures do in 2017? (13 Feb 2018)
Foreign asset management joint ventures in China did not escape the industry-wide outflow of capital from actively-managed mutual funds in 2017.
15) Singapore’s new structure to rival Cayman funds (16 Jul 2018)
Will Singapore’s new corporate structure for traditional and alternative managers grow at the expense of Cayman Island-domiciled funds?
16) Thailand’s foreign fund assets up 15% (19 Mar 2018)
Foreign investment funds continue to be popular in Thailand, with assets growing 15% annually to THB 1.17trn ($37bn) in 2017.
17) Number of China CFA candidates surges (25 Jan 2018)
The number of candidates taking the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Level I exam in December in China increased by 38% compared to the year before, the CFA Institute said.
18) Investment limits tightened on $233bn Yuebao (2 Feb 2018)
Tianhong Asset Management has placed a temporary daily cap on investments in Yuebao, the the world’s largest money market fund, in order to stem the influx of money during the Chinese New Year period.
19) Thai feeder fund among Asia’s best-sellers (12 Feb 2018)
Two mutual funds in Thailand and one in Hong Kong were among the 10 best-selling newly-launched products in Asia-Pacific in 2017, according to a Broadridge Financial report.
20) Hong Kong’s total AUM soars 30% in 2017 (26 Feb 2018)
Bond, equity and mixed asset funds registered for sale in Hong Kong were up in double-digit percentages in 2017, capping a buoyant year for the SAR’s mutual fund industry, according to the December 2017 quarterly report from the Securities and Futures Commission.
FSA‘s top most read head-to-head article:
In Asia there is not enough critical analysis of fund products With that in mind, FSA’s weekly Head-to-Head article features independent analysis of two funds in the same category. We use analysts from FE, Morningstar and Allfunds to provide an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the funds and give an idea of how they are differentiated.
The analyst will conclude either by preferring one fund over the other, or by suggesting how each product would satisfy different investors depending on their risk/return profile and investment preferences.
For 2018, the most read Head-to-Head feature was First State vs Value Partners. The feature compared First State Asian Equity Plus Fund with the Value Partners High-Dividend Stocks Fund
