Led by Manish Singhai, the Lazard Asia Ex-Japan Strategic Equity Fund takes concentrated positions in 50-70 stocks at any one time, the firm said.
Although the fund’s portfolio construction is benchmark-unaware, it is measured against the MSCI AC Asia ex-Japan for performance purposes.
Singhai will manage the product from Singapore with a supporting team totalling five and comprised of portfolio managers and analysts.
“Asia ex-Japan equity is now trading at attractive valuations compared with both historical levels and other major equity markets,” Singhai said. “The recent volatility has created an opportunity for investors. The long-term structural growth story remains strong and there are many businesses located in the region with excellent prospects.”
Before joining Lazard AM in 2012, Singhai worked at Aviva Investors where he held the position of Asian equities CIO, the fund house told Fund Selector Asia.
Prior to joining Aviva Investors, Singhai established his own hedge fund, Arjava Capital.
