Study: Chinese AMs growing AUM 18% annually

Asian (including Japan and Australia/New Zealand) asset managment firms managed approximately $7.6 trn, close to 10% of the combined AUM among the top 500 firms in total, according to the consultant’s 2015 ranking report released last week.

Assets managed by firms based in Asia dropped about 4% during 2015 compared to the global average decline of 1.7%, partly due to a stronger dollar.

Not one of the Asia-based asset managers is in the top 30 list. The largest manager in the region, Japan-based Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings, is in 33rd place with $641.1bn of AUM, after growing 15.9% each year for the past five years.

Among the top 100 asset managers, 13 are from Asia, which includes – 10 from Japan, 2 from Australia and Samsung Group from Korea.

China AM growth

The total AUM of Chinese asset managers has expanded 18% annually over the past five years in US dollar terms, the highest growth rate globally.

It is followed by India, with a 13% compounded annual growth rate during the same period.

Despite the strong growth, the biggest Chinese asset manager listed in the report – Bank of China Investment – is ranked 161th with $67.8bn AUM.

Among the global 500, Tianhong Asset Management was ranked 381 with $16bn of AUM, the WTW report said.

However, after adding in its online money market funds, Tianhong is widely considered China’s largest asset manager. According to the Asset Management Association of China, which works under the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Tianhong had RMB 673bn ($99.5bn) of mutual fund assets under management as of 2015 year-end.

The top player in Hong Kong is Pacific Century Group, the parent of Pinebridge Investments, which recorded AUM of $84.5bn.

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Top managers in each region

Source: WTW