Kuala Lumpur – Manulife Investment Management (M) Berhad announced today the launch of the Manulife Global Thematic Fund (the “Fund”) that aims to capture growth opportunities from four megatrends – urbanisation, technological innovation, resource scarcity, and demographic & social change – areas in which structural change is taking place and transforming the way people live.
Thematic investing is gaining popularity as investment decisions are being impacted by long-term megatrends, which transcend into individual themes. Companies around the world that enable and benefit from these themes will likely see higher earnings growth and gain market share, providing opportunities for investors to participate in these growth areas.
The Fund will invest at least 95% of its net asset value into the Allianz Global Investors Fund – Allianz Thematica (the “Target Fund”) which is managed by Allianz Global Investors GmbH. The actively managed Target Fund invests primarily in global equity markets with a focus on theme and stock selection and strives to build a diversified portfolio that is unconstrained by region, sector or market cap. This enables the fund manager to pick companies that are aligned with the themes best positioned to benefit from long-term fundamental changes, therefore giving investors a chance to stay ahead of the investing curve.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated some of the structural shifts in areas such as advances in technological innovations, changes in demographics and consumer preferences globally.. It was a wake-up call for people around the world to revisit what is essential, how we adjust to a new normal, and what needs to be done to protect our future. This has highlighted the benefits of thematic investing, in that choosing the right themes could help to navigate the market. Some themes and topics have already demonstrated their resilience and possible longevity post the pandemic,” said Jason Chong, CEO, Manulife Investment Management (M) Berhad.
“We have seen substantial transformations across the globe, and we believe applying a thematic investment approach enables investors to participate in the exciting growth areas of the world’s economy. For instance, the stay-at-home lifestyle that has emerged as a result of the pandemic changed the way people live and do business, and uncovered new long-term investment opportunities in broader themes such as education, artificial intelligence, digital life that encompass the topics of E-sports, cybersecurity, digital payments and remote work technology,” said Ng Chze How, Head of Retail Wealth Distribution, Manulife Investment Management (M) Berhad.
The Fund is suitable for investors who seek capital appreciation, have a long-term investment horizon and wish to seek investment exposure in global equity markets with a focus on specific themes.
As of 31 December 2020, the Target Fund’s top three theme allocations are Digital Life (21.7%), Next Generation Energy (19.6%), and Clean Water and Land (16.8%). Sector wise, the top three are IT (24.1%), Industrials (18.0%), and Healthcare (16.5%)1.
Distribution of income by the Fund, if any, is incidental. The classes that are offered for subscription by the Fund are A (RM-Hedged) Class and A (USD) Class at RM0.5000 and USD0.5000 respectively during the initial offer period from 2 February 2021 to 22 February 2021. The minimum initial investment amount for the Fund is RM1,000 or USD1,000, and the minimum additional investment amount is RM100 or USD100. The Fund is available for subscription through unit trust advisers of Manulife Investment Management (M) Berhad.
For more information about the Manulife Global Thematic Fund, please visit manulifeinvestment.com.my.
1 Source: Allianz Global Investors/IDS GmbH/Morningstar as at 31 December 2020.
