KUALA LUMPUR, 1 December 2021: BIMB Investment Management Berhad ("BIMB Investment"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad, today announced the launch of BIMB-ARABESQUE Global Shariah-ESG AI Technology Fund ("BGSEAIT"), a Shariah-compliant equity growth fund that aims to provide investment returns to investors through investment in Shariah-compliant global technology equities. The Fund capitalises on strong technology market trends using the latest artificial intelligence research and technology by Arabesque AI, the artificial intelligence business unit of the Arabesque Group.
BIMB Investment Chairman, Mohamed Ridza Mohamed Abdulla, mentioned, "The COVID-19 pandemic has played a significant role in shifting both consumer and business practices towards better integrating digital technology systems within their respective activities. Such a shift has bolstered the performance of the technology sector over the past two years, and we expect it to further sustain growth momentum within the sector for many years to come."
Adding to this, BIMB Investment Chief Executive Officer, Najmuddin Mohd Lutfi, said, "BGSEAIT is well-positioned to leverage the resilient growth prospects present within the technology sector from both local and foreign markets. The Fund provides investors with an additional investment avenue to achieve capital appreciation over the medium to long term. Through BGSEAIT, investors are also able to increase their investment portfolio's exposure to technology-related stocks."
BGSEAIT will invest a minimum of 70% up to 98% in listed equities and Shariah-compliant equity-related securities in Malaysia and foreign companies where the regulatory authorities are the ordinary or associate members of the International Organization of Securities Commissions ("IOSCO") and the exchange is a member or affiliate member of the World Federation of Exchanges ("WFE"). The Fund employs a quantitative AI-driven approach that will be rebalanced monthly for both local and foreign securities incorporated within the Fund.
Currently, the Fund is being offered in three currency classes: Ringgit Malaysia (RM) Class, Ringgit Malaysia (RM) Hedged Class, and US Dollar Class. Investors can subscribe to the Fund with an initial investment amount as low as RM500 and USD500 with additional investments starting at a minimum of RM100 and USD100.
In terms of ESG screening, BGSEAIT will leverage Arabesque S-Ray®, a quantitative data tool that analyses and measures the sustainability performance of over 25,000 listed corporations' quantitative models and data scores. The transparent rules-based quantitative investment processes driven by AI will also help eliminate human biases and perform analyses at scale.
BIMB Investment has won Malaysia's Best Islamic Asset & Fund Manager for four consecutive years since 2018, Best Asset & Fund Manager in 2017 and Best Risk-adjusted returns for ESG Principle Investment for three consecutive years since 2019 by Alpha Southeast Asia. The company has also been awarded the ESG Asset Manager of the Year for both 2019 and 2020 by The Asset Triple A Islamic Finance Awards, an award recognising its significant contributions and achievements in ESG, sustainability, and asset management within Asia.
Applications for units can be made directly via BIMB Investment's Corporate sales team by calling the toll free no. at 1-800-88-1196 or email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Unit Holders may obtain the daily Fund price and further information about the Fund from BIMB Investment website at http://www.bimbinvestment.com.my.
