AsianInvesterAsianInvester
Advertisement

Hwang-DBS looks to infrastructure

Malaysian asset manager and sub-advisor Macquarie launch countryÆs first global infrastructure fund.
Hwang-DBS Investment Management has rolled out another first to Malaysian investors, with the first local infrastructure unit trust into the market. The new offering is known as the Hwang-DBS Global Infrastructure Fund and will be sub-advised by Macquarie Alternative Investments (Mail).

According to the Kuala Lumpur-based asset manager, the fund will invest in array of securities that either own or operate infrastructure assets. These will include companies involved in water, waste treatment, airports, toll road and rail systems and will target investors who have a more risk adverse appetite and want consistent dividend income.

Hwang-DBS executives say they were motivated by the success of global infrastructure funds. According to the firm, the infrastructure asset class has outperformed global equity and bonds since 2000. Hwang-DBS expects annual returns of the fund to be between 8% and 12%.

The fund has an approved fund size of 600 million units which are priced at 50 sen per unit, while the initial minimum investment is set at RM1,000 and subsequent investments at RM100. Management fees have been set as 1.8% of fund NAV.

The latest fund by Hwang-DBS Investment Management will be available from 13 distributors around Malaysia, which includes names such as CIMB Bank, Hong Leong Bank, HSBC, Maybank and Standard Chartered.

The Global Infrastructure Fund is the fourth global fund brought to the Malaysian market by Hwang-DBS Investment Management and comes soon after the firm launched the first Vietnam fund in Malaysia. It also comes after recent regulatory changes by Bank Negara Malaysia, the central bank, which has allowed unit trust, insurance and fund management companies to invest up to 50% of net asset value (NAV) offshore. Previously, this was capped at 30% of NAV.

The firm also plans to launch another three to four products in 2007, but did not specify what asset classes they would consist of.

¬ Haymarket Media Limited. All rights reserved.
Advertisement