AsianInvestor’s 10 most read stories in February

Here we present last month's line-up of AsianInvestor's 10 top stories, with number one being the most read. We do not include in the list our weekly roundups of people news that appears every Friday, as they would tend to dominate the list. 

1. AIA sets up central investment hub, builds team
The Asian insurer has transferred staff from Hong Kong to the new Singapore-based entity, which it established to improve the efficiency of investment operations across the group.

2. Cathay Life seeks absolute-return managers
Taiwan's biggest insurance firm will cut its reliance on benchmark-driven mandates and focus on absolute-return strategies. It is seeking fund managers for mandates to this end.

3. NCSSF mulls overseas mandate manager changes
The manager of China’s National Social Security Fund is considering the move due to sub-par performances. And so are a few other asset owners in greater China. 

4. Asset Management One plots Asia expansion
The largest Asia-Pacific manager of funds intends to expand beyond its home country, Japan, via partnerships and new product launches. 

5. Central banks set for passive equity, active bond push
Global investable reserves are to swell $300 billion by 2020, most of which is likely to go into active fixed income and stock index strategies, finds research by State Street Global Advisors.

6. Chinese banks’ outsourcing drives swift fund growth
Struggling to provide steep returns on their wealth management products, Chinese banks are allocating to higher-risk bond funds, driving a fast rise in mainland managers' institutional AUM.

7. Cathay Life eyes IT, consumer, healthcare
Joseph Wang, chief investment officer of Taiwan's biggest insurer, outlines the firm's market outlook and where he sees opportunities in bonds, stocks and alternatives.

8. How Deutsche WM approaches fund selection
Joyce Ngan, the private bank's new Asia-Pacific head of fund solutions, spoke to AsianInvestor about picking products and how it recently put a fund selector in Singapore.

9. Demand rising for Asia property bar China assets
So say M&G and Savills Investment Management. The latter has won two Japan property mandates this year, is readying more Asia funds and is eyeing a Korean office. The former has a new research head.

10. BNY Mellon seeks new Asia head of asset servicing
Michael Chan moved on in August after nine years with the asset management and servicing firm and a search is still under way for his replacement.