Manulife Asset Management diversifies portfolio across Asia-Pacific for Filipino investors

Banking on positive growth in Asia-Pacific markets, Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corp. is diversifying its portfolio of investment products to tap assets across the region.

“When we look at the industry, most of the investments offered are largely Philippine-centric. So, given our global access to international network of resources, we made use of these advantages to develop new products that will give new value to investors,” president and CEO Aira Gaspar said in a press briefing in Makati City on Friday.

The company launched its Asia-Pacific Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Fund of Funds and Asia Best Select Equity Fund under its unit investment trust fund portfolio.

The products allow Filipino investors to access securities in companies and REITs listed in stock markets in the region, which include Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia.

Exposure to a diverse portfolio gives investors a “better position” to be less affected by foreign exchange fluctuations, according to Manulife Asset Management (Hong Kong) Ltd. senior portfolio manager Kenglin Tan.

Despite recent corrections in equity markets in the region on concerns about escalating trade tensions between the US and China, Asia is healthy and robust, Gaspar noted.

“Actually, if you look at the correlation between ASEAN markets and China in relation to China’s exports to the US, we’ve ... seen a lower correlation. This means the impact would be less,” she said.

Both Asia Best Select Equity and Asia Pacific REIT are available in US dollar and Philippine peso denominations allowing customers to exercise flexibility in terms of foreign exchange.

Asia Best Select is available at a minimum investment of $100 or P5,000 and the REIT Fund of Funds sells for an initial investment of $1,000 or P50,000.

Investors can expect pay outs every six months for the REIT.  The yield or return on both investments is not fixed and depends on movements of stock markets, Gaspar noted. —VDS, GMA News