MANULIFE ASSET Management and Trust Corp. (MAMTC) is planning to launch two new offshore funds this year that will take advantage of the changes brought about by the global health crisis.
MAMTC President and Chief Executive Officer Aira Gaspar said in an interview last week that the new funds are scheduled to be launched this year, with one focused on the global market and the other being a single country-focused fund outside of the Philippines.
Ms. Gaspar said other details of the new funds cannot be disclosed yet as these still need approval from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
“These two funds are positioned to leverage the changes that were amplified by the pandemic,” she said.
“There is increased volatility in different markets and there is no single asset class that outperforms across different cycles so our goal is to continue developing a wide range of differentiated products and encouraging investors to build portfolios rather than invest in a single fund,” Ms. Gaspar added.
She said they expect the two funds to be received well by investors, based on the company’s past experiences when launching new products.
The upcoming products will add to the pool of funds and reference portfolios managed by MAMTC, such as those focused on investments with lowest volatility, highest risk-adjusted return, highest total return, and steady flow of income.
Manulife’s global asset management arm recently launched its Global Healthcare Equity Feeder fund that invests mainly in health-related industries, and the Global Multi-asset Diversified Income Feeder fund which aims to generate income for investors who want to have a buffer against market volatility.
Ms. Gaspar said they will also continue to boost their digital channels to give clients access to more investment options. “We are looking to add a functionality that will allow clients to build portfolios instead of taking single concentration in a particular fund.” — Beatrice M. Laforga