Why UOB AM is Asian Fund House of the Year

Last week  AsianInvestor announced the remaining five awards at a celebratory dinner for winners of this year's prizes, which were announced online last month. 

We will feature a detailed write-up on all our award winners in the forthcoming June edition of AsianInvestor magazine. 

This week we outline why those five marquee winners scooped their prizes. Yesterday we featured Invesco, our Asset Manager of the Year. Next up is the winner of our Asian fund house award.

Asian Fund House of the Year
UOB Asset Management
UOB Asset Management won this award in large part because of its growth outside its home market of Singapore. An emerging-market investment specialist, the firm expanded its non-core capabilities and registered huge AUM growth even when assets were shifting towards developed markets last year.

UOB AM has already expanded its franchise firmly into Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Japan and Taiwan and has formed joint ventures in China (Ping An UOB AM) and Japan (UOB Sumitomo Mitsui AM). And last year it formalised its partnership with US fund house Wellington Management, to better offer global asset management expertise.

As of March 31, 2016, its assets under management (including subsidiaries but not affiliates) was S$26.6 billion ($19.7 billion). The firm's AUM, including subsidiaries and affiliates, has increased by a startling amount over the same period, reflecting its impressive expansion. It preferred not to disclose the overall figure publicly.

Meanwhile, UOB AM increased the number of third-party distribution channels it has in Singapore, and incorporated new advances in smart beta investing. 

Fund performance was generally strong, too, with some funds gaining awards from fund rating agency Lipper. 

Its overseas success will form a solid base as it moves to expand into another Asian market or two, reflecting its ambition to be a truly pan-regional fund house.