Manulife launches new invest fund

MANILA, Philippines — Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corp. (MAMTC) recently launched a unit investment trust fund (UITF) which will allow Filipinos to invest in fixed income securities issued in Asian countries.

 For a minimum amount of $100 or P5,000, Filipinos can invest in the Manulife Asia Dynamic Bond Feeder Fund, which provides access to a diversified portfolio of fixed income securities issued by government agencies, supra-nationals, and corporate issuers located primarily in Asia.

“Asia has one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing bond markets. It is expected to remain the bright spot of the global economy given the superior growth potential and sound fiscal and debt dynamics of Asian countries,” said Aira Gaspar, president and CEO of MAMTC.

According to Gaspar, the fund provides a flexible portfolio that dynamically allocates across hard and local currency Asia bonds to generate attractive returns. It seeks to derive benefits from interest rate, credit, and currency opportunities.

“Asia’s bond universe is unique, offering a diverse opportunity set. For instance, we see opportunities stemming from China and Indonesia,” said Endre Pedersen, chief investment officer of Manulife Asset Management Asia’s fixed income.

 “China bonds inclusion into the global bond indices could be a game changer for global bond investors, a development that could lead to dramatic inflow into the market. Indonesia’s economy has grown steadily with inflation under control. Thus, Indonesia bonds offer attractive real yields to investors. Asia’s sound fundamentals and the diverse opportunities offered by the Asian bond market make it a compelling proposition for investors,” he said.

Manulife maintained its spot as the sixth largest life insurance company in the Philippines last year with a total premium income of P17.7 billion, up 6.4 percent from the previous year.

It also ranked fourth in the life insurance sector in terms of net income, reporting P3.07 billion last year.