The growing popularity of exchange-traded funds has led a variety of investors to enter the market.
The growing popularity of exchange-traded funds has led a variety of investors to enter the market. The award of Best Asia Pacific ETF Manager to Nikko Asset Management by readers of etfexpress is testimony to our performance over the years.
From the outstanding support we received from voters, we can reasonably conclude that our focus on providing high-quality beta is being recognised by the ETF investment community. It also goes without saying that Nikko AM is committed to continuously providing quality beta and innovative products going forward.
The firm’s ETF line-up is dedicated to meeting investors’ needs. It is highly appreciated by investors and is recognised as a cost-effective strategy in gaining exposure to the markets in question.
Nikko AM currently lists 12 ETFs on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which cover Japanese equity, J-Reits, foreign equity (China, global and emerging markets) and global bonds. Adding ETFs to the existing investment trust line-up will further diversify as well as enhance the business portfolio of Nikko AM.
In addition to this, Nikko established an ETF Centre in 2008 that is dedicated to overseeing Nikko’s ETF business, including development of new products and sponsorship of promotional events. The ETF Centre has been actively organising events and lectures to facilitate knowledge of ETFs among the investor public.
Nikko AM was one of the first asset management firms to offer ETFs that were long perceived to be difficult to structure in Japan, including China A-shares, foreign bonds, global and emerging market equities. Including Asian ETFs in an investment portfolio can add diversification at a low cost. ETFs can be an effective means for investors to participate and benefit from investment opportunities in Asia.
In addition, ETFs have been gaining in popularity within Asia. We expect the ETF industry to continue expanding in the region with an increase in demand for products, particularly from institutional investors. This can in part be attributed to the effects of the global financial crisis. As awareness of the importance of having a diversified portfolio spreads among investors, the role of ETFs is becoming increasingly important.
ETFs are used by many different investors as a cost-effective alternative to mutual funds. They have the advantage of tracking the performance of market indices and also of being tradable on an exchange. More than USD1trn is invested globally in ETFs, according to BlackRock and Deutsche Bank research.
Koei Imai is head of Nikko Asset Management’s ETF Centre
Please click here to access the etfepxress 2010 awards special report
