The changing dynamics of the region cannot be ignored and therefore this could offer investors a good investment opportunity.
First State and Aberdeen have dominated the Asian and Emerging Retail Investment Market. The managers are now looking to limit new money coming into their funds as they have grown in assets to a level that limits investment options.
For some Asia may not be a region to consider especially with the poor returns over the past couple of years against Western economies. For others now may be a good time to invest, the old adage ‘invest when others are fearful’. With this in mind the question arises as to where is the best place to invest.
Many pure Asian Funds will favour particular economies and many have a bias to China and Hong Kong. There is an argument that by doing this investors can miss out on the ASEAN (Association of South East Asia Nations) economies and there are strong reasons to consider investing in this area.
The Barings ASEAN Fund specifically targets this region with a strong track record going back to 2008. In this review we will consider whether this is the right investment for investors.