KUALA LUMPUR (April 19): UOB Asset Management’s (UOBAM) United ASEAN Discovery Fund was ranked number one in Lipper’s ASEAN Equity 2020 Equity League Table, outperforming its industry peers' average return by 63%, the fund manager said in a statement today. 

UOBAM added that the league table ranked ASEAN equity funds in Malaysia based on their income and capital appreciation over three years from Jan 1, 2018 to Dec 31, 2020.    

“UOBAM’s United Income Plus Fund and United Bond and Equity Strategic Trust were also ranked second and fourth on Lipper’s League Tables on Mixed Ringgit Conservative Assets (over a three-year period) and Mixed Ringgit Balanced Global Assets (over a five-year period) respectively.

“As at Dec 31, 2020, the United Income Plus Fund outperformed its industry peers’ average return by 8%, while the United Bond and Equity Strategic Trust achieved a 9% outperformance,” it said.

UOBAM chief executive officer (CEO) Lim Suet Ling highlighted that the fund manager adopts a bottom-up research approach and focuses on companies’ fundamentals as part of its structured investment strategy to achieve an outstanding fund performance and returns for its investors.

“In 2020, especially given the impact of Covid-19, we were focusing on companies in the healthcare-related sector, for example medical glove manufacturers that experienced exceptional profits during the pandemic

“With continued acceleration in digitalisation globally, we also realigned our strategy to increase our asset allocation to the technology sector.

“We also tap the expertise of UOBAM Group’s regional teams with in-depth local knowledge of markets in Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, in addition to our own team in Malaysia,” she said.

In addition, UOBAM also received industry recognition at the 2021 Best of the Best Awards by Asia Asset Management. It also won the Best of the Best award for Fintech Innovation in Asset Management, Malaysia for UOBAM Invest.

“Launched in 2020, UOBAM Invest is a robo-advisory service that provides customised investment portfolios online to help companies meet their investment goals,” it said.