Tue, Sep 03, 2019 – 12:59 PM

ACTIVE asset manager Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI) on Tuesday launched a thematic fund in Singapore, available to retail clients at Citibank.

The Allianz Thematica Fund seeks to provide long-term capital growth by investing in global equity markets with a focus on theme and stock selection.

Thematic funds allow investors to participate in particular themes influenced by structural shifts in the world, which may be triggered by innovation or regulation, a narrowing supply-demand situation or socio-economic factors.

The key investible themes identified by the new fund include: water and waste, digital life, China impact, health tech, artificial intelligence, safety and security, as well as pet economy.

The Allianz Thematica Fund thus focuses on global equities whose growth is driven by structural shifts in areas such as advances in technological innovations, changes in demographics or consumer preferences, and updates in regulatory policies.

This thematic strategy is unconstrained by region, sector or market capitalisation, and identifies companies along a theme’s value chain.

AllianzGI has partnered Citibank to distribute the fund.

Kelvin Lam, head of retail distribution for South-east Asia at AllianzGI, said: “Many investors in Singapore want more out of their investments, and this isn’t limited to the size of the return – it includes the ability to invest in the areas of the economy that are of personal interest to them and align with their views of the world.”

“As well as financial return, investing thematically can provide the social benefit of helping companies in the most cutting edge and important industries to fulfil their potential,” Mr Lam added.

As an active manager, AllianzGI is able to adapt and manage multiple themes for investors, which will align better with investors who have forward-looking convictions and want to identify longer-term growth opportunities, he said.