Funds Selection Nexus, Singapore 2014

Date: Tuesday October 14, 2014
Time: 8:30am to 12:15pm
Venue: The Fullerton Hotel
The FSN offers the private banking funds selection community the rare opportunity to meet with hard-to-access fund managers. Similar to last year, selected fund managers will be presenting a series of 30-minute presentations in a group speed-dating format. A Q&A session will follow the presentations and one-on-one meetings will be facilitated upon request.

Invest in US Bricks & Mortar… with Bonds & Mortgages

With the US economy poised to strengthen further, US real estate continues to offer upside potential. But besides real estate funds, there are also other ways to participate in the US real estate recovery. In this session, AllianceBernstein will cover their pure-play Mortgage Income strategy that seeks to capitalize on the US real estate recovery through bonds.

Jonathan M. Liang, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager – Fixed Income
Jonathan M. Liang is a Senior Portfolio Manager on AllianceBernstein’s Fixed Income team. He was previously an investment product manager specializing in fixed income. Prior to joining the firm in 2006, Liang worked at Oppenheimer Capital and Jennison Associates. He was also formerly an associate director for Value Partners Ltd., a China-focused hedge fund based in Hong Kong. Liang holds a BS from Boston University, and is a CFA charterholder and a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts. He is based in Hong Kong.


HY FRN’s: Ride the rising interest rate tide

Following several years of all-time low interest rates and a global economy that is gaining momentum, many investors are beginning to anticipate rate rises and are looking at ways they can protect their bond portfolios from a tightening of monetary policy. High yield floating rate notes (FRNs) can provide a natural hedge against rising rates while offering an attractive level of income. Gordon Harding from M&G’s fixed interest team will provide an overview of the market and introduce a new fund that can serve as an alternative to leveraged loans.

Gordon Harding, Investment Specialist, M&G Investments
Gordon Harding joined M&G in 2003 and is an investment specialist covering M&G’s retail fixed interest fund range. He previously worked at Thomson Financial, heading up a team of data analysts working on the Datastream product. Gordon graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University in 1999 with a BA (Hons) in economics and public policy.


The rise of the Asian Consumer

Welcome to the age of the “Asian Consumer”: a trend that is long-term and sustainable in the emerging markets, created by the increase in purchasing power of the rising middle class and with it the change in patterns of consumption. Further driven by population growth, industrialization and urbanization across all emerging
economies, consumer spending priorities are prevalent throughout the various sectors like healthcare, luxury spending, mobilization, tourism and gaming. The huge potential and increasing influence of the “Asian Consumer” presents opportunities abound.

Joohee An, Senior Portfolio Manager, Mirae Asset
Joohee An is a senior portfolio manager at Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Limited, where she manages Asia portfolios focusing on the beneficiary sectors of the increasing domestic consumption growth, including the ‘Great Consumer’ range of products. Joohee joined the Mirae Asset Global Investments Group in 2006 in Korea, where she was an analyst covering the consumer, healthcare, telecoms and energy sectors at Mirae Asset Global Investments Co., Ltd. She was promoted to portfolio manager shortly after. In 2009 she was transferred to Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Limited to work as a portfolio manager covering regional stocks with a focus on the consumer and consumer-related sectors. She started her career at LG Securities in Seoul, Korea where she worked as an equity analyst from 2004 to 2006. Joohee holds a BA in Business Administration from Yonsei University, Seoul. She is a native Korean speaker and is fluent in English.


European High Yield – Is it Too Late or Is the Party Just Getting Started?

Neuberger Berman recently launched a European High Yield Bond fund, which aims to give investors access to the growing number of non-investment grade companies issuing debt in Europe. This session will introduce delegates to the Neuberger Berman fund manager, Andrew Wilmont (formerly head of European high yield at AXA and Alcentra) and his thoughts on 1) the evolution of the European high yield market (how much it has grown, whether growth is sustainable, what makes it unique), 2) what skills are required to be successful in the European high yield market, 3) current valuations in the market (whether they are attractive), and 4) the investment outlook for
Europe, including fundamentals and default rate predictions. Andrew will discuss the total return expectations for 2014 and will also offer his views on how 2015 is shaping up.

Andrew Wilmont, CFA, Managing Director, Portfolio Manager for European High Yield, Neuberger Berman
Andrew Wilmont, CFA, Managing Director, joined the firm in 2014. Andrew is the Portfolio Manager for European High Yield portfolios. Prior to joining the firm, Andrew served as head of European high yield investments at Alcentra Ltd. Before his work at Alcentra, he served as head of European high yield strategies at AXA Investment Managers. He has also held positions as a high yield portfolio manager at Pareto Partners, and a high yield credit analyst at New Flag Asset Management. Andrew began his high yield investment career in 1997 at Gulf International Bank. Andrew earned a LLM in Law and MsC in Business Economics from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam and has been awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.


Beyond Pure Dividends: An Enhanced Income Approach

Pioneer Funds – Global Equity Target Income seeks an enhanced income stream from a diversified basket of high-yielding global equities, coupled with a dynamic option overlay strategy.

Piergaetano Iaccarino, CFA, Head of Thematic and Disciplined Equity, Pioneer Investments
Piergaetano Iaccarino is the Head of Thematic and Disciplined Equity at Pioneer Investments since January, 2012. He is also Lead Portfolio Manager of Pioneer Funds – Global Equity Target Income. Piergaetano has over 13 years of experience in managing global equity funds. Before joining the Global Equity team in October 2001, Piergaetano managed portfolios for the Far East Equity team. He managed Asian funds for two years and spent almost an additional two years focusing exclusively on Japanese equity portfolios. Prior to joining Pioneer Investments in May 1998, Piergaetano was a Japanese equity Portfolio Manager with IMI-Fideuram in Milan from 1996 to 1998. He is an Economics graduate from the University of Perugia. Piergaetano is also a Chartered Accountant and a Certified Public Accountant in Italy. He received his CFA charterholder in 2004.

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