Global investment manager Barings has appointed a new Asia Pacific head. Effective January 2026, Alastair Wright has been named the new head of Asia Pacific. He will be responsible for expanding the firm’s presence and capabilities across the region, according to a statement on Tuesday. Wright will succeed Duncan Robertson, who will retire after 17 years of service at the […]

The post Successor named as Barings’ APAC head retires appeared first on Asian Private Banker.

Having established a presence in Taiwan with its traditional fixed income offerings, Barings is now keen to push its private markets capabilities in Taiwan’s growing high net worth (HNW) market, propelled along by a series of regulatory advancements. Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Asset Management Hub, which was officially launched in July this year, is an enhancement and upgrade to Taiwan’s Wealth Management […]

The post Can this US$456bn fund manager crack Taiwan’s HNW market? appeared first on Asian Private Banker.

M&G Investments (M&G) has appointed an industry veteran to oversee its efforts to build distribution partnerships globally. The firm has appointed Neil Godfrey as global head of client group, to lead all distribution, marketing and client experience teams within asset management, effective 16 June 2025, according to a statement on Thursday. Godfrey will also become a member of the executive […]

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Barings has appointed a former M&G executive to lead wealth distribution efforts in Hong Kong and Singapore, Asian Private Banker has learnt. Based in Hong Kong, Joseph Wong joined the US$431 billion asset manager as head of wealth distribution, Hong Kong and Singapore, according to a LinkedIn post on Tuesday. Wong has nearly two decades of experience in distribution and business […]

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While investors may be more wary of emerging markets (EMs) credit due to inherently weaker investor protections than developed markets, Barings believes that highly compelling returns can still be earned in EM private credit, Matthew Freund told Asian Private Banker. As the private market expands, private banks are increasingly focused on selecting the right funds and managers, with an emphasis […]

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High yield (HY) bonds’ outperformance versus US investment grade could be set to continue throughout the rest of 2024, according to fund managers, who point to resilient corporate fundamentals and manageable default rates. “A slower growth environment is one in which credit markets have historically performed well relative to equity markets,” Karan Talwar, a client portfolio manager in Barings’ public […]

The post Can high yield bonds keep up their outperformance in 2H2024? appeared first on Asian Private Banker.

M&G Real Estate has named a new head of Korea, as the firm seeks to strengthen and intensify engagement in the Korean real estate market. Based in Seoul, Daniel Cho will spearhead M&G’s growth initiatives and deal-sourcing capabilities in Korea’s real estate sector. He succeeds Ryu Hyesik, who is leaving to pursue personal projects. Cho brings a wealth of expertise […]

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In the bond market, the debate between public bonds and private debt has intensified. With the revival of public bonds and the emergence of semi-liquid funds, the question arises: are public bonds truly making a comeback, or does the appeal of private debt solutions hold greater potential? Barings’ fixed income specialists anticipate highly attractive returns from private debt in 2024, […]

The post Public or private debt in 2024? Here’s the lowdown to jazz up your assessment appeared first on Asian Private Banker.

Barings has appointed a new head of Korea as the US$347 billion asset manager looks to deepen its presence in Asia Pacific. The US-based investment manager said on Thursday that John Park would take on the role of head of Korea and sole representative director of Baring Asset Management Korea (Barings Korea), effective January 1. Ike Bae, currently co-representative director […]

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Barings has hired a senior director for wealth distribution to expand its presence in Southeast Asia. The US$350 billion asset manager announced the appointment of Sabrina Kwek to the position of senior director for wealth distribution, effective August 1, according to a news release on Monday. In her new role, Kwek is responsible for developing and managing client relationships and […]

The post Barings expands wealth distribution team in Southeast Asia with latest hiring appeared first on Asian Private Banker.

Investment teams at Western Asset Management, Pictet Wealth Management, Barings and T. Rowe Price tell Asian Private Banker about their top picks for a defensive fixed-income portfolio for 2023. “2022 has seen an unprecedented bear market for fixed-income investments and extraordinary financial turbulence. However, emerging from the storm, for the first time in decades, valuation for fixed income is attractive,” […]

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Barings is on the rise in Asia Pacific and Mike Freno wants to capitalise. The CEO of the US$338 billion fund manager says the business is growing faster in the region than anywhere else. It employs over 300 people in Asia Pacific in seven locations: China (Shanghai), Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan and Australia. “The region makes up about […]

The post Mike Freno looks to make most of Barings’ Asia growth appeared first on Asian Private Banker.

Barings on Tuesday announced that it has inked an agreement to acquire Altis Property Partners, a real estate firm based in Australia. Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed, but the US$349 billion global investment manager noted that the transaction is expected to close on 1 September 2022. Upon closing, Barings will add 44 professionals with expertise in […]

The post Barings adds A$6B to AUM with acquisition down under appeared first on Asian Private Banker.

The recent sell-off in Chinese tech stocks has revealed a contrast between China-based investors and others. Chinese U/HNWI investors have maintained their home bias and are considering increasing their China allocations, with a preference for A-share and fixed-income funds. Foreign investors have become hesitant about investing in the high growth sector, even if they remain bullish about the long-term prospects […]

The post Unfazed by tech rout, Chinese investors stick with home bias appeared first on Asian Private Banker.

As a sell-off in Chinese junk dollar bonds — especially those issued by cash-strapped property developers — has been driving investors away from mainland China, a global high-yield (HY) bond fund launched by Barings could offer investors the option of replacing positions in troubled names such as Evergrande, Sunac and Shimao. Investors in Asian dollar debt have lost US$155 billion […]

The post Eyeing pool of U/HNWIs, Barings launches global HY bond fund in China appeared first on Asian Private Banker.

After their portfolios were hit by a meltdown in China’s property sector last year, private bank clients in Asia have been hunting for new sources of yield, ranging from US and European private credit funds to real estate in Singapore and Australia, according to asset managers. The trend comes months after liquidity issues at China Evergrande and other developers in […]

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Barings on Tuesday announced the appointment of a managing director in the APAC Private Finance Group, effective immediately. Based in Sydney, Justin Hooley is responsible for the origination, underwriting and managing of private credit investments in the developed markets in APAC. He will report to Shane Foster, the firm’s head of APAC Private Finance Group. Hooley was most recently head […]

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Barings has launched its third qualified domestic limited partner (QDLP) fund in China, according to an announcement from the firm. Introduced in Shanghai in 2012, the QDLP programme allows qualified foreign managers to raise money in China with assigned quotas, to invest in offshore traditional and alternative investments, such as hedge funds, property and overseas equity and bond funds. Following […]

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Asset manager Barings today announced the appointment of a new institutional distribution head in Greater China and Southeast Asia, effective immediately. Lydia Wu is based in Hong Kong and reports to Jon Millin, head of Asia Pacific distribution. She will be in charge of developing and managing client relationships and raising institutional capital in the two markets. In her new […]

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Asset manager Barings is opening an office in Singapore on the back of strong Asia Pacific growth. The business will be led by SooHai Lim, managing director and head of Asia equities ex-China. It will start with four investment professionals and three non-investment professionals. “Asia Pacific is an important growth engine for Barings,” Barings chairman and CEO Mike Freno said. “A […]

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China’s currency regulator, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), announced on Tuesday that it will remove investment quotas for both the QFII and RQFII programmes. Although most financial institutions consider the further opening of China’s domestic market to be a positive move, they believe the near-term implications are limited. Introduced in 2002, the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) scheme offers […]

The post PBs, AMs shrug off near-term impact of QFII and RQFII quota removal appeared first on Asian Private Banker.

Following the Fed’s dovish U-turn, HNWIs moved away from floating-rate notes but have held on to senior secured fixed income as default risks surge, according to asset manager Barings. Mandy Lui, head of wealth and retail distribution, Greater China and Southeast Asia at Barings, told Asian Private Banker that 12 months ago when markets expected the Fed to raise rates, many […]

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HSBC Private Banking has closed the latest of its Asia-related private equity offerings, raising around US$300 million from its ultra and high net worth clients globally. Through a feeder vehicle to a Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA) fund, select HSBC private clients enjoy access to the Asian buyout market, with a focus on mid- and large-cap buyouts and corporate partnering investments. The […]

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Underpinned by lower default rates and stronger technicals, European high yield (HY) bonds have become more attractive to Asian private investors, with US HY retreating over the past few months, according to data provided by fundinfo, the internet traffic data provider. European high yield bond funds currently account for almost 20% of total traffic share, surging from around 7% in […]

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More Asian private investors are accessing developed market (DM) high yield (HY) bonds via multi-strategy platforms instead of concentrating on a specific market, according to Barings. “[Multi-strategy platforms] allow them to dial up or dial down their exposure to Europe or the US, depending on which market offers the best spread opportunity,” Martin Horne, head of European high yield investments […]

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Despite narrowing spreads, demand for high yield (HY) bonds amongst Asia’s private banking clients will likely remain strong for the foreseeable future, as this asset class is becoming more accepted in the region, according to Barings. “In this low interest rate environment, most investors throughout the globe are looking for increased yields and high yield offers that,” Mike Freno, MD […]

The post Asia’s private banking clients to continue buying HY bonds “despite narrowing spreads” appeared first on Asian Private Banker.

Private banks may be worried about the concentration risk of fixed income assets from the region’s yield-hungry HNWIs – especially those of the sub-investment grade variety – but Barings believes the outlook for those who are able to cut through the noise and focus on fundamentals is bright. Focus on fundamentals, not headlines As markets prepare for a likely US […]

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