Following our fund spotlights in the previous two newsletters, we are focusing this month on the Aberdeen Global Asia Pacific ex. Japan Fund.

We worked with ILIM and Morningstar OBSR, an independent investment research and consultancy business with one of the largest and most experienced fund research teams in the UK market, to introduce the Guided Architecture Range of funds in order to further enhance the choices available to trustees, consultants and pension scheme members.

• The Aberdeen Global Asia Pacific fund offers investors a reasonably concentrated portfolio of predominantly large- and mid-cap Asian equities (ex Japan).
• The process is strictly bottom-up in nature and the team seeks to identify good quality companies in which they are able to achieve an in-depth understanding. High quality management is considered of critical importance and they also look for companies with growth characteristics, competitive business models, strong balance sheets and high returns on capital. They consider risk in terms of the need to avoid poor quality companies rather than thinking about how the fund is positioned versus the benchmark or peer group.
• The fund is managed from Singapore using a team-based approach.
• Aberdeen Asset Management is a global asset manager with particular prominence in Asia; the majority of its equity exposure is in the region. Globally, its assets are comprised of approximately 55% equities, 30% fixed income and 15% property.
• Although this share class was only launched in 2011 the strategy has a longer track record, which dates back to 1988. Over ten years the fund has returned 174% (in euros), outperforming the MSCI AC Asia Pacific ex Japan index and a peer group of similar Asian equity funds.
• The fund’s Head Investment Manager is one of the early proponents of Asian equity investing who has built up a very robust process and well-resourced team around him.

Click here for the factsheet of the fund and more funds available in the OBSR Guided Architecture range.