Janus expands fund range with Asian launch

Janus International has added an Asian equity fund to its Dublin-domiciled fund range, to be managed by recent hire Hiroshi Yoh.

The Asia fund aims for long-term capital growth by investing in 60 to 100 names within the Asia ex Japan universe.

Allocating a minimum 80% of assets in emerging and developed Asian markets, the portfolio is benchmarked against the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan index.

Yoh, who joined the group in April, has a 22-year track record running Asian equities, having held chief executive posts at Tokio Marine Asset Management and Templeton Investment Management Japan.

He will head a Singapore-based team focusing on local and regional sectors, which will be integrated with the firm’s team in the US.

Yoh takes a ‘growth at a reasonable price’ approach to stock selection, combining this with the analysis of macro factors that could affect the investment environment.

Jonathan Coleman, co-chief investment officer for equities at parent company Janus Capital, said the new strategy reflects the group’s commitment to extending its investment capabilities to key regions across the world.

“Asian equity markets have become a larger and more important component of the global investment landscape and we believe it is important to have investment professionals with deep knowledge on the ground in Asia,” he said.

Yoh added strong secular and demographic tailwinds in Asia will drive higher long-term earnings growth for corporate compared to Western markets.

“I believe US investors will continue to embrace Asian equity strategies as many of these markets and economies continue to grow and mature.

“Many countries in this region have GDP growth rates in excess of what we are seeing in the developed world”.