Publications

The Asian investment management industry has bounced back from the financial crisis with a renewed appetite for the equity capital markets and the debt capital markets.

This is one of the main findings to emerge from the second Clifford Chance/Asian Investor Asset Management Survey 2010. The survey, which was based on the views and responses of 249 investment management professionals, examined respondents' expectations of likely investment destinations, fund flows and asset class preferences for 2010, as well as their opinions on the most pressing regulatory issues facing the sector.

Equities were cited as the investment vehicle of choice in Asia with 64 per cent of respondents favouring them. This is up from 2009 when only 47 per cent of respondents chose equities.

Debt equity markets were the second most popular choice for 2010, securing 47 per cent of respondents' support. Hedge funds enjoyed the biggest increase in popularity, with 33 per cent of respondents favouring it compared with only 16 per cent in 2009.

China came out on top as the favoured investment destination with 68 per cent of votes. It was closely followed by Asia ex-Japan with 62 per cent.

Asian and emerging market equities were the two most popular asset classes in which asset managers said they would invest.

Regulatory issues across Asia also drew strong opinions from respondents with 62 per cent citing the need to change product selling regulations.

The biggest surprise on regulatory issues, however, was respondents' attitudes towards the European Union's (EU) Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFM) Directive with 64 per cent saying that they did not believe the AIFM Directive would have an impact on their business.

Download Full Report