Global Financial Firms Expand in China

Financial firms across the globe are branching out into the Chinese investment market. In recent months numerous firms have launched funds in China, including BlackRock, UBS Asset Management, Vanguard and Fidelity International.

Chantal Grinderslev of Z-Ben, an investment management consulting firm based in Shanghai, said: “”You can no longer ignore China. You have to plan on being there.”

According to data from Z-Ben, assets under management at Chinese private funds increased 54.6% last year, reaching $398 billion. Between 2005 and 2015, institutional assets in China climbed 500%, starting at $1.1 trillion and hitting $7.1 by the end of 2015.

UBS Asset Management received a license to manage private funds in China this past summer. The firm’s managing director and head of China strategy and business development Aries Tung explain in an email: “China is a key growth market for UBS Asset Management. Our goal is to be a leading asset manager in China for both onshore and offshore investors. The license allows UBS Asset Management to start managing money for mainland institutional and high-net-worth investors in the world’s second-largest economy for the first time.”

In July, the Boston Consulting Group predicted that China will become a leading source of “significant” gain over the next few years. Their report states: “The Chinese market and its investors are becoming more sophisticated. An aging population and the growth of wealth are expanding demand for dedicated products, including target-dated funds and ETFs.”

According to EisnerAmper’s Timothy Speiss, “China could very well be number two or number three in hedge funds and private equity within the next two to three years.”