Goldman Sachs Asset Management has filed an application with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to launch five products for retail investors in the city-state, according to the regulator’s records, as reported by ESG Clarity Asia‘s sister publication, Fund Selector Asia.
They include two ESG-focused funds – the Global ESG Enhanced Income Bond Portfolio and the Global Environmental Impact Equity Portfolio, and two thematic products – the Global Future Technology Leaders Equity Portfolio.
The fifth product is an Asia-focused fixed income fund – the Asia High Yield Bond Portfolio.
All five funds, which are Luxembourg-domiciled Sicav products, were first launched in Europe this year, according to data from FE Fundinfo and their fund factsheets.
| Fund’s name | Launch/inception date |
| Global ESG Enhanced Income Bond Portfolio | September, 2020 |
| Global Future Technology Leaders Equity Portfolio | February, 2020 |
| Global Future Health Care Equity Portfolio | September, 2020 |
| Asia High Yield Bond Portfolio | August, 2020 |
| Global Environmental Impact Equity Portfolio | February, 2020 |
Source: the funds’ factsheets.
All funds are already available to accredited investors in Singapore, with the exception of the Global Future Health Care Equity Portfolio, FE Fundinfo data shows.
The Global ESG Enhanced Income Bond Portfolio invests in government and corporate bonds that adhere to certain ESG criteria, while the Global Environmental Impact Equity Portfolio invests in companies that are aligned to themes associated with solving environmental problems, including clean energy, resource efficiency, sustainable consumption and production, waste management and recycling, and water sustainability.
In December last year, the asset manager also filed an application with the MAS to launch an ESG-focused product that focuses on emerging markets. MAS record shows that it has already received regulatory approval.
Other firms are also expected to roll out ESG funds in Singapore, including Blackrock, Pimco, JP Morgan Asset Management, Manulife Investment Management, Schroders, Natixis IM affiliate Mirova and Fidelity.
OTHER FUNDS
Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs AM’s Global Future Technology Leaders Equity Portfolio is a concentrated global portfolio that invests in companies that benefit from technology proliferation in sectors such as technology, media, telecommunication sand communication services, according to the funds’ prospectus.
The Global Future Health Care Equity Portfolio is also a concentrated product and invests in companies that have the potential to be beneficiaries of evolving trends in the healthcare sector.
The Asia High Yield Bond Portfolio invests primarily in below investment grade corporate bonds issued by companies that are based in or earning most of their revenues or profits from Asia, according to the prospectus.
Separately, in Hong Kong, the firm also received approval from the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in May this year to launch four products.
