With over 35 years of expertise in the industry, Lion Global Investors is one of the largest asset management companies in Southeast Asia. Lion Global Investors is a member of the OCBC group, the second largest financial services group by assets in Singapore.
The company has a team of highly experienced fund managers and analysts serving its clients. More than half of the group members are accredited by the Chartered Financial Analyst. The company has a flexible approach to Asian equity markets, given its oscillating nature and a robust fixed income team. Included in its investment process is integrated risk management, effectively protecting capital and its clients’ investments.
With its approach to investment management, the company has consistently won prestigious awards in recognition of its performance. In 2021, Lion Global Investors won the Best Institutional House by Asia Asset Management in Singapore for the fourth consecutive time.
In 2008, Lion Global Investors set up its branch in Brunei Darussalam, offering a variety of investment and asset management products. Lion Global Investors provides customers institutional solutions with its core strategies and investment process.
State Street is one of the world’s leading providers of financial services to global institutional investors with over 200 years of history, headquartered in the United States (US). The company operates in more than 100 geographic markets worldwide including Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Its venture into the Asia-Pacific region began more than 25 years ago, in line with the company’s goal of increasing its non-US revenue. Today, the company has successfully established itself with more than 10,000 employees in the region.
Responsible for more than 10 per cent of the world’s assets, the financial services company tapped into the Bruneian market in 2011, its third office in the Southeast Asian region after Singapore and Malaysia to solidify its presence in the Asia Pacific market. In February 2019, State Street opened their new office at the Pavo Point building in the capital.
The company’s physical presence in Brunei illustrates its dedication in entering the local market and meeting its clients’ needs. The office offers State Street’s full range of financial services to corporate clients such as investment servicing; investment research and trading; investment management; and support for clients through client servicing and relationship management. Additionally, State Street acts as a gateway for international fund managers interested in Brunei for investment opportunities.
Headquartered in Singapore, UOB Asset Management (UOBAM) established its Brunei subsidiary called UOBAM Brunei (UOBAM (B)) in 2007.
UOBAM (B) offers a range of investment solutions including unit trust products across asset classes and geographies to meet different investment needs and goals. Its investor education programme for institutional clients includes competencybuilding initiatives such as its annual Chartered Financial Analyst preparatory classes and investment seminars to keep clients abreast of the latest market developments and investment trends. In 2019, UOBAM (B) won the Best Investor Education (Brunei) award at the Asia Asset Management 2019 Best of the Best ASEAN Awards. The following year, UOBAM (B) won the award for the second consecutive time.
The investor education accolade recognises UOBAM (B) for its wide range of education programmes that serve investors with varying investment goals and backgrounds.
In May 2017, the Brunei Darussalam Capital Market Association (BCMA) was launched to support capital grown and market integrity in Brunei. The members are made up of capital market, finance and investment product and service providers licensed to conduct capital market activities in Brunei.
Through Brunei Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB), the Brunei Government has been issuing short-term Sukuk Al-Ijarah. Sukuk are Syariahcompliant financial products that create returns similar to fixed-income instruments, like bonds. However, unlike bonds, sukuk does not collect interest. This explains sukuk’s growing popularity not just in economies with Islamic banking but also in the global market.
In November 2021, BDCB announced the successful pricing of its 200th issuance of shortterms Sukuk Al-Ijarah securities. With this issuance, the Brunei Government has thus far issued over BND15 billion worth of short-term Sukuk Al-Ijarah securities since the maiden offering on April 6, 2006. The total holding of the Brunei Government sukuk outstanding as of November 4, 2021 stood at BND280 million.
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