AXA Investment Managers as launched its All China Evolving Trends strategy, which aims to provide investors with access to the growing pot of investable Chinese equities listed both in China and abroad.

The strategy will invest in A-Shares listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges traded via the HongKong Stock Connect, H-shares listed in Hong Kong as well as Chinese companies that are listed globally. It will be managed by William Chuang, who has over 18 years of investment experience and currently oversees the Greater China region research for AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) Framlington Equities investment platform. 

«We see that the Chinese equity market offers a diverse and attractive set of opportunities to investors. Our goal is to tap into those opportunities with a robust investment approach and the flexibility to invest across Chinese onshore and offshore equities,» said Chuang, portfolio manager at AXA IM in a media statement on Friday.

Time To Launch 

«We have been researching Chinese companies for many years, we felt this was the optimum time to launch an All-China strategy as the Chinese A-share market attracts greater interest following inclusion into various indices and importantly, there are plenty of high-quality companies which are benefitting from structural growth drivers including rising consumption, technology innovation and shifting demographics,» Chuang added.

Utilizing a fundamental, bottom-up investment approach, Chinese companies will be selected through the lens of five long term investment trends which form the basis of AXA IM Framlington Equities’ evolving economy thematic range:

  • Aging and Lifestyle – the changing ways that people are living across the globe as life expectancies rise.
  • Connected Consumer – technological advancements that enable companies to engage their customers more deeply in a digital economy.
  • Automation – applications of robotics and automation to improve or optimize processes across various industries.
  • CleanTech – low-carbon economy solutions and sustainable resources management. 
  • Transitioning Societies – economic inclusion and changing consumption patterns of the growing global middle class, particularly in the developing world.

New Appointment

In addition to the launch, AXA IM has hired Natalia Mu as an Investment Specialist to provide further expertise in the region. She works closely with William and the AXA IM Framlington Equities thematics portfolio managers and assists sales teams across Asia. 

«We are convinced that the secular themes we have identified will accelerate and evolve over the next decade and believe investors should be invested in active strategies that aim to capture those opportunities. China is a key strategic focus for AXA IM, and the launch of the strategy is a logical progression of the thematic range,» said Matthew Lovatt, Global Head of AXA IM Framlington Equities.