Asia's Latest Investment Opportunity - Indo-China

HwangDBS Investment Management Launches Another First, The Indo-China Investment Opportunity

Kuala Lumpur, 12 April 2007 – Keeping with the momentum, HwangDBS Investment Management Berhad (HwangDBS IM) today launched their fourth fund within the first four months of the year, the HwangDBS Indochina Fund (IndoCF). Available for the first time locally, the IndoCF presents local investors with an exciting and compelling investment proposition, access to Vietnam’s fast-growing economy. Standard Chartered Bank Berhad (SCB) will be the first to offer this investment opportunity at all its branches nationwide. Now, investors will have the option of seeking a piece of the booming Indochina pie.

“The opportunities for local investors are booming. The recent liberalisation by Bank Negara Malaysia in increasing the offshore limit further enhances the opportunity for innovative, offshore-led funds to be developed and offered to the local investing public. Indochina is THE next investment frontier. Vietnam in particular is enjoying a flourishing economy, second only to China in the Asia-Pacific region,” said David Ng, Chief Investment Officer, HwangDBS IM.

With tremendous economic growth, strong foreign direct investment and its impending accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), HwangDBS IM’s latest foray into Vietnam, via the Indochina fund, is set to promote an absolute return of at least 8 per cent per annum. Through investing in a dynamic combination of listed equities and fixed income assets, investors may potentially benefit via positive equity style return. The fund also include the flexibility to invest opportunistically in other Indochina markets, such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Ng continues, “The Malaysian investor today takes pride in knowing what he or she wants and expects their investment to “work” for the highest returns. It is via our continuous interactions with our clients and business partners that we launch this fund today. It reflects an innovative opportunity that will enhance investment returns in a region that is now gaining some of the best economic traction. Working in partnership with DBS Asset Management Limited ensures that this investment option will be delivered to the audience with efficient support and credibility.”

The IndoCF is available at all SCB branches nationwide. It has an approved fund size of RM100 million and entry is priced at a minimum initial investment of RM100,000 and a minimum additional investment of RM50,000. IndoCF feeds into a Collective Investment Scheme (CIS), namely the DBS Indochina Fund, managed by HwangDBS IM’s long-standing partner, Singapore-based, award-winning DBS Asset Management Ltd. Through the fund, Malaysians may potentially have access to key listed companies within Vietnam’s trading centres as well as fixed income assets, namely government bonds. Access into other key Indochina markets is also expected.

“With the continuous rise in the Indochina sphere, HwangDBS IM is confident that the fund would appeal to, and gain good traction in the local market because of the good track record of the economic area and our reputation as a leading fund manager,” reiterated Ng.