Pan-Asian absolute return strategy launched


Longlead Capital Partners has announced Australian wholesale investors will now have access to its Pan-Asian Absolute Return strategy, as investors increase their allocations to Asia.
The specialist Pan-Asia long-short equity manager focused on identifying investment opportunities inside the business environments which were unique to Asia and its absolute return strategy aimed to have a low correlation to equity markets.
The firm said the allocations of Australian investors to Asian markets was “starting to change rapidly” thanks to the region’s diversity and positive economic fundamentals. Asia was also a central part of sectors such as 5G, renewable energy and electric mobility which were poised for growth in 2021.
Dr Andrew West, co-founder and Australian managing director, said: “We are pleased to launch the Longlead Pan-Asian Absolute Return fund today in Australia and New Zealand, as a growing number of global investors increase their exposure to Asian equities.
“While many global investors are still fundamentally underweight Asia’s growth, this is starting to change rapidly as the economic rebound, Asia’s success in suppressing COVID-19, and a likely de-escalation in the US-China trade war, refocuses investor attention on the opportunities in the region.”
The firm was also hopeful the win by US President-elect Joe Biden would spell a period of calm for China after several years of US-China trade war disputes.
Tim Campbell, chief investment officer, said: “Democratic Party policy statements appear to place less emphasis on unilateral actions against China and more on US domestic policy, particularly with the need to support the US economy out of recession.
“This will likely result in a period of relative calm on the trade war front when compared to the tariff escalations we have seen in the past. Such calm would be supportive of Asian equities in 2021.”
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