Eric Sturdza Investments, an independent asset management firm providing active strategies to institutional and professional clients, has launched the Strategic Vietnam Prosperity Fund, providing exposure to an Asian equity market that is "poised to record significant economic expansion".
In a statement on 13 December, it said Vietnam benefits from the trend in China, and globally, to outsource supply and production.
The country has a young, well-educated population, creating a skilled work force and attractive wages. Its economy, supported by a raft of trade agreements and solid infrastructure, is very attractive to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and enjoys a stable political environment and economic policies. Vietnam's ambition, as living standards improve and its industries move up the value chain, is to be classified as an emerging market within five years.
Shasha Li Mafli, who will manage the fund has more than 20 years of experience managing Asian investment portfolios, including a track record of "consistent performance in Vietnamese equities".
"Vietnam is at a sweet spot in Asia, growing strongly with many of the pre-requisite factors in place for economic expansion as it urbanises and industrialises," said Shasha Li Mafli. "We think that the country is positioned to enjoy the kind of growth that China has experienced over the past 15 years."
Andreas Söderholm, Head of Asset Management, Switzerland, said: "Shasha has experienced first-hand the transformation of China into a middle-income economy and she firmly expects Vietnam to follow the same growth trend.
"The new Fund matches our philosophy of working with outstanding managers to invest in specialist, active strategies to generate performance for our clients."
The Strategic Vietnam Prosperity Fund is a UCITS fund, catering specifically to professional and institutional investors seeking exposure to Vietnam.
