EPF Announces Winners For The EPF External Fund Managers Awards 2022
KUALA LUMPUR, 19 August 2023: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) announced the 15 awards presented to the top external fund managers in recognition of their performance in managing EPF’s investment portfolios in 2022. The EPF External Fund Managers Awards, which is now in its 21st year, celebrates and recognises the achievements of the EPF’s panel of external fund managers in their respective mandates that are assessed based on a set of quantitative metrics.
As at 31 December 2022, a total of RM160.24 billion had been outsourced to external fund managers to be invested across both equity and fixed income instruments, representing 16.12% of the EPF’s total investment assets.
EPF Chairman Tan Sri Ahmad Badri Mohd Zahir said, “Despite 2022 being a difficult year marked by volatility and ongoing geopolitical tensions, the EPF’s panel of external fund managers managed to deliver encouraging results that were within the EPF’s objectives and expectations for the year. The fund managers have been instrumental in enhancing the performance of the EPF’s assets and as our funds grow, we will continue with this diversification strategy and leverage on their insights and skillsets that complement EPF’s own internal fund management capabilities.”
For the financial year ended 2022, the EPF delivered a dividend rate of 5.35% with a payout of RM45.44 billion for Simpanan Konvensional, and a rate of 4.75% with a payout of RM5.70 billion for Simpanan Shariah. Cumulatively, the total payout for 2022 was RM51.14 billion.
The EPF’s diversification into different asset classes, markets, and currencies also helped the EPF to remain resilient against volatility and protect its investment returns. As at June 2023, the size of the EPF’s investment assets stood at RM1.08 trillion, firmly positioning the EPF as one of the top-10 largest sovereign pension funds in the world. In the coming year, the EPF will continue to explore new mandates and strategies for global and domestic investment.
Tan Sri Ahmad Badri said that sustainability remains a key aspect of the EPF’s investment strategy, and is strongly committed to its two sustainable investment targets of having a fully ESG Compliant Portfolio by 2030; and a Climate Neutral Portfolio by 2050.
“Since the inaugural launch of the EPF’s Sustainable Investment Policies in March 2021, we have started integrating the policies across all of our investment portfolios, including those managed by external fund managers. This year, we have enhanced the assessment parameters to ensure its relevance to the EPF’s Sustainable Investment Policies as well as keeping the managers abreast with the current development in the Sustainable Investment domain.
“The EPF’s grasp of its unique risk tolerance and growth expectations has resulted in investments that are not only financially prudent, but also in alignment with our ethical and sustainable principles. Hence, we are committed to recognising and rewarding the outstanding performance of our external fund managers. We would like to express our appreciation to all winners for their excellent performance over the past year which contributed to the success of the EPF and by extension, to the retirement wellbeing of our members,” added Tan Sri Ahmad Badri.
EPF EXTERNAL FUND MANAGERS ANNUAL AWARDS 2022
CATEGORY 1: EPF EXTERNAL FUND MANAGERS AWARDS FOR ALL MANDATES (EQUITIES AND FIXED INCOME)
| NO. | AWARDS | WINNERS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best International Equity Fund Manager for MSCI Ethical Asia (ex Japan ex Malaysia) 2022 | abrdn Malaysia Sdn Bhd |
| 2 | Best International Equity Fund Manager for MSCI Shariah Asia (ex Japan ex Malaysia) 2022 | Amundi Aalam Sdn Bhd |
| 3 | Best International Equity Fund Manager for FTSE Ethical World Developed 2022 | BNP Paribas Asset Management Malaysia Sdn Bhd |
| 4 | Best International Equity Fund Manager for FTSE Shariah World Developed 2022 | BNP Paribas Asset Management Najmah Malaysia Sdn Bhd |
| 5 | Best International Equity Fund Manager for MSCI EM Latin America 2022 | Principal Asset Management Berhad |
| 6 | Best International Equity Fund Manager for Factor Investing 2022 | Dimensional Fund Advisors Pte. Ltd. |
| 7 | Best Domestic Equity Fund Manager (Conventional) 2022 | Pheim Asset Management Sdn Bhd |
| 8 | Best Domestic Equity Fund Manager (Shariah) 2022 | AIIMAN Asset Management Sdn Bhd |
| 9 | Best Global Bond Fund Manager 2022 | Amundi Malaysia Sdn Bhd |
| 10 | Best Global Sukuk Fund Manager 2022 | BNP Paribas Asset Management Najmah Malaysia Sdn Bhd |
CATEGORY 2: EPF EXTERNAL FUND MANAGERS AWARDS FOR FIXED INCOME MANDATE
| NO. | AWARDS | WINNERS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best EPF Global Equity Fund Manager 2022 | Amundi |
| 2 | Best EPF Domestic Equity Fund Manager 2022 | AHAM Capital Asset Management |
| 3 | Best EPF Global Fixed Income Fund Manager 2022 | Franklin Templeton |
| 4 | Best EPF Domestic Fixed Income Fund Manager 2022 | AmInvest |
| 5 | Best EPF Equity & Fixed Income External Fund Manager 2022 | Amundi |
Issued by the EPF Media Desk
Corporate Affairs Department
19 August 2023
About the Employees Provident Fund (EPF)
The Employees Provident Fund (“EPF”) is one of the oldest retirement funds in the world. Established in 1951, the EPF is a social-security organisation focused on safeguarding member savings and delivering excellent services. In recent years, in line with its vision of helping members achieve a better future, the EPF has expanded its role to encompass the creation of a comprehensive social well-being ecosystem. Today, the EPF remains steadfast in its commitment to members through consistent efforts to update and improve itself, in order to build the foundation for sustainable, holistic and equitable well-being for all Malaysians.