Standard Chartered launches Asia-Pacific multi-asset fund with BlackRock for wealthy clients
Standard Chartered has launched a new Asia-Pacific focused multi-asset investment fund under its Variable Capital Company (VCC) platform, expanding its wealth management offerings through a partnership with BlackRock.
The bank said on Monday that the Signature Select APAC Allocation Plus fund will be managed by BlackRock as sub-manager and will target accredited and professional investors across its Priority, Priority Private and Private Banking franchises.
The fund will invest across equities, fixed income and liquid alternatives, providing investors with diversified exposure to Asia-Pacific markets while seeking long-term capital appreciation and income generation.
The portfolio will be dynamically allocated across asset classes using BlackRock’s multi-asset investment capabilities, combining systematic equity strategies with fundamental fixed income selection to generate returns across different market conditions.
The fund will initially be available to clients in Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Jersey, Malaysia, Kenya and Nigeria, with additional markets to follow.
“We are delighted to deepen our collaboration with BlackRock through the launch of our Signature Select APAC Allocation Plus fund,” Sumeet Bhambri, Standard Chartered’s global head of advisory and managed investments for wealth solutions, said in a statement.
Bhambri said the fund combines the bank’s open-architecture investment platform with BlackRock’s multi-asset expertise to provide clients with an institutional-quality solution offering diversified exposure to opportunities across the Asia-Pacific region.
Andrew Landman, deputy head of Asia-Pacific and head of Asia-Pacific wealth at BlackRock, said the asset manager sees attractive opportunities for active investing as many Asian assets remain undervalued despite the region’s strong economic growth prospects.
The launch marks the eighth sub-fund under Standard Chartered’s VCC platform, which was established in June 2024 to offer proprietary investment strategies developed in partnership with external asset managers. It is also the bank’s third VCC fund launch this year.
Singapore introduced the VCC framework in 2020 to strengthen its position as a regional fund management hub by providing a flexible corporate structure for investment funds. Standard Chartered has used the platform to offer exclusive investment products tailored to its affluent and high-net-worth wealth management clients.
