Manulife lowers minimum investment for trust funds

MANILA, Philippines — Manulife Philippines, the local unit of Canada-based Manulife Financial Corp., has reduced the minimum investment for its funds in a bid to attract more local investors.

Manulife’s wholly owned subsidiary Manulife Investment Management and Trust Corp. said it recently lowered its minimum investment amount for all its funds from P5,000 to P1,000.

Such a move aims to make investing in local and global unit investment trust funds (UITFs) more accessible to a greater number of Filipinos.

Some of its funds will also shift from semi-annual to monthly income payouts starting August, allowing investors to see more frequent growth in their investments.

These funds include the Manulife Asia Dynamic Bond Feeder Fund which invests in a portfolio of fixed-income securities issued by governments, agencies, supra-nationals and corporate issuers located primarily in Asia.

Also covered is the Manulife Global Preferred Income Feeder Fund that aims to provide regular income distribution and long-term capital growth by investing in preferred securities listed or traded in any regulated market worldwide.

The insurance firm’s Global Multi-Asset Diversified Income Feeder Fund is likewise included. The fund targets to generate income through traditional and non-traditional assets and a flexible investment strategy that seeks to provide a buffer against challenging market conditions across different regions.

The Manulife Global Real Estate Investment Trusts Feeder Fund will also shift to monthly income payout.

On the other hand, Manulife’s Asia Pacific REIT Fund of Funds will continue to have semi-annual payouts but will have a lowered minimum investment amount of P1,000.

Manulife has 19 funds available, providing investors access to local and global investment opportunities depending on their goals, needs, and risk profiles.

Last year, Manulife became one of the country’s largest fund managers, with more than P162.6 billion in assets under management, a net income of P84.3 million, and a customer base of over 13,000 investors.