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SuMi TRUST
Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management (SuMi TRUST), a large Japanese asset manager, is seeding its new Japan Value Focus UCITS fund with ¥1 billion ($0.01 billion) of internal seed capital. The fund will give UK and European institutional investors access to a Japanese value strategy that has outperformed the TOPIX Total Return benchmark since inception in 2016, the firm said in a statement.

The UCITs and underlying Japanese strategy is led by Zhangwenzheng Jing. Jing, who joined SuMi TRUST in 2017, was appointed chief portfolio manager for the Japan Value Strategy in September 2024.

The Japan Value Focus strategy seeks undervalued companies where SuMi TRUST’s research indicates a clear catalyst for re-rating such as pending structural reforms, increasing shareholder returns or under-appreciated competitive advantages.

Since its launch in April 2016, the strategy has delivered a gross of fees cumulative annualised return of 17.52 per cent versus 12.55 per cent for the TOPIX. The strategy is intended for family offices, wealth managers, multi-managers and pension funds.

“Japan’s shift away from deflation, continued corporate governance reforms and improving capital discipline have created tailwinds for value. Our process looks for mispriced cash-flow strength plus a tangible catalyst,” Jing said.