AsianInvestor speaks to fund industry executives in Southeast Asia to get a feel for how their industry has evolved since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008.
The Malaysian joint-venture asset manager has announced new chief executives as part of a rotation of posts, further signalling its international ambitions.
Since Thailand's securities watchdog introduced a clampdown on sales promotions used by asset managers to boost fund sales, custodians have had a bigger role to play.
Despite standing out as one of the best performing Asian markets recently, international investors face a number of deterrents, including delays and valuation problems.
The Thai bourse has been on a tear and trigger funds have flooded the market. But Cerulli expects competing products to emerge in 2013 as the phenomenon runs out of steam.
They have been buying Thai stocks, going in the opposite direction to foreigners and institutions who have been selling, while domestic funds have been hit by redemptions.
The $28 billion institution has chosen which firms will manage $200 million of its international portfolio. It will award mandates for another $400 million in 2012.
Asia Plus Securities reckons the Thai economy will continue to make steady progress irrespective of which power bloc comes out ahead in Sunday’s election.
The Bangkok-based Association of Investment Management Companies is optimistic about having a self-regulatory organisation in place by early next year, but some fund managers are sceptical.