Pacific Assets Trust

Asian specialist with differentiated approach

30 July 2015

Pacific Assets Trust (PAC) is a specialist Asia ex-Japan investment trust with a differentiated investment process, seeking to invest in companies that contribute to, or benefit from, the sustainable development of the Asian region. It has recently passed its fifth anniversary under its current manager, and has outperformed the MSCI AC Asia ex-Japan index in the past four discrete years in terms of both share price and NAV total return. The trust has low exposure to China, does not use gearing and has a net cash weighting of c 11%, which could mitigate near-term volatility. Moreover, the manager is looking for opportunities to reinvest cash in favoured stocks on any significant market pullback. MORE »

Strong performer with a sustainable focus

12 September 2014

Pacific Assets Trust (PAC) is unusual among its peers because of its sustainability-based investment process. Although not a narrow ‘green’ or ‘ethical’ fund, it seeks long-term absolute returns from well-governed companies in Asia (excluding Japan and Australasia) that both benefit from and contribute to the sustainable development of the region. Managed by First State Stewart under the current process since July 2010, the trust has produced a strong performance and is second in its peer group of 15 for NAV total return over one and three years and fifth since moving to First State (NAV TR +70.1% versus weighted peer group average of 59.9%). After a period of strong performance for Asian equities, PAC has taken some profits and currently has a relatively high cash weighting (c 8%) as it awaits more compelling valuations for its favoured stocks. MORE »