EMEA investors’ strong appetite for gaining exposure to specialist investment strategies is driving Nikko Asset Management to expand its range of UCITS (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) funds, the company announced today.

“UCITS funds are an excellent way for clients in EMEA and other regions to access global investments in an easily accessible and efficient manner,” said Takuya Koyama, executive vice president and global head of sales at Nikko Asset Management. “The launch of more UCITS funds is central to our strategic effort to significantly expand our business in EMEA.”

Nikko Asset Management is launching two new UCITS funds this month that invest in global equities and multi-asset. These institutional quality strategies will allow sophisticated global investors access to a broad range of exposures across developed and emerging markets.

“As we position ourselves as Asia’s premier global asset manager, we are eager to leverage our expanded investment capabilities and expertise,” said Yu-Ming Wang, global head of investment at Nikko Asset Management. “We have a first-rate team of investment professionals, and now we are making their skills available to an even broader range of global clients.”

Over the past two years, Nikko Asset Management has been expanding its existing investment capabilities. The most recent addition was the highly experienced UK-based global active equity team led by William Low in August 2014. The global multi-asset team headed by Al Clark joined the company in March 2014 and the Asia ex-Japan equity team headed by Peter Sartori joined in October 2013.

The Tokyo-based asset manager has plans to launch more UCITS funds in the coming months in order to meet global investors’ evolving demand for exposure to more markets and strategies.

UCITS funds have been increasingly popular in recent years. They are typically used by global investors who want to access cross-border markets efficiently. UCITS total assets under management stood at EUR 8.27 trillion at the end of March 2015, according to the European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA).