First State Investments, a leading global investment manager, announced it is operating worldwide under the new brand, First Sentier Investors, effective today.
The name change follows the acquisition of First State Investments in August 2019 by Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation (MUTB), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG), from Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA).
Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, First Sentier Investors operates as a standalone investment management business and manages more than US$148 billion on behalf of investors across Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America. First Sentier Investors offers a comprehensive suite of active investment capabilities across global and regional equities, cash and fixed income, infrastructure, and multi-asset solutions, all with a shared purpose to deliver sustainable investment success for clients.
There is no change in the investment teams or investment process as a result of the rebrand. First Sentier Investors is the home of investment teams Stewart Investors and FSSA Investment Managers and these teams will continue to operate under their current brand names.
"The name change reflects our desire to be a unified global business. Our new name, First Sentier Investors, reflects our heritage and ongoing purpose. 'First' references our strong and successful heritage as First State Investments, while the word 'Sentier' means path—which reflects our commitment to creating our own way forward, with a focus on investing responsibly over the long term for the benefit of our clients," said Mark Steinberg, Chief Executive Officer.
"In the United States and Canada, we are seeing growing interest from asset owners for our high-caliber, actively managed specialist investment capabilities," said Bachar Beaini, Managing Director of the Americas region. "In particular, there is heightened attention from investors in our direct and listed infrastructure strategies, U.S. high yield funds, and global and regional equity capabilities managed by our affiliate brands FSSA Investment Managers and Stewart Investors."
"Another area of strength for us is responsible investment," Beaini said. "We were an early adopter among global asset managers to integrate responsible investment into our investment processes across every asset class, and it remains core to our values and operating model."
The business has operated as First Sentier Investors since September 2019 in Australia, where it was earlier known as Colonial First State Global Asset Management. Today the name change becomes effective across all markets.
About First Sentier Investors
First Sentier Investors manages US$148 billion in assets (as of June 30, 2020) on behalf of institutional investors, pension funds, wholesale distributors, investment platforms, financial advisers and their clients worldwide.
The firm operates as a standalone global investment management business with offices across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific. First Sentier Investors' expertise spans a range of asset classes and specialist investment sectors focused on delivering sustainable investment success based on responsible investment principles.
Formerly Colonial First State Global Asset Management, the firm was acquired from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in August 2019 by Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.
