2010 News Releases

Hong Kong — Manulife has announced that RCM Asia Pacific Limited (“RCM”), one of the world’s best-known asset-management firms, will join its high-powered platform of investment experts administering its Mandatory Provident Funds (MPF) portfolio. 

RCM^ will participate in the investment management of the various mixed-asset funds, i.e. Manulife MPF Aggressive Fund, Manulife MPF Growth Fund and Manulife MPF Stable Fund, offered under Manulife’s two MPF schemes — Manulife Global Select (MPF) Scheme and Manu-Lifestyle (MPF) Scheme. 

Doris Chan, Manulife’s Head of Sales and Marketing for Employee Benefits, said: “With our scale, experience and sophistication in investment-management governance, we can bring a true manage-the-manager approach to customers.

“The advantage of our multi-manager funds is that we bring together a range of specialists who between them aim to consistently produce stable performance through combining different investment strategies.

“This enables customers to select a single investment option that can be diversified across asset classes and investment styles, thus aim to provide a stable long-term outcome by balancing return and volatility.”

With the addition of RCM to its already highly rated MPF investment team, which includes Manulife Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited, Value Partners Limited, FIL Investment Management (Hong Kong) Limited and MFC Global Investment Management, Manulife enhances its investment capabilities even further.

“The MPF is a long-term investment, but we understand that customers may worry about the shorter-term ups and downs of the market,” added Ms. Chan. “As Manulife is dedicated to providing peace of mind for its customers, secure in the knowledge that they will be able to live out their retirement dreams, this multi-manager approach helps to smooth out the natural peaks and troughs of the economic cycle.”

“We are delighted to forge this important relationship with Manulife, one of the leading providers of retirement-fund services in Hong Kong,” said Dr. Mark Konyn, CEO of RCM. “We consider the management of retirement assets in Hong Kong as a specialist capability and have been managing such funds since the mid-1980s. 

“RCM is widely recognised in the market for providing high-quality and consistent investment performance. This has been built on our proprietary research, careful risk-management and the stability of our investment team. We look forward to serving Manulife’s clients and to many years of cooperation.”

RCM is the preferred choice of many global investors in their quest for wealth protection. The firm has offices in all of the key world financial centres and is “open” for the interchange of information and investment ideas around the clock. It has more than 20 years of experience in the Hong Kong retirement business.

Manulife places a great deal of emphasis on its manager-governance process, conducting detailed and ongoing monitoring of all its MPF fund managers, regularly reviewing their performance and ability to deliver in the future. The company will continue to identify appropriate fund managers to join its MPF multi-manager platform.

Manulife is the second-largest MPF service provider in Hong Kong*. At December 31, 2009, Manulife’s MPF market share was 17.1 per cent, in terms of assets under management.

Investment involves risks. For details and charges of the scheme, please refer to the Offering Document which is available on request or via our website: www.manulife.com.hk

^RCM participates as the sub-investment manager of the underlying investment of Manulife MPF Aggressive Fund, Manulife MPF Growth Fund and Manulife MPF Stable Fund, offered under Manulife’s two MPF schemes — Manulife Global Select (MPF) Scheme and Manu-Lifestyle (MPF) Scheme. 

*According to the MPFAnnual Report 2009 published by Towers Watson, Manulife is in second spot among the top 10 MPF service providers in Hong Kong.  The Survey includes the major service providers (in terms of assets within master trusts) and aggregated assets under supervision surpassed 90 per cent of the entire MPF market as at December 31, 2009.

Important to note: 

•        You should consider your own risk tolerance level and financial circumstances before making any investment choices. When, in your selection of funds, you are in doubt as to whether a certain fund is suitable for you (including whether it is consistent with your investment objectives), you should seek financial and/or professional advice and choose the funds most suitable for you taking into account your circumstances.

•        All the constituent funds under this scheme invest solely in approved pooled investment funds in the form of insurance policies provided by Manulife (International) Limited. Your investments in the constituent funds under this scheme are therefore subject to the credit risks of Manulife (International) Limited.

•        Manulife (International) Limited is the guarantor of Manulife MPF Stable Fund and Manulife MPF Interest Fund (collectively the ”Guaranteed Funds”).  Your investment in Guaranteed Funds are therefore subject to the credit risks of Manulife (International) Limited.  Please refer to section 3 and 6 of the Offering Document for details of the guarantee features and qualifying conditions.

•        You should not make your investment decision based on this document alone and should read the relevant Offering Document.

About Manulife

Manulife offers provident fund services in Hong Kong through its three operating companies: Manulife (International) Limited, Manulife Provident Funds Trust Company Limited and Manulife Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited. All are members of the Manulife Financial group of companies.  Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 22 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily through John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were C$446 billion (approximately HK$ 3,413.4 billion) as at March 31, 2010.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as ‘MFC’ on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under ‘945’ on the SEHK.

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