By Tomoko Echizenya / Dow Jones Yomiuri Shimbun Pro Managing Editor

Amova Asset Management Co., part of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. and one of Japan's leading asset managers in terms of asset under management (AUM), intends to rapidly expand its European business, a company executive said.

The asset management company has set a target to increase the AUM of its global equities division by 66% over three years and raise the AUM in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) to 10 billion dollars from the current 7.2 billion dollars. By leveraging its track record in global and Japanese equity management, as well as forming partnerships with asset management companies worldwide, the company aims to enhance its standing as a global asset manager.

Rob Bluzmanis, CEO of the company's U.K. unit, unveiled these plans as he spoke with The Yomiuri Shimbun.

Amova, renamed from Nikko Asset Management Co. earlier this month, stands out among Japanese assets managers because of its long history of engagement in Europe and the Middle East.

Bluzmanis said the Japanese equity segment has recently been leading the way in areas such as asset management and sales. "Japan continues to be a desirable economy for people to invest in, and it's able to leverage many of the key areas that people are still looking to get exposure to," he said.

Regarding the European business, he said the company aims for "quality growth" as it is a "very competitive space." Its performance under the Global Green Bond Strategy, aimed at funds for environmental and other projects, has been "very strong," he said, adding, "Sustainability is one of the things that we do believe in."

He revealed that negotiations are underway with several well-established pension funds regarding green bond funds. "From observations speaking with a lot of pension funds here (in Europe), they have remained very committed to their internal sustainable goals," he said.

The European Union is strengthening its sustainability initiatives, such as the formulation of the Sustainable Finance Disclosures Regulation (SFDR), which mandates the disclosure of information on sustainability regarding financial products. As for the retreat of these initiatives in the United States, he said, "From a European perspective, it's been a good opportunity" for companies committed to sustainability issues.

As another growth strategy, he said, the creation of new active exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for the European market is considered as "part of our future area of development." Amova is a major provider of ETFs in Japan and elsewhere.

Amova has forged strategic capital and business alliances with U.S.-based ARK Investment Management LLC in 2017, U.K.-based Osmosis (Holdings) Ltd. in 2023 and France's Tikehau Capital SCA in 2024. These partnerships are aimed at expanding investment capabilities by developing products based on investment advice and offering strategies from partner companies.

By using the Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) platform, which is based on the EU's directive and allows for easier registration and distribution both within and outside the EU, Amova intends to strengthen global sales.

"We've put aside a substantial amount of money to be able to acquire businesses, build partnerships and distribution arrangements," Bluzmanis emphasized. He also expressed an intention on focusing on developing channels for wholesale and retail investors, in addition to the institutional space, where the company has primarily kept its focus in the EMEA business.

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This article is from The Yomiuri Shimbun. Neither Dow Jones Newswires, MarketWatch, Barron's nor The Wall Street Journal were involved in the creation of this content.

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September 24, 2025 03:03 ET (07:03 GMT)

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