Nomura Asset Management Co., Ltd., Japan's largest asset manager and a wholly owned subsidiary of Nomura Holdings, Inc., today listed its NEXT FUNDS FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Exchange Traded Fund (ticker: 1560) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, marking the first listing of a Malaysia-stock ETF in Japan.
The ETF is designed to track the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI, the benchmark Malaysian stock price index, and directly holds a portfolio composed of Malaysian stocks.
Dato' Tajuddin Atan, Chief Executive Officer of Bursa Malaysia, said, "NEXT FUNDS FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI ETF follows the movement of thirty of the largest eligible companies by market capitalisation listed on Bursa Malaysia. This index will consist of sectors that have been identified to grow the Malaysia economy, sectors such as finance, telecommunications, oil & gas, and plantation, among others. As we grow economically as a nation through our Economic Transformation Programme, I trust that this growth will be reflected on our benchmark index. Hence, participating in this ETF will give investors the advantage of immediate exposure to the country's top thirty stocks which are representative of the Malaysian stock market and beneficiaries of the economic growth."
Commenting on the listing, Mr. Toshihiro Iwasaki, Deputy President of Nomura Asset Management said, "We are pleased to launch an ETF that provides an exciting opportunity for Japanese investors to invest in the growth market of Malaysia. We greatly appreciate the cooperation of the Bursa Malaysia and the Tokyo Stock Exchange to help make this possible."
Mr. Atsushi Saito, President & CEO of TSE, said: "We are delighted to list NEXT FUNDS FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Exchange Traded Fund, a product that tracks the movement of the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI, a major Malaysian stock price index. Based on Malaysian stocks listed on Bursa Malaysia, this product will allow investors in Japan to include Malaysian equities in their portfolios. We hope that this listing will further facilitate access to the Malaysian stock market by Japanese investors and deepen capital flows between both countries."
Today's trading of the ETF opened at 4,130 yen and closed at 4,130 yen. Trading volume was 1,075 units.