Funds investing in artificial intelligence and robotics have overtaken monthly dividend payout funds in Japan in terms of assets – a sign of their growing popularity.
The funds appeal to Japanese investors because of their long-term outlook, which seeks to capitalise on trends that will influence technology for years to come, said Cerulli Associates, a research company.
“Because of the nature of these funds, the countries they invest in are mostly developed ones, such as the US, Japan and Germany,” said the firm. “The main sectors invested in include information technology, consumer goods and healthcare, which are seen as adding to corporate value as well as companies' stock prices.”
Despite the enthusiasm for these products, some commentators worry investors do not understand the sector they are buying into. Another concern is that AI and robotics funds will prove to be a fad.
“Long-term growth potential was seen as a selling point of Brazilian real-based funds, whose boom proved to be short-lived, as assets in 2017 fell to almost a quarter of their peak in 2010,” said Cerulli Associates. “Some observers wonder if a similar story will be repeated in the case of AI-themed funds.”
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