Matthews Asia announced this week that the Board of Directors of Nomura Partners Funds has approved the merger of the Nomura Japan Fund into the Matthews Japan Fund. Regarded as Nomura Partners Funds’ flagship fund, the Nomura Japan Fund has been investing in Japanese equities since 1962, and is the oldest open-ended Japanese equity fund incorporated in the U.S. The decision to entrust Matthews Asia with the Nomura Japan Fund shareholders’ assets is in recognition of Matthews Asia’s reputation, depth of expertise and long history of investing in Japan.
Subject to and following the approval of a charter amendment by Nomura Partners Funds shareholders, Nomura Partners Funds will transfer all of the assets and specified liabilities of the Nomura Japan Fund (NPJAX, NPJCX, NPJIX, SJPNX) to the Matthews Japan Fund (MJFOX, MIJFX). In the interim, the Nomura Japan Fund remains closed to all purchases and exchanges. Shareholder approval is expected later this year, soon after which time Nomura Japan Fund shareholders will become shareholders of the Matthews Japan Fund and the Nomura Japan Fund will be liquidated.
Matthews Asia is a specialist investment manager located in San Francisco. With $24.9 billion in assets under management as of February 28, 2014, the firm focuses on investing solely in Asia. It currently manages the Matthews Japan Fund, an open-ended Japanese equity fund incorporated in the U.S. With a 15-year track record, it follows a similar investment objective to the Nomura Japan Fund which is to generate long-term capital appreciation through investment of at least 80% of its assets in securities of Japanese issuers. The Nomura Japan Fund had assets of $169 million and the Matthews Japan Fund had assets of $451 million as of February 28, 2014.
William Hackett, Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Since the launch of our first two regional Asia equity strategies, Japan has been a core part of our portfolios and given its importance as an investment destination, a stand-alone Japanese equity fund was launched in 1998.”
Robert Horrocks, PhD, Chief Investment Officer, commented: “As the third largest economy in the world, Japan continues to have an important standing within the international market place. As a long-term investor in Japan for over 20 years, we also believe the country still represents an important part of an investor’s portfolio.”