Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management (SMTAM) has appointed Kenji Soejima as Portfolio Manager on its Japan Small Cap Strategy which has over USD900 million assets under management (AUM).
Based in Tokyo, Soejima will work across SMTAM’s small cap funds as part of the team led by Chief Portfolio Manager Satoshi Marui.
Among the funds Soejima will manage are the flagship UCITS funds, the Japan Small Cap (JSC) and the Japan Small Cap II (JSC II) funds which invest in small cap stocks with high growth potential. JSC II was launched in April 2018 and comprises more liquid stocks than the JSC fund and offers lower investment management fees. The JSC fund currently has over USD400 million AUM and soft-closed, while JSC II – still in its infancy – has already exceeded USD50 million AUM due to large inflows from investors as of the end of June 2019.
Prior to joining SMTAM, Soejima was a small caps Portfolio Manager in Japan for seven years, focusing on the manufacturing sector, and also worked as a Credit Analyst. Soejima has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the small cap space in Japan and is a recognised and respected player in the industry.
Satoshi Marui, Chief Portfolio Manager of the Japan Small Cap Strategy at SMTAM, says: “While global equity markets remain volatile, demand for Japanese small cap equities continues to rise. As we seek to strengthen our offering in the small cap space, Mr Soejima will be a strong addition to the team, with an impressive background in asset management. We are confident Mr Soejima will play a key role in bolstering our expertise in the Japanese small cap sector as well as fostering our relationship with clients.”
SMTAM is Japan’s largest asset management group with over USD600 billion AUM at the end of June 2019.
