Barings Asset Management Korea said the net asset value of its flagship "Barings High Dividend Stock Fund" has surpassed 1 trillion won on a parent fund basis.
According to Barings Korea on Monday, the "Barings High Dividend Securities Feeder Investment Trust (Stock)" crossed 1 trillion won in net assets on a parent fund basis, marking the milestone 10 years after its launch. Including the "Barings High Dividend Securities Investment Company (Stock)" and other vehicles operated under the same strategy, total assets under management linked to the high-dividend strategy exceed approximately 1.4 trillion won (around $1 billion).
On performance, the fund posted a year-to-date return of 50.91%. That figure far outpaces the 29.63% average return over the same period for domestic equity passive dividend exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with more than 600 billion won in net assets.
Barings Korea said the milestone reflects a parallel rise in demand for actively managed funds with proven long-term track records, even as capital has recently flowed primarily into passive ETFs in Korea's investment market. Against this backdrop, the firm said robust inflows have continued from pension-related share classes, including retirement pensions.
Barings Korea has accumulated experience managing high-dividend portfolios since the early 2000s, before dividend stock investing took root in Korea's equity market. In 2002, it launched the "Barings High Dividend Securities Investment Company (Stock)," which holds the longest track record among domestic dividend stock funds. In 2016, it introduced the "Barings High Dividend Securities Feeder Investment Trust (Stock)," which supports installment-based investing and retirement pension subscriptions.
"The growth of the Barings High Dividend Fund is thanks to the continued trust of our clients," said Park Jong-hak, CEO of Barings Asset Management Korea. "We will continue to repay that trust through responsible management."
