Ping An Securities, the securities arm of Ping An (Group) Co, plans a joint venture fund management company with Singapore-based UOB Asset Management.

As a unit of Singapore’s United Overseas Bank, UOB Asset Management is the largest asset management company in Singapore.

Ping An, China’s second largest insurer, has been planning to enter the fund management business after it expanded its business to securities, banking and trust. Last year, it acquired a 9% stake in Hong Kong-based asset management firm Value Partners, becoming its strategic investor.

“This move by Ping An proves its commitment to be a financial holding company,” said Luo Yi, an analyst with China Merchants Securities. “Ping An’s existing marketing channels will be the new company’s strong back-up. Meanwhile, the fund management company could also sell Ping An’s insurance policies.”

In addition to Ping An, the country’s largest life insurer China Life is also actively preparing a fund management company.

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Ping An Insurance Co last month announced its plan to acquire a 50% stake in Fortis Investment Management for 2.15 billion euros from Fortis Band based in Brussels, aiming to increase its presence on the international asset management market.

In 2007, the company’s net profit rose to 19.2 billion, up by 140.2% compared with the year before, which was attributed to its “comprehensive earning mode” that seeks to balance income from insurance, banking and investment. And the total revenue last year amounted to 137 billion yuan, up 55.4% from the year before. Earnings per share was 2.61 yuan, compared with 1.27 yuan in 2006. Its rate of investment return improved from 7.7% in 2006 to 14.1% in 2007.

“The proposed equity investment in Fortis is an effective way to strengthen our competitiveness in the asset management business,” said Ma Mingzhe, chairman and CEO of Ping An Insurance. “The cooperation will enable both parties to diversify earning resources and seek greater growth in different markets.”

If approved by the managements of Ping An and Fortis Bank, the name of the joint venture will be changed to Fortis Ping An Investments, in which the two sides are equal partners.

The company looks forward to benefiting from Fortis’s asset management expertise of the highest international standard while Fortis is in a position to leverage on Ping An to expand its business in the emerging markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

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