Honorary Award for Best Fund of the Year 2568, Fund with investment in alternative assets (Commodities Fund), Siam Commercial Bank Asset Management Company Limited (SCBAM)
SCBGOLD is one of our quality Index Funds. SCBAM is recognized as an Index Fund House with expertise in managing this type of fund and covering all asset classes worldwide.
SCB Asset Management Company Limited (SCBAM) received the Best Fund of the Year 2568 award in the category of funds investing in alternative assets (Commodities Fund), SCB Gold Open-Ended Fund (SCBGOLD).
Nanmanat Piampitmanat, Chief Investment Officer of SCB Asset Management, expressed his feelings about receiving the award, saying, "SCBAM has received the Best Fund of the Year award for the second consecutive year for its SCB Gold Fund (SCBGOLD), Accumulator. This honor is a testament to SCBAM's commitment to prudent, stable, transparent fund management, and disciplined investment principles to generate stable and sustainable returns for all investors."
This achievement reflects the dedication of our team and reinforces SCBAM's efficient investment management, demonstrating its ability to consistently maintain high management standards.
SCBGOLD, one of the flagships
Index Fund under the umbrella of SCBAM
The SCBGOLD fund is one of the quality index funds in the SCBAM group. SCBAM is recognized as an index fund house with expertise in managing this type of fund and covering all asset classes worldwide. The company will continue to develop the fund to deliver a positive and sustainable investment experience for all investors, as it strives towards its goal of becoming the Best Fund House.
SCBGOLD's investment policy aims to generate returns that reflect the price movement of gold bullion through investments in units of the international gold ETF, SPDR Gold Trust. Last year, the gold price rose approximately 27% and has continued to strengthen, reaching new highs in 2568.
Looking ahead, SCBAM assesses that gold remains an attractive asset for investment diversification, citing positive factors such as central bank accumulation, a weaker dollar, monetary and fiscal policy, and geopolitical uncertainty, which are likely to continue supporting gold prices in the medium term.
Partnership
Develop products that meet investor needs
Nanmanat outlined fund product development, collaboration strategies, and SCBAM's approach to the future of investment. He explained that over the past several years, the Thai mutual fund market has undergone rapid changes, both in terms of investment products and investor behavior. This reflects an openness to new approaches and a pursuit of greater investment diversity, moving away from traditional assets such as stocks, bonds, and gold.
While it has now expanded to include investing in megatrend themes, grouping by region or business group, and offering structured products that can provide capital protection with the opportunity to generate returns from underlying assets.
SCBAM has developed new products to meet the evolving needs of investors and provide them with a greater opportunity to choose the approach that best suits their goals. These include capital-protected funds, which reduce the risk of capital loss and are ideal for investors seeking stability. Foreign currency funds, such as the US dollar, and alternative asset funds, such as private assets, hedge funds, and digital assets, offer increased diversification and the opportunity for long-term returns.
SCBAM also focuses on building effective partnerships with its business partners, adhering to the principles of flexibility, speed, and responsiveness. This is to jointly develop products that meet the investor behaviors and needs of each partner. SCBAM serves as a hub for connecting diverse and comprehensive investment solutions, as well as communicating investment information quickly and timely.
Dealing with volatility with proactive strategies
Amidst the global economic uncertainty caused by the trade war and capital market volatility, SCBAM sees an opportunity to adapt and build investor confidence through a proactive strategy that encompasses in-depth analysis, precise portfolio adjustments, and a focus on developing technology for comprehensive situation analysis. Our team of investment experts closely monitors and assesses the impact of economic and geopolitical factors to adjust investment strategies and portfolios to align with the risks and opportunities arising at each time. This ensures long-term investment stability, as well as prompt and accurate communication and advice.
“In a world of ever-changing information, the ability to communicate quickly and accurately with partners and investors is crucial. SCBAM utilizes a variety of channels to share information, analyze situations, and provide advice, both through its own channels and its strong partner network, to help investors make confident decisions, even during times of high market volatility.”
SCBAM is also continuously developing its technology infrastructure to support business growth and adapt to changing investor behavior. Key approaches include innovative products and services that are convenient, fast, and efficient; international cybersecurity standards to protect investor data; an omnichannel system that seamlessly connects all service channels; and the use of RPA and artificial intelligence (AI) technology to enhance investment and operational accuracy and efficiency.
Recommended assets for the second half of 68
Nanthamanat discussed the investment outlook and direction for the second half of 2568, stating that the country will face challenges primarily due to a global economic slowdown stemming from trade barriers. This is expected to lead to a slowdown in the manufacturing sector if tax rates increase significantly. This aligns with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s downward revision of its 2568 global economic growth forecast to 2.8% from 3.3%, with the outlook for most countries showing a deceleration.
Regarding interest rate trends, the US Federal Reserve (FED) and the European Central Bank (ECB) are expected to gradually lower their policy interest rates in the second half of the year. Although inflation is expected to slow, it remains above the central bank's target. Meanwhile, the risk of a trade war could result in a slower-than-expected decline in inflation, leading central banks to remain vigilant and implement policy cautiously.
The AI and semiconductor industries continue to grow as they enter the deployment phase, where organizations increasingly apply AI to real-world applications. Companies that will benefit significantly from this trend include chip manufacturers (e.g., AI processors), cloud and data center providers, AI model/platform developers, and AI development tool developers to enable organizations to more easily and efficiently customize and deploy AI systems.
Geopolitical risks: Geopolitical tensions remain a key factor to watch, from the Ukraine-Russia war, violence in the Middle East, and US policy towards China. These are all factors that put pressure on commodity prices and investor confidence, which in turn directly impact the overall global trade and investment landscape.
From the above trends
The next investment guidelines are as follows:
bond It will become more attractive due to the downward trend in interest rates, especially government bonds and high-quality debt instruments.
Equity instruments Focus on defensive stocks, stocks with strong fundamentals, sustainable growth, and stable performance despite the economic slowdown. These include utilities, consumer goods, and healthcare, which are good options to reduce portfolio volatility. Technology and innovation stocks, particularly AI, semiconductor, and software stocks, which have strong innovations and still have long-term growth potential.
Commodities Gold remains an important asset to have in your portfolio as a hedge against inflation and economic volatility, while oil and energy prices continue to fluctuate based on geopolitical conditions and China's economic recovery.
