Man in launch of £909m Japan fund

The computer-driven Nomura Global Trend fund was the first onshore Japanese fund to be launched by Man’s AHL unit and will invest in a mixture of assets via three currency baskets, one of which includes the Chinese Yuan.

The launch of the open-ended fund, which began trading at the end of April, came a day before commodities group Glencore was expected to reveal an initial price range for its $12bn proposed London listing, which has caught the eye of the world’s largest investment houses.

That float and Man’s latest fund launch underline an increasing investor appetite for higher-risk, higher-return investment strategies as equities markets hold up well against rising political tension in North Africa and the Middle East.

The launch of the Nomura Global Trend fund was delayed by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, but sales of the product have topped analyst expectations by around three times.