In 2026, BlackRock and JPMorgan Asset Management remained the top fund brands in Asia-Pacific (APAC), cited by fund selectors as their preferred suppliers based on attributes including their solidity, the appeal of their investment strategies, and their client-oriented thinking, according to the 2026 Broadridge Fund Brand 50 (FB50).
The annual ranking was derived from Broadridge’s Global Fund Buyer Focus Intelligence and intensive interviews with more than 1,300 of the most significant fund selectors in Europe, APAC, and the US. Participants were asked to name their top-three suppliers across 10 attributes spanning expertise, innovation, as well as social responsibility and sustainability.
This year, BlackRock and JPMorgan Asset Management continued to lead the market, ranking first and second, respectively, for their fifth consecutive year since Broadridge began its FB50 analysis of APAC.
BlackRock held the number one brand position in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea, while JPMorgan Asset Management ranked in the top three in all seven markets under Broadridge’s coverage.
Alongside BlackRock and JPMorgan Asset Management, PIMO, Fidelity, and Allianz GI remained in the top five, retaining the trust and confidence of fund selectors and investors in the markets evaluated.
Growing appetite for ETFs
BlackRock and JPMorgan Asset Management, both global exchange-traded fund (ETF) giants, largely benefited from the ETF boom in APAC. Total ETF assets in APAC climbed to US$2.43 trillion at the end of 2025, fueled by strong investor interest, according to research by Morningstar. The figure represents a 51.9% increase from about US$1.6 trillion a year earlier.
The ETF boom in APAC is underpinned by a shift from household savings and bank deposits to financial instruments capable of delivering higher returns. Furthermore, the advent of wealthtech and digital trading platforms are making new investment opportunities increasingly accessible to retail investors.
The Broadridge study also revealed a growing appetite for thematic funds, particularly among younger investors in APAC, who are increasingly access these themes through ETFs. In Mainland China, thematic equity ETFs reached US$108 billion by June 2023, with tech-centric products making up over half of thematic equity ETF assets, according to Broadridge.
In Hong Kong, thematic ETFs are experiencing over 40% in compound annual growth rate (CAGR), reaching HK$62.6 billion (US$8 billion) in mid-2024 and accounting for a significant portion of the Hong Kong ETF market, according to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX).
Blackstone recognized as a top innovator
Though the top five fund brands in the Broadridge FB50 remained largely unchanged in 2026, trends such as growing demand for alternatives and stronger brand recognition saw larger jumps in the second half of the top 10.
In particular, Blackstone, which jumped three places to rank seventh in 2026, benefited from growing regional demand for alternatives. As investors increasingly seek returns uncorrelated to traditional asset classes, fund selectors continue prioritizing alternative investment opportunities, and Blackstone remains a top choice.
Blackstone is a leading American alternative asset management company that evolves its investment strategies, products, and global reach to match shifts in investor behavior.
For example, it launched in 2017 the Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT), a real estate investment fund that allows investors to earn income by investing in large-scale real estate portfolios. In 2021, it introduced the Blackstone Private Credit Fund (BCRED), allowing investors to earn income by lending money to large companies instead of buying stocks or bonds.
Blackstone is also known for identifying and investing in sectors before they become mainstream, standing at the forefront of the megatrends shaping the future across artificial intelligence (AI), infrastructure, life science, and consumer sectors.
Key investment areas have included logistics warehouses, boosted by e-commerce growth; data centers, supporting cloud computing and AI; as well as life sciences real estate.
Blackstone has also expanded globally to capture regional demand. This has been marked by major expansion in Asia and Europe, and investments in Indian real estate and European infrastructure.
Assets under management surge
2024 was a breakout year for the asset management industry. Global assets under management (AUM) hit US$135 trillion, up US$15 trillion and marking the largest single-year rise of the decade, according to McKinsey.
Roughly 70% of this increase came from the markets as equity valuations surged. The remaining 30% represented net new money, reflecting client demand across a variety of channels and strategies.
Organic growth rose to 3.7%, up from 2.1% in 2023. Year-on-year net flows for 2024 climbed for every region, with a a standout 8.4% in APAC, 2.5% in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and 2.4% in the Americas.
2025 proved softer though still solid. In June 2025, global AUM reached US$147 trillion, with an organic growth rate of 2.2% over the same period the previous year. Flows moderated across regions. APAC stood at 4.2% organic growth rate through June, the Americas was 1.3%, and EMEA was 2.6%.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by DC Studio via Freepik
