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Nomura Launches Affordable Global Sustainable Equity Fund for Investors in Malaysia

- Nomura partners with Sun Life Malaysia to promote ESG investing -

July 26, 2021

Nomura Asset Management Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, July 26, 2021 - Nomura Asset Management Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., a Malaysian fund management unit of Nomura Holdings, Inc., has for the first time launched a fund with sustainable and responsible investment objectives for investors in Malaysia.

The locally domiciled Nomura Global Sustainable Equity Fund will feed into Nomura Funds Ireland - Global Sustainable Equity Fund, and is available in Malaysia from today for a minimum initial investment of MYR 1,000 and available for subscription online.

"We are proud to bring this fund to investors in Malaysia who actively seek to make a positive impact on society and the environment, and embrace socially responsible investing. We have prioritized affordability as anyone can begin their investing journey with this fund regardless of income level," said Nor Rejina Abdul Rahim, Managing Director and Country Head, Nomura Asset Management Malaysia.

The Ireland-domiciled target fund aims to provide investors with long-term capital growth through investments in a relatively concentrated, actively managed portfolio of shares issued by global companies with a high positive impact on society.

These companies are evaluated based on Nomura's six impact goals of mitigating climate change, natural capital depreciation and obesity, eliminating communicable diseases, and providing global access to clean drinking water and basic financial services, which in turn are all aligned to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The fund is benchmarked to the MSCI All Countries World Index.

The investment strategy also capitalizes on Nomura's successful core global equity platform and long-standing track record as a responsible investor. At the group level, Nomura Asset Management has been a signatory to the United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investment since March 2011. Earlier this month, it signed the Investor Agenda, a joint statement by institutional investors to accelerate initiatives on climate change.

In a bid to make ESG investing more accessible to the Malaysian public, Nomura Asset Management has launched a partnership with Sun Life Malaysia Assurance Berhad, a leading life insurance provider, to offer this new fund to the insurer's clients.

Commenting on the partnership, Raymond Lew, Sun Life Malaysia's CEO and President/Country Head, said, "2020 has shone a light on the importance of building a more sustainable and equitable world. This partnership with Nomura deepens Sun Life's global commitment to continue advancing sustainability by increasing financial security, fostering healthier lives and promoting sustainable investing. By becoming the official insurance partner of this new fund, we will be able to extend more ESG investment choices to our clients."

"The embedding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in impact investment funds to sustainably address climate change, human healthcare and basic access to clean water, can be a powerful instrument for change delivering demonstrable social and environmental gains. By prioritizing SDG impacts alongside financial returns, impact investment funds can deliver what traditional investing cannot," said Stefan Priesner, UN Resident Coordinator for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam.

"ESG-integrated sustainable investing has fast become one of the most popular and important strategies globally. We are well positioned to invest in companies that can sustainably deliver significant value to society and generate attractive returns to shareholders at the same time," said Leslie Yap, Head of Investment, Nomura Asset Management Malaysia.

Nomura

Nomura is a global financial services group with an integrated network spanning over 30 countries. By connecting markets East & West, Nomura services the needs of individuals, institutions, corporates and governments through its three business divisions: Retail, Wholesale (Global Markets and Investment Banking), and Investment Management. Founded in 1925, the firm is built on a tradition of disciplined entrepreneurship, serving clients with creative solutions and considered thought leadership. For further information about Nomura, visit www.nomura.com.

Sun Life Malaysia

Sun Life Malaysia (Sun Life Malaysia Assurance Berhad and Sun Life Malaysia Takaful Berhad) is a joint venture by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada and Khazanah Nasional Berhad. As a life insurance and Family Takaful provider, Sun Life Malaysia offers a comprehensive range of products and services to Malaysians across the country and is focused on helping Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. Sun Life Malaysia distributes its products through a range of distribution channels including bancassurance and bancatakaful, agency force, direct marketing and telemarketing, corporate and government business and e-distribution.

Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada is a principal operating life insurance subsidiary of Sun Life Financial Inc., a leading international financial services organisation providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of March 31, 2021, Sun Life had total assets under management of C$1,304 billion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF. For more information please visit www.sunlifemalaysia.com.

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