(Corrects story and table after Lipper changes returns for Asian Stocks Fund to 72.26 pct from 61.07 pct and reclassifies MCB Dynamic Stock Fund to equity fund from mixed asset fund. Ranks and number of Asian funds changes to 43 from 42 in world's
top 100.)
By Nishant Kumar
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Forty-three mutual funds investing in Asia stormed into the list of the world's top 100 best performing equity funds in 2012 as regional markets from India to Southeast Asia rallied.
The top 100 list includes 15 equity funds from Pakistan and 14 from Thailand and nine from India, according to an analysis of data for 27,431 actively managed equity mutual funds tracked by Thomson Reuters Lipper globally.
The Karachi Stock Exchange's benchmark 100 share index surged 49 percent, while Bangkok's benchmark SET index finished 35.8 percent up last year, making them the two best performing share markets in Asia.
More From This Section
The Asia-focused funds produced an average return of 62.3 percent, outperforming the top market in the region as well as the 18.6 percent advance in the MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan.
Nearly 7,300 equity funds investing in Asia and tracked by Lipper returned an average 17.9 percent in 2012. By comparison, non-Asian funds gained 13.2 percent, the data showed.
ASIAN EQUITY FUNDS IN WORLD'S TOP-100
-------------------------------------
For a list in PDF, click: https://bsmedia.business-standard.comlink.reuters.com/mug36t
Rank Fund Name Geographical 2012
Focus Return (%)
5 Golden Arrow Selected Pakistan 105.25
Stocks Fund
6 AKD Opportunity Fund Pakistan 95.60
17 Bualuang Top-Ten Thailand 75.92
20 Safeway Mutual Fund Pakistan 74.23
Limited
22 Asian Stocks Fund Limited Pakistan 72.26
23 ICICI Prudential Banking India 72.21
& Fincl Services-Growth
29 NAFA Stock Fund Pakistan 69.40
32 CAM Philippines Equity Philippines 66.44
Fund
33 UOB Smart Thailand 66.38
Dividend-Focused Equity
35 Nomura Asia Series Philippines 65.20
(Nomura Philippine Focus)
36 Smallco Investment Australia 64.77
40 PYN Elite Far East exc 64.03
Japan
43 JS Pension Savings Fund - Pakistan 62.59
Equity Sub Fund
47 Atlas Stock Market Fund Pakistan 60.69
49 Reliance Banking India 60.52
Fd-Retail-Growth
Pl-Growth Option
51 JS Growth Fund Pakistan 60.43
52 Pakistan Pension Pakistan 60.31
Fund-Equity Sub Fund
64 Kokusai Asia Real Estate Asia 59.31
Related Equity Open (ex-Japan)
65 Sub Bualuang Open-end Thailand 58.88
66 UTI Banking Sector India 58.71
Fund-Regular Plan-Income
68 Buakaew Open-end Thailand 58.50
70 Buakaew 2 Open-end Thailand 58.43
71 Bualuang Long-Term Equity Thailand 58.32
73 Bualuang Capital Open-end Thailand 58.27
74 Bualuang Equity RMF Thailand 58.19
76 Sahara Banking and India 58.16
Financial Services
Fund-Growth
77 Religare Banking India 58.13
Fund-Growth
78 Reliance Media & India 57.96
Entertainment Fund-Growth
Plan
80 Atlas Pension Islamic Pakistan 57.61
Fund - Equity Sub Fund
81 1 A.M. Valued Stock - Thailand 57.56
Dividend
82 Buakaew Income Thailand 57.47
83 Bualuang Thanakom Thailand 57.08
Open-end
84 Bualuang Infrastructure Thailand 56.91
RMF
85 Bualuang Infrastructure Thailand 56.84
Open-end
87 SBI MSFU Emerging India 56.31
Business Fund-Growth
89 Atlas Pension Fund - Pakistan 55.93
Equity Sub Fund
90 Pakistan Islamic Pension Pakistan 55.70
Fund-Equity Sub Fund
91 SBI Magnum Sector Funds India 55.30
Umbrella-FMCG
92 Principal Emerging India 55.03
Bluechip Fund-Growth
94 MCB Dynamic Stock Fund Pakistan 54.57
96 ABL Stock Fund Pakistan 54.39
98 Aberdeen Small Cap Thailand 54.09
99 JS Islamic Fund Pakistan 54.07
Source: Thomson Reuters Lipper
Return calculated for primary, actively managed equity mutual funds. All returns are in local currency of the fund.
(Reporting by Nishant Kumar; Editing by Daniel Magnowski)