March 6, 2019 – Business and financial news agency Reuters quotes Saturna Capital executive vice president and portfolio manager Monem Salam MBA in the article “Malaysia sees relief after drought of foreign portfolio flows,” published March 6, 2019.
The article, which is running on major news outlets such as CNBC, TODAYonline, and TheEdgeMarkets Malaysia, among others, covers declines in Malaysia’s financial markets during 2018, citing the detrimental effects of US Federal Reserve policy, heightened US-China trade tensions, and uncertainty surrounding a surprise 2018 Malaysian national election result as possible culprits.
Following recent signs of a turnaround in Malaysian markets, Salam offers his analysis:
“Slowly over the months, they (the government) have shown themselves to be more transparent. They are being methodical about the type of corruption they have to root out and there is going to be much more accountability…That is what is guiding the confidence back,” Salam said.
“With the US-China trade dispute, there could be shifting of supply chains from China to Southeast Asia, and Malaysia is well-positioned to benefit. We are looking to add positions in Malaysian markets," he said.
Salam joined Saturna Capital in 2003. He served as the director of Islamic investing and a deputy portfolio manager to the Amana Mutual Funds Trust until moving to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2012 to oversee Saturna Sdn. Bhd., Saturna’s wholly-owned investment research and Islamic fund management subsidiary. In 2018 he returned to Saturna’s US headquarters and resumed his role as a deputy portfolio manager for the Amana Funds. He is an adjunct professor at IE Business School and speaks at Islamic finance/investment conferences worldwide.
A Few Words About Risk:
The Amana Funds limit the securities they purchase to those consistent with Islamic principles. This limits opportunities and may affect performance.