Kenanga Investors Group Secures Wins at IFN Investor Awards 2025
- Written by Media Outreach
From left: Mariam Veronica Bt Abu Bakkar Seddek, Director, Group Head for Institutional & Islamic Asset Management, Kenanga Investors; Ong Soon Chong, Executive Director, Head of ETF & ESG Investment, Eq8 Capital Sdn Bhd; Felicia Tai, Head of Fixed Income & Credit, Kenanga Islamic Investors; Datuk Wira Ismitz Matthew De Alwis, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Kenanga Investors; Ellen Ng, Portfolio Manager, Investment, Kenanga Islamic Investors; and Umar Alhadad, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Eq8 Capital.
KIB's Kenanga Islamic Balanced Fund ("KIBF") was named IFN Investor Best Balanced Mixed Assets Fund in Malaysia (MYR), IFN Investor Best Balanced Mixed Assets Fund in Asia Pacific and IFN Investor Best Global Balanced Mixed Assets Fund.Meanwhile, the Eq8 Dow Jones US Titans 50 ETF ("EQ8US50") received the IFN Investor Best ETF Fund in Malaysia and the IFN Investor Best ETF Fund in Asia Pacific.
The annual IFN Investor Awards aim to recognise and celebrate excellence across the Islamic investment industry including top-performing Islamic funds, leading fund houses and outstanding service providers. These awards highlight innovation, strong performance and commitment to Shariah compliant principles across a diverse range of asset classes, regions and industry roles. The Awards are presented at three (3) levels; country, regional and global which reflect the diversity of the Islamic funds industry.
Datuk Wira Ismitz Matthew De Alwis, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of KIB said, "We are pleased KIB and Eq8 have been recognised for the first time at the IFN Investor Awards 2025. This milestone also represents the KIBF's inaugural award and its first recognition on a global platform. Shariah-compliant funds have seen increased interest, partly due to inclination toward defensive sectors like healthcare, telecommunications, and utilities, which tend to be more resilient during market downturns, making them attractive to investors seeking resilience amid market uncertainty. The Fund exemplifies our commitment to investing for good, blending Shariah principles with the benefits of impact investing".
The KIBF seeks to achieve steady capital growth and income distribution by investing in diversified portfolio according to Shariah requirements. As of 31 March 2026, the Fund has delivered total returns of 177.11% versus the benchmark's1 90.69%2 since inception.
The EQ8US50 is an exchange-traded fund ("ETF") that aims to provide investors instant access to top 50 largest Shariah-compliant companies listed on the various United States exchange. As of 31 March 2026, the ETF has delivered total returns of 223.55%3 since its February 2018 inception.
"Since its listing in 2018, the EQ8US50 has delivered strong and consistent performance, earning industry recognition for both total and sustained returns. By using data‑driven analysis, it invests in a carefully selected set of Shariah‑compliant securities that closely track the index, while adhering to stringent Shariah and liquidity standards. This award reinforces the strength of our investment approach and the value we continue to deliver to investors", explained Datuk Wira De Alwis.
Most recently, the Kenanga Shariah US Titans 50 Fund ("KSUST50F") was launched. The Fund feeds into the EQ8US50 as it aims to bridge the gap between ETFs and conventional unit trusts. Through its structure as a retail feeder fund, it channels investments directly into the EQ8US50 while presenting it in the form of the familiar unit trust transaction, enabling a broader segment of investors to access dynamic, high-performing, Shariah-compliant US companies. EQ8US50 can also be accessed by all EPF members on EPF's i-Invest website via Phillip Capital Management Sdn Bhd's managed account, Phillip PMART ETF Eq8 US Titans 50 Shariah Aggressive Portfolio. Phillip Capital is an Authorised Fund Management Institution under EPF's Member Investment Scheme.
For more information about Kenanga Investors, please visit www.kenangainvestors.com.my.
For more information about E8, please visit www.eq8.com.my.
1 Benchmark: FTSE Emas Shariah / Maybank GIA 12 months (60:40) 2 Source: Lipper, 31 March 2026 3 Source: Novagni Analytics Advisory Sdn. Bhd, 31 March 2026
Hashtag: #KenangaInvestment
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
