US asset manager Federated Hermes opens Hong Kong office to tap China’s tech rise

Federated Hermes, a US-based asset manager with over US$884 billion in managed assets as of September, has established a new office in Hong Kong after extensive planning. This move is part of a broader trend of international financial firms vying for growth opportunities in Asia-Pacific, particularly in China's burgeoning tech sector.

The company's Hong Kong office, located in the Nexxus Building in Central, strengthens its presence in the region alongside existing offices in Singapore, Tokyo, and Sydney. Jim Roland, the head of business development in Asia-Pacific and Australia for Federated Hermes, highlighted the importance of Hong Kong as a premier wealth and asset-management hub.

The firm's presence in Hong Kong will enable it to deepen relationships with private banks, family offices, wealth intermediaries, and institutional investors, thereby advancing its long-term regional growth strategy. The surge in China's tech stocks and the increasing demand for investment diversification beyond US dollar-denominated assets have driven global financial institutions, including Jane Street and Qube Research & Technologies, to swiftly set up offices in Hong Kong.

This strategy comes as the city faces a growing need for offshore investments, bolstered by China's advancements in artificial intelligence and the ongoing demand for alternative investments. In January, Federated Hermes' Hong Kong licensing was pending approval by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC). The opening of Federated Hermes' Hong Kong office coincides with a decline in stocks traded in Hong Kong and on mainland China's exchanges, primarily due to the city's reduced exposure to the AI buildout and rising interest rates.

In response to the stock market's struggles, Chinese financial regulators introduced measures to stabilize the market, resulting in a slight rebound for the Hang Seng Index and the CSI 300 Index.