SCB Asset Management (SCBAM) aims to retain its top spot in terms of assets under management (AUM) in the industry through offering new investment products, with the possibility of launching a cryptocurrency fund.
The company plans to launch new and attractive investment products along with focusing on innovative investment and developing its digital platform, said SCBAM chief executive Smith Banomyong.
SCBAM wants to increase its AUM to 1.5 trillion baht this year, up from 1.3 trillion in 2017.
The company is considering opening a cryptocurrency asset fund, but it would have to be approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
"Investing in an initial coin offering [ICO] is interesting as a good [digital] token could generate high returns for investors, but the risk is also high," said Mr Smith.
"We know the SEC is still in the process of coming up with an ICO regulatory framework, but we don't want to miss this trend. We can launch our new fund as soon as the SEC approves our crypto asset fund."
But even with the SEC's approval, such a fund may not be launched if the market environment is not supportive. SCBAM is still considering providing investors with a new investment opportunity if this is the case, he said.
"I'm not a fan of cryptocurrencies as they are risky and there is no standard to evaluate their real value. But for a cryptocurrency asset or a token offered through an ICO, there could be some analytical value in them," said Mr Smith.
The company will focus on offering various types of products this year, including an interim dividend fund, and embark on active management of global equity funds investing in the US, Europe, India, and Japan, he said.
The company's 1.3 trillion baht of AUM is comprised of mutual funds worth 879 billion, private funds at 364 billion, and provident funds at 113 billion.
Narongsak Plodmechai, SCBAM's chief investment officer, said the company still emphasises new innovative investment products, with a focus on global demographics, robotics, and lifestyle technology.
Risk factors for investment this year include US trade barriers, reduction in monetary stimulus programmes by the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan, and political conflicts in the euro zone, he said.