• Regulator allowed Morgan Stanley Investment Management increasing its stake in Morgan Stanley Huaxin Funds from 49 per cent to 100 per cent
• A string of global asset managers including have applied to set up fully-owned mutual fund units in China after foreign ownership restrictions were scrapped

The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has approved Morgan Stanley to take full control in its mainland Chinese mutual fund unit in the latest move by a country opening its capital market to give international players greater access to its US$3.9 trillion asset management market.

The regulator said it has "no objection" to Morgan Stanley Investment Management increasing its stake in Morgan Stanley Huaxin Funds from 49 per cent to 100 per cent, according to an announcement on the CSRC website on Friday night. Neither regulator nor Morgan Stanley disclosed the price paid to the local partners.

Headquartered in Shenzhen, Morgan Stanley Huaxin Funds became a joint venture in June 2008. It provides diversified investment management services to retail and institutional investors, according to Morgan Stanley.

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"Wholly owning our China mutual funds business will allow us to more fully serve this dynamic asset and wealth management market and adds a significant pillar of growth to our global investment management franchise," said Dan Simkowitz, head of investment management at Morgan Stanley in a statement.

The Chinese mutual fund market has grown substantially in recent years, with assets reaching a record high of 27.3 trillion yuan (USD3.9 trillion) as of August 2022, according to rating agency Fitch.

There are around 80,000 ultra high-net-worth families - defined as having more than US$30 million in investible assets - in China, of which more than 20 per cent live in the Greater Bay Area, according to the Hong Kong government.

Morgan Stanley is one of a string of global asset managers including JPMorgan, Fidelity, Manulife and Neuberger Berman that have applied to set up fully-owned mutual fund units in China after regulators scrapped foreign ownership restrictions in the industry in April 2020.