The two firms sign strategic MOU

Multifaceted cooperation to include joint product supply

Korea Investment & Securities President Kim Sung-hwan (right) and Mike Levin, head of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Asia, pose for a photo after signing a strategic MOU at Korea Investment & Securities' headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on Monday. [Korea Investment & Securities]
Korea Investment & Securities President Kim Sung-hwan (right) and Mike Levin, head of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Asia, pose for a photo after signing a strategic MOU at Korea Investment & Securities' headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on Monday. [Korea Investment & Securities]

Korea Investment & Securities announced Tuesday it has signed a strategic MOU with global financial firm Morgan Stanley Investment Management to expand global investment products and research services.

The signing ceremony took place Monday at Korea Investment & Securities' headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, with President Kim Sung-hwan and Mike Levin, head of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Asia, among the senior executives from both sides in attendance.

Under the agreement, Korea Investment & Securities will provide Korean-language translations of market outlooks and economic analyses produced by Morgan Stanley Investment Management's global investment specialists. The content will be available through the brokerage's MTS app "Korea Investment" and its website, giving domestic investors easier access to professional analysis and investment insights on overseas financial markets. Korea Investment & Securities will be the exclusive domestic provider of the content.

Cooperation on the product side is also taking shape. Korea Investment & Securities recently launched the Korea Investment Morgan Stanley Global Opportunity Fund, which draws on one of Morgan Stanley Investment Management's flagship global equity investment strategies, with the aim of bringing the firm's professional asset management capabilities to Korean investors.

Alongside this, the two companies plan to hold customer seminars and webinars featuring global investment strategists and specialists from Morgan Stanley Investment Management, as well as professional education programs for Korea Investment & Securities staff. They also intend to explore cooperation in customized wealth management solutions, including wrap accounts.

Korea Investment & Securities has been steadily strengthening its capacity to supply overseas investment information and financial products through strategic alliances with global financial firms. Adding Morgan Stanley Investment Management's specialized investment research to its existing lineup — which already includes content from JPMorgan, Fidelity and PIMCO — further broadens the diversity and depth of its global research offerings.

Earlier, Kim met with George Walker, chairman and CEO of global financial firm Neuberger Berman, to discuss expanding the supply of investment products focused on high-growth companies and deepening strategic cooperation. The two firms plan to work together to identify investment opportunities in growth companies and develop financial products tailored to domestic investor demand.

"The more complex the global investment environment becomes, the greater the customer demand for not only quality investment products but also reliable, specialized information," Kim said. "We will broaden customers' investment choices and raise the quality of our asset management services by delivering professional investment information and superior financial products."


jiyun@heraldcorp.com