MANILA - BPI Asset Management and Trust Corp said Wednesday it recently launched 2 new Unit Investment Trust Funds (UITFs) which would allow Filipinos to invest in global health care and technology stocks.

Filipinos will now have access to global firms in the health care and technology space with BPI Invest Global Health Care Feeder Fund and the BPI Invest World Technology Feeder Fund, the company said in a statement.

Investments in the new funds start at $1,000 with additional increments of $500. The new funds have no holding period but are recommended for aggressive investors who want to diversify and tap into global investments, BPI AMTC said.

The health care and technology sectors are among those that have performed well during the COVID-19 pandemic, BPI said.

Filipinos can now invest in health care firms "that are at the forefront of battling COVID-19 and are trailblazers in the medical space," it added.

“Our new BPI Invest funds seek to better position investors for future rebound by providing access to investment themes currently in the spotlight,” said BPI AMTC president Sheila Marie Tan.

“With the health care sector leading our battle against COVID-19 and the technology sector providing support as we adapt to the new normal, investors of these funds are able to capitalize on growth opportunities ahead," she added.

The BPI Invest Global Health Care Feeder Fund invests at least 90 percent of its assets in a target fund, the Wellington Global Health Care Equity Fund, it said.

Two major producers of COVID-19 vaccines, namely Pfizer Inc and AstraZeneca PLC, are among companies in the portfolio of BPI Invest Global Health Care Feeder Fund as of February 2021.

Vaccine development, which is led by the health care sector, paves way for more optimism for an economic restart, said BPI AMTC chief investment officer Smith Chua.

"Beyond these pandemic initiatives, the health care sector is also poised for growth due to its continuous innovation to address unmet medical needs and increasing demand both from an aging population and a global need for cutting-edge products and services,” Chua said.

Meanwhile, the BPI Invest World Technology Feeder Fund's portfolio includes Apple, Microsoft, Tesla, Amazon and PayPal as of February 2021. As a feeder fund, it allocates at least 90 percent of its assets in BlackRock's World Technology Fund. BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager as of January this year, it said.

“Multiple themes drive the technology sector with developments going beyond tech and affecting the way other industries operate. Exciting developments await, especially with the current amplified need for modernization and digitalization,” Chua said.

Funds are available through BPI Online and in any BPI branch across the country.

BPI AMTC is the wealth management arm of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI).

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