To gather insights into Islamic investment management from experienced CFA charterholders from different countries, we will be conducting a series of interviews. In the first interview of this series, we discuss Islamic investment management with Mohammad Shoaib, CFA.
Shoaib is the chief executive officer of Al Meezan Investment Management Limited based in Karachi, Pakistan. He earned his CFA Charter in 1999. In addition, he holds an MBA from the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi, which is now a program partner of CFA Institute. He has 23 years of work experience, including 10 years in Islamic investment management.
CFA Institute: Tell us about your market and how it has evolved over the years.
Shoaib: The first conventional fund was launched in Pakistan in 1962, and the first Islamic fund was launched in 2002. The Islamic fund management industry is about 12% of the overall fund management industry. All types that are available in the conventional arena, are also available on the Islamic side also. For example, we have Islamic equity, money market, sovereign, corporate fixed income, index tracker, capital protected, and defined contribution pension funds. The market is concentrated; of the total size of USD520 million managed by Islamic funds, about USD400 is being managed by Al Meezan Investment Management Limited
How has the market for Islamic investment management grown relative to that of conventional investment management?
While the market for Islamic funds is relatively new, the annual growth rate of Islamic funds is about 24% as compared to 12–14% growth for conventional funds.
The appeal to the Muslim population and the competitive returns offered by Islamic funds are two predominant factors leading to high growth for Islamic funds. Conventional funds on the other hand have focused more on institutional money.
How do fees charged on Islamic funds compare with conventional counterparts?
The fees and charges applicable to mutual funds are regulated and capped by the SEC in Pakistan. Due to the very competitive market, the fees charged by Islamic funds are same as those by conventional funds. The extra cost related to the Shariah board are borne by an asset management company instead of being charged to the fund.
Describe the screening process employed in your market? What are the effects on the investable universe and portfolio turnover?
It is basically a negative screening process based on nature of business and financial ratios whereby those companies that do not meet screening criteria are excluded from the permissible investment universe.
Most Islamic funds follow the screening criteria developed by a prominent seminary located in Karachi. While the investment universe is somewhat reduced, it does not much affect diversification of portfolio across sectors as most companies with large market cap are Shariah compliant as per the screening criteria.
How have Islamic investments performed in your market?
The only Islamic index available is KSE Meezan Islamic Index (KMI-30), which was launched about four years ago. The leading conventional index is KSE 100 Index. It is interesting to note that KMI-30 has consistently outperformed KSE 100 every year since launch of KMI-30.
How does the CFA Charter help investment professionals in Islamic investment management? What are the preferred sources of continuing professional development (CPD)?
Yes, employers value the CFA charter. However the curriculum does not cover Islamic finance, so employers need to train or arrange for the training of Islamic finance in addition to CFA program. There are not many CPD opportunities available in Islamic investment management.
What are the major challenges and opportunities for Islamic investment management in your market? How do you see its future prospects?
Two major challenges are: (a) creating awareness and understanding of Islamic finance and its principles; and (b) limited number of investible products (assets) on the debt and money market side. Because about 95% of the total population of about 180 million in Pakistan is Muslim, there is lot of untapped potential for growth in Islamic financial markets, which is expected to grow at twice the pace of the growth in conventional financial markets.
If you are interested in Islamic investment management, please consider joining the CFA Institute Islamic Investment Management subgroup on LinkedIn. If you are an experienced professional investor working in Islamic Investment Management and you would like to share your insights with us, please contact the manager of the Islamic Investment Management group on LinkedIn.
(Enterprising Investor / 26 March 2013)
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Alfalah Consulting - Kuala Lumpur: www.alfalahconsulting.com
Islamic Investment Malaysia: www.islamic-invest-malaysia.com
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