TORONTO and BOSTON, Dec. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Manulife Asset Management, the investment management arm of Manulife, is having another year of strong growth in both its sales and assets under management. It also continued to invest in the firm's asset management and thought leadership capabilities.

Total global assets managed by the firm were $393 billion as of September 30, 2015*, up 28 per cent from September 30 last year. The firm's long-term investment performance continues to be strong, with the majority of public asset classes outperforming their benchmarks on a 3- and 5-year basis.

Reflecting the global reach of the business, Asia net sales from institutional and sub-advisory clients globally, including large sovereign wealth funds, reached $3 billion. Driven by success in the institutional sales channel, the firm's gross capital flows more than doubled.

"We have invested strategically in Manulife Asset Management's growth and are pleased by the strong results we are seeing," said Warren A. Thomson, Chairman. "To our clients around the world, we extend our sincere thanks for their patronage and trust."

"In 2015, our firm performed well and long-term investment performance continued to be a differentiator. In our institutional business, assets under management increased to $66 billion, 68 per cent higher than September 30 last year," said Kai R. Sotorp, President and CEO. "We also continued our efforts to expand our distribution footprint, and we were pleased to see our client base expand and diversify by both type and geography."

"Private Markets experienced a very strong 2015," said Kevin Adolphe, President & CEO of Manulife Asset Management Private Markets. "As we move into 2016, we look forward to leveraging our capabilities and further expanding our offerings with innovative investment solutions to serve the global market."

Milestones and Capabilities

In 2015, important developments to serve clients better included the acquisition of the Canadian operations of Standard Life, which expanded Manulife Asset Management's liability-driven investment (LDI) solutions capabilities.

In addition, to support its European distribution focus, the firm created a Dublin-based UCITS fund structure that today supports 11 funds.

In December, the firm became a signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment, demonstrating its commitment to responsible investment, by formalizing its approach to integrating environmental, social and corporate governance issues into investment analysis.

Global Thought Leadership

Manulife Asset Management's tho