After laying low for a few years, Standard and Poors SP is again knocking on doors in Asia trying to encourage money managers to get their funds rated. And a few are biting. The agency is now preparing a rating for an institutional money market fund in Singapore and has one or two new prospects in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
The renewed interest comes after a long period of apathy towards mutual fund ratings. Even though the independent analysis offered by a world-renowned agency can make it easier to win over investors and sign up unit holders, the idea has been slow to catch on in Asia. After 10 years of offering...