Investing In Islamic Funds

A guide to Islamic investment opportunities from the CEO of the world's leading Islamic finance bank

Offering an insider's perspective on a rapidly growing sector of the financial industry, Investing in Islamic Funds details the basic principles of Islamic investing for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It explains how Islamic equity and fixed-income products differ from traditional funds, and how they deliver excellent results while still conforming to Sharia principles. Using hard data from the last six years, the book also reveals how Islamic funds have offered predictable, reliable returns in volatile markets and turbulent financial times. For institutional investors as well as sophisticated individual investors, the book serves as an excellent introduction to the subject and surveys the full range of products available. Additionally, the book will arm financial services professionals with the knowledge they need to explain this new investment opportunity to clients.

• One of the few books available that offers comprehensive data on the performance of Islamic funds in addition to the underlying theory that governs them
• Written by the CEO of CIMB-Principal Islamic Asset Management, the world's leading Islamic finance bank
• Features charts, case studies, comparative analysis, and a tabular data format
• Debunks the misconceptions traditional investors may have about the profitability Islamic funds

For professional and institutional investors, as well as private investors looking for new opportunities, Investing in Islamic Funds offers a much-needed primer on this fast-growing market.

List of Tables and Charts xvii

Foreword xxi
by Larry Zimpleman

Preface xxv
by Tan Sri Zarinah Anwar

Preface xxix
by Mohammad Faiz Azmi

Acknowledgments xxxi

Introduction 1

CHAPTER 1 The Growth of Shariah Investments: Preparing the Next Generation 13

Introduction 15

The Global Islamic Funds Industry: Where Is It Now? 16

Global Product Innovation of Islamic Investment Products 21

Prognosis for Islamic Financial Markets: Where Are They Going? 23

Conclusion 27

Notes 28

Helpful Hints 29

CHAPTER 2 Fund Management within Shariah-Compliant Investment Guidelines: Is There More Reward? 31

Introduction 33

The Application of Islamic Ethics to Asset Management 35

Benefits of Shariah vis-à-vis Conventional Investing 38

Conclusion 44

Notes 44

Helpful Hints 46

CHAPTER 3 Uncovering the Driving Principles of Islamic Finance: A Journey to Accumulate Wealth Responsibly 47

Introduction 49

The Five Basic Principles of Islamic Finance 50

Conclusion 59

Notes 60

Helpful Hints 62

CHAPTER 4 Investing Responsibly: The Search for Similar Benefits for Ethical and Shariah Forms of Investing 63

Introduction 65

Screening Criteria 68

Screening Process for Ethical Form of Investing 72

Socially Responsible Investment versus Shariah-Compliant Investment 74

A Similar Approach to Your Investment? 77

Availability of Choice for Investors 79

Broader Portfolio Diversification 80

Conclusion 81

Notes 82

Helpful Hints 83

Appendix: Ethical Investment Screening Based on Negative Screening 85

CHAPTER 5 Broad Choices of Islamic Investment Funds: Can They Become Mainstream? 89

Introduction 91

Equity Funds 93

Sukuk Funds 94

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) 95

Money Market Funds 96

Alternative Funds 97

Real Estate Investment Trust Funds (REITs) 97

Private Equity Funds 98

Hedge Funds 99

Lease Funds 100

Conclusion 101

Notes 102

Helpful Hints 104

CHAPTER 6 Mitigating the Myths: The Benefits of Islamic Funds for the Broader Investor Base 105

Introduction 107

Islamic Principles Come with Built-in Financial Ethics 108

The Myths of Shariah Investing 109

Benefits of Shariah Investing 116

Conclusion 119

Notes 120

Helpful Hints 122

CHAPTER 7 Comparative Analysis with Conventional Investing: Shariah-Compliant Investing is Resilient, while Conventional Investing Has to Recover from Financial Crisis 125

Introduction 127

Islamic Indices Outperformed Conventional Indices 128

Qualitative Comparison of Islamic Index Screening Processes 129

Performance Analysis of Three Dow Jones Shariah Indices and Their Counterparts 131

Value-Added Optimization for Shariah Performance 139

Conclusion 140

Notes 140

Helpful Hints 142

CHAPTER 8 Using Performance Characteristics to Build Wealth: Empirical Evidence, Proven and Tested 143

Introduction 145

The Impact of Black Swan Events 146

Why Shariah Investing Is Resilient 147

Conclusion 152

Notes 152

Helpful Hints 154

CHAPTER 9 The Sukuk Portfolio: A Broader Investment Universe for Mainstream Investors 155

Introduction 157

Emergence of Different Sukuk Structures 158

Examining Sukuk Investment Results 161

Case Study: Sukuk Investing as a Diversification Strategy 166

Conclusion 167

Notes 168

Helpful Hints 170

CHAPTER 10 Shariah-Compliant UCITS Funds: Satisfying the Appetite of International Investors 173

Introduction 175

Solution at Your Doorstep 176

Providing Ease of Transaction to International Investors 177

Bringing Shariah Investment to a Global Audience 178

Notes 181

Helpful Hints 183

CHAPTER 11 Legal, Regulatory, Risk, and Operational Framework: Building Investors’ Confidence 185

Introduction 187

The Islamic Financial Institutions’ Regulatory Framework 188

Country Examples 192

Conclusion 198

Notes 199

Helpful Hints 200

Epilogue 203

About the Author 205

About the Contributors 207

Glossary to the Quotations 209

Glossary of Islamic Finance 215

Global Islamic Finance Education Centers 235

Global Islamic Finance Conferences/Summits/Seminars 239

Islamic Investment and Finance Readings: Guide to Research Materials 243

Recommended Reading 245

Index 249

NORIPAH KAMSO is currently an Advisor to CIMB Islamic. She was previously the CEO of CIMB Principal Islamic Asset Management Sdn Bhd. Since 2008, she has successfully established a platform for the firm to extend its reach across the globe. Previously she served as the CEO of CIMB-Principal Asset Management Berhad, where she pioneered the listing of the world's first Regional ASEAN Exchange Traded Fund, "CIMB ASEAN 40 ETF" on the Singapore Exchange in 2007. She is a two-time winner of the Marketing Personality of the Year Award (2005 & 2006) by Asia Asset Management for the Asia Pacific region, CEO of the Year for Malaysia (2007) and Personal Achievement Award for contribution to Islamic Asset Management by International Takaful Summit, London (2012). Besides serving as a council member of the Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia (FIMM), she was the past president of the Malaysia Futures Brokers Association (MFBA).

Since you are intrigued enough to pick up this book, you are probably curious about Islamic investing. People may not realize that when Mahatma Gandhi said, "there is enough in this world for everybody's need but not enough for everybody's greed," he was referring to the essence of the principles that underlie Islamic investing. In today's world, investors are struggling to come to grips with the changes to the current financial system. Many are looking for a valid alternative that aligns with their moral values and ethics. Islamic investing practices fair distribution of wealth that inhibits profiteering and greed. The Islamic investing process goes back to the basics and is fundamentally based on tangible, asset-backed transactions that make good investment sense for responsible investing for all Muslims and non-Muslims.

In response to this growing concern, Islamic investing's profile has grown in stature in Asia, Europe, and North America. Though awareness of Islamic investing has grown, there is still scant information on how Islamic investing can deliver similar investment results to that of conventional investing. Author Noripah Kamso takes us on an exploration of the basics and principles of Islamic investing, before diving into the topic of Islamic investing in order to demystify and share the benefits of Islamic investing, for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Readers will:

• Learn how the last six years provided the evidence needed to prove the resilient performance of Islamic equity and fixed income asset classes during down-trending markets and volatile times.
• Gain the confidence to convincingly position Islamic investing to investors of all stripes.
• Find out how Islamic investing can satisfy an untapped demand to serve a growing and more prosperous Muslim population totaling an estimated 1.57 billion representing 23 percent of the total world population.
• Examine the data that bear out the beneficial qualitative and quantitative qualities of Islamic investing.

In Investing in Islamic Funds, the reader will gain an industry insider's and practitioner's perspective on what can drive the possible success of Islamic funds internationally. The content will benefit the following readers:

• Institutional investors, who will be able to examine an analysis of the track record for Islamic equity investing and Sukuk investing.
• Financial services institutions and distributors, who will gain the knowledge to confidently and convincingly position and market Islamic investing to their clients.
• Sophisticated investors, who will come to the understanding that Islamic investing is a prudent investment choice that delivers concrete investment results.
• Regulators, who will be able to consider the information inside in the process of setting up an Islamic investing framework that can be practicably implemented and internationally accepted.
• Students pursuing professional Islamic finance and investment certification, who can use this as a reference to learn about the current progress of Islamic investing from an industry practitioner's perspective.
• Islamic scholars, who will now be able to relate to Islamic investing and take that into account when making decisions on new and innovative investment products.

Praise for Investing in Islamic Funds

"This is a valuable contribution to Islamic finance literature. Written by one of the most successful practitioners in the field, the book makes accessible to market participants Islamic finance concepts. The hands-on experience of its author, combined with the ease with which she demystifies Islamic finance and its investment strategies and portfolio formation, recommends this book to students of finance in general and international investors in particular. The book should be of interest also to students of capital markets, fund managers and scholars in that it describes in familiar language a new, stable and dynamic asset class that no international investor strategist could afford to ignore."
—Dr. Abbas Mirakhor, INCEIF Chair in Islamic Finance

"Overall, a book providing critical knowledge about Shari'ah-compliant funds combined with high levels of analytical skills and indeed the application experience of a world-class practitioner. A book to be read from the beginning to the end or in selective steps — both ways intellectually stimulating and pure fun."
—Dr. Manfred Dirrheimer, Founding Chairman of the board of directors, FWU AG

"A fulsome guide to Shari'ah financial services from a practitioner at the heart of the industry."
—Rory Tapner, CEO, Coutts

"Datuk Noripah's perspectives on Islamic funds provide insights into the opportunity that exists for their growth within the global market. The practical approach that her book describes, alongside the vast experience, is a helpful contribution to understanding a sector that is evolving and developing at a constantly rapid pace. The development of UCITS and other fund platforms is an important step in the globalization process."
—Neil Ryan, Assistant Secretary General, Department of Finance, Ireland