CIMB Principal Asset Management aims for 40% growth in assets under management this year after more than doubling AUM in 2015.
The company targets 2016 AUM of 117 billion baht, with 81.3 billion from mutual fund business, 34.6 billion from provident funds and the rest from private funds, said chief executive Jumpol Saimala.
The company's AUM surged 112% to 82.8 billion baht last year.
Net inflows from new funds and a 17-billion-baht asset transfer from provident funds managed by Finansa Asset Management, which merged into CIMB Principal, contributed to the strong growth.
Following the upsurge in AUM, the company's ranking jumped to 12th last year from 14th in 2014.
The AUM of mutual funds alone soared 97% to 53.3 billion baht at the end of last year, lifting the company's ranking in mutual funds to 10th from 15th.
"Mutual funds remain our core business and we will offer different products with a focus on asset allocation and global equity funds this year," Mr Jumpol said.
CIMB Principal aims to be one of the top mutual fund firms this year, he said.
Regarding provident fund business, the company is offering the Target Date product as a new investment choice for fund members.
Target Date allocates assets suitably based on the investor's age.
CIMB Principal has three themes for asset allocation this year.
The first is policy divergence. The US central bank is raising interest rates while others are likely to pump additional money into the system.
The second is selection. The company will pile into stocks less affected by policy divergence among central banks.
The third is infrastructure as a defensive play to ensure steady income.
Win Phromphaet, chief investment officer of CIMB Principal, expects greater volatility in stock markets this year as central banks' differing monetary policies cause fund flows to shift from emerging to developed markets.
The US Federal Reserve is forecast to raise its policy rate two or three times this year as the Fed's counterparts in the EU and Japan continue their money-printing policy, Mr Win said, adding that the global market is still flooded with enough liquidity to bolster equities through the second half.
The Chinese economic slowdown will have a limited impact on China's trade partners, he said, as low oil prices hammer Latin America and the Middle East.
As part of its infrastructure play, CIMB Principal yesterday launched a global infrastructure equity fund.
The Lazard Global Listed Infrastructure Equity Fund is the master feeder fund. The five-year return of the fund is 14.8%. It had AUM of 257 billion baht as of June 2015.
"We expect a return from the new global infrastructure fund of 10-15% a year," Mr Win said.