China Southern Asset Management

What China Southern Asset Management does

China Southern Asset Management (南方基金管理股份有限公司) is a privately held, Shenzhen-headquartered fund management company incorporated on March 6, 1998 as one of China's first standardized fund managers, marking the start of the country's 'New Fund Era'. The firm operates a multi-segment asset management platform spanning active and passive equities, quantitative strategies, fixed income, mixed assets, cash management, FOF, and international investments, alongside licensed pension business (social security funds, basic pension, enterprise annuities, occupational annuities, and personal pensions), specialized asset management for qualified investors, and an investment advisory (Sinan / 司南投顾) business. Underlying the product set are proprietary technology assets including the Euler (欧拉) integrated asset management system, a digital finance ecosystem covering research, marketing, operations, customer service and compliance (20 products with independent software copyrights and 5 national patent applications as of September 2023), and a proprietary ESG rating system covering more than 5,100 A-share listed companies and 7,100 bond issuers by end-2024.

The firm earns revenue primarily through recurring management fees on AUM across public funds, pension mandates, and specialized asset management plans, supplemented by unit-priced subscriptions on public funds, multi-year contracts for advisory and segregated accounts, and usage-based pricing on smart cash tools (e.g., 现金宝+). Distribution combines proprietary channels (official site nffund.com, mobile app, WeChat, 400-889-8899 hotline, direct sales center in Shenzhen, exchange-traded ETFs) with bank-distribution partnerships spanning ICBC, BOC, CCB, ABC, BoCom, CMB and other major Chinese banks, plus securities firm distribution. Customer segments span individual retail investors (low-ticket public funds starting at 10-100 yuan), institutional investors, government and corporate pension funds (occupational annuity mandates across all 33 administrative regions), and qualified / high-net-worth investors (single asset management plans require RMB 10 million minimum; collective plans require RMB 300,000-1 million depending on strategy). The firm holds two subsidiaries - South Capital (深圳前海) for FOF+, quantitative, QDIE, REITs and ABS, and Hong Kong-based CSOP (52.5% owned, the first offshore branch set up by a mainland Chinese fund manager) for cross-border and Hong Kong-listed ETF business - and a concentrated institutional shareholder base led by Huatai Securities (41.16%) and Shenzhen Investment Holdings (27.44%), with Xiamen International Trust (13.72%) and Industrial Securities (9.15%) as additional shareholders.

Name

China Southern Asset Management

Legal name

南方基金管理股份有限公司

Website

https://nffund.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

China Southern Asset Management is a Shenzhen-headquartered, privately held Chinese fund manager founded in 1998 that manages public funds, segregated accounts, pension and annuity mandates and investment advisory services for retail, institutional and government clients, with bank-distribution partnerships across major Chinese state-owned banks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asset Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Open-End Investment Funds (52591)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Small-Cap Equity (Active) (FSAAAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Managed Account / SMA Multi-Manager Platforms (FSANAGAL), Public Asset & Investment Management (BPAIAEAG)

Keywords

• Public fund management
• Pension fund management
• Asset management services
• ETF products
• Investment advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Shenzhen

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Fund Management Fees: The company earns revenue through management fees charged on various fund products including public funds, pension funds, enterprise annuities, and specialized asset management accounts. Fees are typically calculated as a percentage of assets under management.
2. Public Offering Fund Services: Revenue from managing publicly offered funds including equity funds, bond funds, money market funds, index funds, and REITs products.
3. Pension and Annuity Management: Management fees from social security funds, basic pension funds, corporate annuities, and occupational annuities.
4. Specialized Asset Management (专户理财): Customized asset management services for qualified investors, including single and collective asset management plans with various investment strategies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

China Southern Asset Management is a Chinese fund management company that manages public mutual funds (equity, fixed income, money market, index/ETFs, REITs), specialized/private asset management accounts for qualified investors, pension and annuity funds, and investment advisory services. It earns revenue primarily through management fees calculated as a percentage of assets under management.

Product overview

China Southern Asset Management operates as a comprehensive asset management company offering a multi-segment product and service portfolio. The core business comprises public fund management (including ETFs, monetary funds, and thematic equity funds), special account/private wealth management for qualified investors, and licensed investment advisory services through the Sinan platform. The company also provides pension management covering social security funds, enterprise annuities, occupational annuities, and personal pensions. A network of proprietary technology platforms—including the Euler asset management system and a digital finance ecosystem—supports investment research, trading, risk management, and customer service across all business lines. Subsidiaries include South Capital (Shenzhen, 100%) focusing on QDIE, REITs, and structured products, and CSOP Asset Management (Hong Kong, 52.5%) offering Hong Kong-listed ETFs and international products. The product range spans active and passive equity, quantitative strategies, fixed income, mixed assets, cash management, and international cross-border investments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 司南投顾: Investment advisory platform providing personalized asset allocation solutions with independent investment account management.
• 现金宝+
• 南方东英
• 南方资本

Products and services

• Public Fund Business (公募业务) Publicly offered fund management services including open-end funds, ETFs, money market funds, and thematic equity funds serving both retail and institutional investors.
• Special Account Wealth Management (专户理财) Dedicated/private asset management services for qualified investors, including single and collective asset management plans with customizable investment strategies. Single plans require minimum 10 million RMB; collective fixed income products from 300,000 RMB.
• Sinan Investment Advisory (司南投顾) Fund investment advisory platform providing personalized asset allocation solutions, automated portfolio management, and ongoing investor engagement services for retail investors.
• Cash Plus+ (现金宝+) Intelligent monetary fund management tool featuring smart top-up and smart withdrawal capabilities, with same-day fast withdrawal limits up to RMB 80,000.
• Passive Equity Investment (被动权益投资) Index and ETF-based equity investment products covering full market cap, sector themes, cross-border, factor-based, enhanced, ESG, and commodity strategies.
• Quantitative Investment (量化投资) Quantitative investment strategies using mathematical models and algorithmic trading approaches for market-based returns.
• Pension Investment (养老投资) Pension business covering social security funds, enterprise annuities, occupational annuities, and personal pension products for government and corporate clients.
• International Investment (国际投资) Cross-border investment services including QDII, QFII, and Hong Kong subsidiary products for international portfolio diversification.
• CSI REITs Total Return Index Fund REITs index fund product tracking the CSI REITs Total Return Index, which includes 53 listed REITs representing RMB 169.5 billion in market value. China Southern was one of four fund managers approved in the first batch.
• CSOP Asset Management (南方东英) Hong Kong subsidiary (52.5% equity), the first offshore branch established by a mainland Chinese fund manager, offering Hong Kong-listed ETFs and cross-border products.
• South Capital (南方资本) Shenzhen subsidiary (100% owned) offering FOF+ business, quantitative investment, cross-border investment (QDIE), public REITs, Pre-REITs, and ABS products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple social security portfolios receiving A-level annual evaluation ratings
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• China Asset Management (华夏基金)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2026One of four fund management companies approved to launch CSI REITs Total Return Index funds in first batch, tracking the index with 53 listed REITs representing RMB 169.5 billion in market value.
• CICC Fund (中金基金)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2026One of four fund management companies approved to launch CSI REITs Total Return Index funds in first batch.
• E Fund (易方达基金)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2026One of four fund management companies approved to launch CSI REITs Total Return Index funds in first batch.
• Securities Commission MalaysiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026High-level delegation exchange under Malaysia's Capital Market Masterplan 2026-2030 to deepen cross-border investment ties. Discussions covered cross-border ETFs, potential dual listings, and Islamic capital market instruments like sukuk. Aimed at expanding Malaysia's international investor base and strengthening capital market connectivity between the two countries.
• China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Discussions with CSRC as part of Malaysia Securities Commission's regional engagement program, covering cross-border ETFs, dual listings, and Islamic capital market products.
• State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Talks with SAFE regarding cross-border investment regulations and foreign exchange policies for capital market connectivity.
• China Investment Corporation (CIC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Major Chinese institutional investor participating in discussions on cross-border investment opportunities with Malaysia Securities Commission delegation.
• China Securities Regulatory CommissioncoreOthersAs a licensed fund management company, operates under CSRC regulatory oversight and compliance requirements.
• Securities Association of China (SAC)coreOthersIndustry self-regulatory organization for securities industry, part of company's regulatory ecosystem.
• China Investment Industry Association (CIIA)coreOthersIndustry association for investment fund industry.
• Major Chinese Banks (ICBC, BOC, CCB, ABC, CMB, etc.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBank distribution partners for fund products including Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, China Merchants Bank, and others.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CCB Principal Asset Management: 建信基金, the fund management arm of China Construction Bank; comparable fixed income, pension, and public-fund franchise with structural distribution advantages through CCB's banking network.
• GF Fund Management: 广发基金, controlled by GF Securities; competes across active equity, index ETF, fixed income, QDII, and pension mandates with similar nationwide branch network and bank-distribution model.
• E Fund Management: One of China's largest mutual fund managers, co-approved with China Southern for CSI REITs Total Return Index fund launches in May 2026. Directly competes across active equity, index/ETF, fixed income, and pension products with similar product breadth and bank-distribution model.
• China Asset Management (China AMC): 华夏基金, one of China's earliest and largest fund managers, also approved in the first batch of CSI REITs Total Return Index funds. Competes head-to-head in public funds, ETFs, social security, and QDII mandates.
• CICC Fund Management (中金基金): CICC's fund management arm, also part of the four-manager CSI REITs Index Fund launch cohort. Comparable institutional client focus, structured products, and cross-border capability through CICC's investment banking parent.
• Bosera Asset Management: 博时基金, a top-tier Chinese fund manager with comparable scale across active equity, fixed income, and pension/annuity mandates; competes in QDII, social security fund management, and bank-distributed retail products.
• Harvest Fund Management: 嘉实基金, one of China's 'Big Three' original fund managers, with parallel product breadth in active equity, index/ETF, fixed income, and QDII; competes directly for retail bank-channel shelf space and institutional mandates.
• China Universal Asset Management: 中欧基金, a leading Chinese mutual fund manager competing in active equity and pension mandates, with comparable bank-distribution relationships and growing digital advisory capabilities.
• Huitianfu Fund Management: 汇添富基金, a major Chinese asset manager competing primarily in active equity and pension funds, with similar retail bank-distribution footprint and growing ETF/index capability.

Emerging players

• CSOP Asset Management: 南方东英, China Southern's own 52.5%-owned Hong Kong subsidiary—the first overseas branch established by a mainland fund manager. Comparable cross-border ETF and QDII product focus, listed in Hong Kong, and serves as China Southern's offshore vehicle.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southernfund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about China Southern Asset Management