State Street Investment Management and Ninety One have entered into a strategic partnership to develop a range of co-branded active exchange-traded funds (ETFs) aimed at investors across Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.
The firms said the partnership will initially focus on actively managed global equities and emerging markets UCITS ETFs, with the broader collaboration expected to span developed and emerging market asset classes.
The move comes amid continued growth in investor demand for ETFs globally, particularly in the EMEA market, where investors are increasingly seeking portfolio diversification amid geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty.
According to the firms, the partnership combines State Street IM’s ETF platform, product structuring capabilities and global distribution reach with Ninety One’s active investment expertise across global equities, specialist fixed income and emerging markets.
Yie-Hsin Hung, chief executive officer of State Street IM, said: “Our goal is to drive innovation within the industry, deploying our extensive expertise and capabilities to identify and create solutions for investors.”
She noted that the partnership with Ninety One “has led to the creation of several deeply compelling investment opportunities across emerging and developed markets through a new suite of actively-managed ETF products”.
“Through this partnership, both firms will work in tandem to ensure that investors can benefit from the deeply compelling investment opportunities at play across both emerging and developed markets around the world,” Hung added.
The firms said investor appetite for international and emerging market exposures has increased as market participants look beyond US equities, which have dominated global portfolios in recent years.
State Street IM cited internal data showing that assets under management in EMEA-domiciled active ETFs have grown by 11.6% so far in 2026, with particularly strong growth in global equity and emerging market equity strategies.
Last October, State Street IM and Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management agreed on a strategic partnership to expand their investment offerings in Europe, focusing on developing active ETFs and wider solutions for clients across wealth management and outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) mandates.
Ninety One said the partnership with State Street IM would extend access to its high-conviction active investment capabilities through the ETF structure, complementing State Street IM’s existing ETF range.
Hendrik du Toit, Ninety One’s founder and CEO, said: “In an uncertain world, the ability to invest globally with high conviction matters more than ever.
“This partnership brings together Ninety One’s active investment capabilities with State Street IM’s global reach and ETF expertise, creating a powerful platform to deliver solutions for clients worldwide.”
