Amova Asset Management
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAmova Asset Management is a Japanese multinational investment company and asset manager formerly known as Nikko Asset Management.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Amova Asset Management is a Japanese multinational investment company headquartered in Tokyo. The firm manages investment products and strategies for retail, institutional, intermediary, and other professional clients in Japan and international markets. It operated under the Nikko Asset Management name until its rebrand as Amova Asset Management in September 2025. The company's modern corporate history began in 1999, when Nikko Securities Investment Trust and Management and Nikko International Capital Management were combined. Its institutional roots extend further back to December 1959, when Nikko Securities Investment Trust and Management was established in Tokyo. That predecessor introduced the Nikko Bond Fund in 1961. The international platform was expanded through offices in New York, London, and Singapore during the 1980s and early 1990s, giving the business a cross-border operating base before the 1999 merger. Ownership changed substantially during the 2000s. Citigroup acquired a 61% controlling interest in Nikko Asset Management in 2007 for approximately $7.7 billion, in what was described at the time as the largest foreign buyout of a Japanese company. Citigroup later sought full ownership, but sold its stake in 2009 to Sumitomo Trust and Banking, a predecessor group company of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings, as Citigroup reduced its presence in Japan. In 2019, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings moved Nikko Asset Management into direct ownership through a dividend-in-kind transaction. The firm has pursued a broad investment platform rather than specializing in a single asset class. Its activities include fixed income, equities, multi-asset investing, thematic strategies, and investment products distributed across multiple jurisdictions. During Takumi Shibata's leadership, the company emphasized international investment and multi-asset offerings intended for investors seeking diversified exposure. In 2017, it introduced a global robotics fund that reportedly attracted roughly $6 billion, making it a prominent thematic-fund launch by a Japanese asset manager. Nikko also acquired a 15% interest in ARK Investment Management, associated with investor Cathie Wood. As of June 2025, the reference material described Amova, then still operating as Nikko Asset Management, as managing approximately $260 billion in assets. The same material reported an objective of increasing funds under management to $415 billion by 2032 and identified it as Japan's third-largest asset manager at that time. These figures are time-specific and should not be treated as current beyond the stated period. The September 2025 name change marked an effort to establish a new international brand while retaining the company's Japanese institutional heritage and global asset-management operations.
History
Amova Asset Management's origins lie in the Japanese investment-management business created around Nikko Securities. Nikko Securities Investment Trust and Management Co., Ltd. was founded in December 1959 and opened its Tokyo office. In 1961, it introduced the Nikko Bond Fund, establishing an early product base in fixed-income investment. The company began building an international presence in the 1980s. Nikko International Capital Management was established in Tokyo in 1981. In 1984, Nikko Securities Investment Trust and Management opened an office in New York, while Nikko International Capital Management established a London office. Nikko Securities Investment Trust and Management added a London office in 1987, and Nikko International Capital Management expanded to Singapore in 1988. Nikko Securities Investment Trust and Management followed with a Singapore office in 1990. These locations helped create the international infrastructure that later supported the combined asset-management business. In 1999, Nikko Securities Investment Trust and Management and Nikko International Capital Management merged to create Nikko Asset Management. The new organization combined Japanese investment-management roots with overseas distribution and investment capabilities. Its business developed across fixed income, equities, multi-asset investing, and internationally distributed funds. A major ownership transition occurred in 2007, when Citigroup bought 61% of Nikko Asset Management for approximately $7.7 billion. The transaction was characterized in the reference material as the largest foreign acquisition of a Japanese company at that time. Citigroup subsequently attempted to purchase the remaining shares for approximately $4.6 billion. In 2009, however, Citigroup sold its stake to Sumitomo Trust and Banking for about $1.2 billion while withdrawing from parts of the Japanese market. Sumitomo Trust and Banking was part of the group that later became Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings. Leadership and strategy evolved during the 2010s. In June 2013, the company announced that Takumi Shibata would succeed Charles Beazley as chairman from July. Shibata also became president and chief executive officer in January 2014. During his tenure, Nikko placed greater emphasis on attracting overseas investment and developing multi-asset products. The strategy reflected an effort to offer diversified solutions to international investors rather than relying exclusively on the domestic Japanese market. Nikko's thematic-investment activity became particularly visible in 2017, when it launched a global robotics fund. The fund reportedly raised approximately $6 billion and was presented as the first product of its type from a Japanese asset manager. Nikko also purchased a 15% stake in ARK Investment Management, the investment firm associated with Cathie Wood. Shibata stepped down as president and CEO in March 2019 after six years with the company. In 2019, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings announced that Nikko Asset Management would become a directly owned subsidiary through a dividend-in-kind transaction. The change simplified the ownership relationship: before then, Nikko had been held through Sumitomo Trust and Banking, the group company that acquired it from Citigroup in 2009. In February 2022, Nishida Yutaka was announced as chairman and Stephanie Drews was promoted to president. The appointment was notable because women led only a small minority of global asset managers according to the cited reference. In September 2025, the company changed its name from Nikko Asset Management to Amova Asset Management. The rebrand created the current corporate identity while preserving the organization's long Japanese history, global network, and affiliation with Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings. Reference material described the company as Japan's third-largest asset manager in 2025, with approximately $260 billion under management as of June 2025. It also reported an ambition to increase funds under management to $415 billion by 2032. Those figures are historical snapshots and should be read with their stated dates rather than as undated current facts.
- 2025
Nikko Asset Management renamed Amova Asset Management
[1]The company adopted the Amova Asset Management name in September 2025.
- 2022
New chairman and president appointed
[1]Yutaka Nishida became chairman and Stephanie Drews became president.
- 2019
Nikko becomes a direct subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings
[1]The parent group reorganized its ownership through a dividend-in-kind transaction.
- 2017
Global robotics fund launched
[1]Nikko launched a global robotics fund that reportedly raised approximately $6 billion.
- 2013
Shibata named chairman
[1]Takumi Shibata was announced as successor to Charles Beazley as chairman.
- 2009
Ownership transferred to Sumitomo Trust and Banking
[1]Citigroup sold its stake to Sumitomo Trust and Banking for approximately $1.2 billion.
- 2007
Citigroup acquires majority control
[1]Citigroup acquired a 61% stake in Nikko Asset Management for approximately $7.7 billion.
- 1999
Nikko Asset Management formed
[1]Nikko Securities Investment Trust and Management merged with Nikko International Capital Management.
- 1990
Singapore office opened by Nikko Securities Investment Trust and Management
[1]The other predecessor established its own Singapore presence.
- 1988
Singapore office opened by Nikko International Capital Management
[1]The international predecessor expanded into Southeast Asia.
Products and positioning
A Japan-rooted, internationally oriented asset manager combining domestic institutional heritage with global investment capabilities, diversified strategies, and thematic products.
Bond fund · 1961
Nikko Bond Fund
The Nikko Bond Fund was the first investment fund launched by the company's predecessor, Nikko Securities Investment Trust and Management, in 1961. Its introduction established fixed-income investing as an early part of the firm's product heritage.
Thematic equity fund · 2017
Global Robotics Fund
Launched in 2017, the global robotics fund focused on companies connected to robotics and related automation technologies. Reference material reported that it raised roughly $6 billion and described it as the first fund of its kind launched by a Japanese asset manager.
Multi-asset investment strategy
Multi-asset strategies
Multi-asset investing became an important strategic area during Takumi Shibata's leadership. These strategies were intended to combine exposure across asset classes and appeal to international investors seeking diversified portfolios.
Brand decisions
2025
Corporate rebrand to Amova Asset ManagementStrategyBackground
The company sought to operate under a new international corporate identity after decades of using the Nikko Asset Management name.
Action taken
Nikko Asset Management changed its name to Amova Asset Management in September 2025.
Aftermath
The rebrand established Amova as the current corporate brand while retaining the business's Japanese origins and global asset-management platform.
2019
Direct ownership restructuringStrategyBackground
Nikko Asset Management had been held through Sumitomo Trust and Banking since the 2009 acquisition from Citigroup.
Action taken
Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings made Nikko Asset Management a directly owned subsidiary through a dividend-in-kind transaction.
Aftermath
The restructuring simplified the company's position within the Sumitomo Mitsui Trust group.
2017
Launch of global robotics fundProduct launchBackground
Nikko was expanding thematic and internationally oriented investment products for investors seeking exposure to emerging technologies.
Action taken
The company launched a global robotics fund and acquired a 15% stake in ARK Investment Management.
Aftermath
The robotics fund reportedly raised approximately $6 billion and became a prominent example of Nikko's thematic-product strategy.
Reported fund capital raised. Approximately $6 billion (2017 launch and subsequent fundraising)
2009
Sumitomo Trust and Banking acquires Citigroup's stakeM&ABackground
Citigroup was reducing its exposure to Japan and sought to exit its investment in Nikko Asset Management.
Action taken
Citigroup sold its stake to Sumitomo Trust and Banking for approximately $1.2 billion.
Aftermath
Nikko entered the Sumitomo Mitsui Trust group and ultimately became a direct subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings in 2019.
Transaction value. $1.2 billion (2009)
2007
Citigroup takes majority controlM&ABackground
Citigroup sought to expand its Japanese financial-services presence through a controlling investment in Nikko Asset Management.
Action taken
Citigroup acquired 61% of the company for approximately $7.7 billion and later attempted to purchase the remaining shares.
Aftermath
Citigroup sold its stake to Sumitomo Trust and Banking in 2009 as it retreated from Japan.
Transaction value. $7.7 billion for the 61% stake; approximately $4.6 billion was reported for the later attempted purchase of remaining shares (2007)
Recent events
Sources2 sources
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