IslamicFinance.de

he asset management side of Islamic finance, which has been at a virtual standstill in the $1 trillion industry, is set to break out of its rut as demand rises for investment products catering to Muslim laws.
There are signs that investment managers are slowly moving to tap demand for Islamic products. Qatar First Investment Bank and Gulfmena Alternative Investments last week unveiled plans for a sharia-compliant asset management firm.
Islamic investment products are commonly perceived to underperform conventional asset classes due to restrictions on investment avenues and the overall conservatism of portfolios. But the MSCI World Islamic Index has managed to outperform the conventional MSCI World Index over the last 13 quarters due to its focus on low-debt companies and non-financial stocks.
The global financial crisis added risk aversion to the mix, with institutions becoming shy about investing in new funds.