JPMorgan Asian Infrastructure & Related Resources Opportunity Fund Raises $858.6 Million

NEW YORK, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- J.P. Morgan Asset Management today announced the closing of the JPMorgan Asian Infrastructure & Related Resources Opportunity Fund (the "Fund") with $858.6 million in capital commitments from a diversified range of investors, including institutional and high-net worth investors from the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.

The Fund, which is one of the largest dedicated Asian infrastructure funds, targets a broad range of infrastructure assets in the region including toll roads and other transportation assets, power generation, electricity transmission/distribution facilities, water supply, waste management and social infrastructure (including facilities for healthcare and education services). The Fund will also make related resource investments involving the critical inputs required for Asia's massive infrastructure investment agenda.

Philip Jackson, Chief Executive, J.P. Morgan Asset Management – Global Real Assets – Asia Infrastructure Investments Group, said: "We have built a strong team of experienced infrastructure professionals based in Hong Kong, Singapore and Mumbai. We are 100% focused on building upon the investments made to date and look forward to delivering the attractive investment returns our clients are expecting."

The Fund demonstrates the continued expansion and reach of J.P. Morgan Asset Management's Global Real Assets platform into the emerging markets and infrastructure space, complementing its existing suite of real estate and infrastructure strategies that span the risk-return spectrum, the public and private markets and geographic regions of the world.

"Asia is providing an extraordinary opportunity for investing in infrastructure and its related resources," said Joe Azelby, Global Head, J.P. Morgan Asset Management – Global Real Assets. "We have had tremendous interest from a diverse group of investors who see the growth potential that this dynamic market affords and require an investment firm with direct access to a broad range of investment opportunities and the resources to capitalize on them. J.P. Morgan Asset Management fulfills those requirements."

About J.P. Morgan Asset Management – Global Real Assets

J.P. Morgan Asset Management – Global Real Assets has approximately $43 billion in real estate and infrastructure assets, as of December 31, 2009. With a 40-year history of successful investing and a staff of 359 professionals, J.P. Morgan Asset Management – Global Real Assets identifies, analyzes, negotiates, acquires, develops, redevelops, renovates, operates, maintains, finances and sells assets, on behalf of its clients. J.P. Morgan Asset Management's broad investment capabilities and framework for analyzing opportunities in today's complex real estate and infrastructure markets provide critical insights for its institutional clients in both the public and private markets.

About J.P. Morgan Asset Management

J.P. Morgan Asset Management, with assets under supervision of $1.5 trillion, is a global leader in investment and wealth management. J.P. Morgan Asset Management's clients include institutions, retail investors and high-net worth individuals in every major market throughout the world.  J.P. Morgan Asset Management offers global investment management in equities, fixed income, real estate, hedge funds, private equity and liquidity. J.P. Morgan Asset Management provides trust and estate, banking and brokerage services to high-net-worth clients and retirement services for corporations and individuals. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), the parent company of J.P. Morgan Asset Management, is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.1 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

The manager seeks to achieve the stated objectives. There can be no guarantee the objectives will be met.

Real estate and infrastructure investing may be subject to a higher degree of market risk because of concentration in a specific industry, sector or geographical sector. Real estate and infrastructure investing may be subject to risks including, but not limited to, declines in the value of real estate, risks related to general and economic conditions, changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trust and defaults by borrower.

The risk of investing in foreign countries is heightened when investing in emerging markets. In addition, the small size of securities markets and the low trading volume may lead to a lack of liquidity, which leads to increased volatility. Also, emerging markets may not provide adequate legal protection for private or foreign investment or private property.

International investing involves a greater degree of risk and increased volatility. Changes in currency exchange rates and differences in accounting and taxation policies outside the U.S. can raise or lower returns. Also, some overseas markets may not be as politically and economically stable as the United States and other nations.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management is the marketing name for the asset management businesses of JPMorgan Chase & Co.  Those businesses include, but are not limited to, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc., Security Capital Research & Management Incorporated and J.P. Morgan Alternative Asset Management, Inc.

SOURCE JPMorgan Chase