Manulife and UBS Launch Joint Japan Private Equity Investment Program

Key Facts

Manulife Investment Management and UBS's Unified Global Alternatives unit have collaborated to launch a private equity co-investment programme focused on Japan. Benzinga reported that the partnership aims to leverage the expertise of both firms to provide institutional and private clients with access to private equity opportunities within the Japanese market.

UBS shares closed at $48.96 on November 9, 2026, prior to the announcement of the program which seeks to combine Manulife's regional underwriting capabilities with the global scale and distribution power of UBS. This strategic move coincides with economic data from Japan showing household spending fell by 6.8% year-on-year on November 9, 2026.

Japan is scheduled to release its quarterly GDP growth data on November 15, 2026, with forecasts pointing to a 0.1% expansion compared to the previous 0.4%, potentially providing further context for the investment environment targeted by the new program.