Man Group announced on Monday an expanded strategic partnership with Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance, under which the Japanese insurer intends to increase its capital commitment to Man Group’s investment strategies to 200 billion yen, approximately 1.25 billion dollars, over the next three years, with a particular focus on private credit. The partnership was first announced in February 2025. Man Group will become a preferred asset management partner for Meiji Yasuda, the two will develop products together for the Japanese market, and Meiji Yasuda will get access to investment advisory services through the Oxford-Man Institute.
Meiji Yasuda will also consider acquiring an equity stake of approximately 5 percent in Man Group, through open market purchases with no new shares issued, to align the two firms’ interests. Bloomberg put the value of a 5 percent stake at about 179 million pounds, roughly 239 million dollars, at the October 23 closing price. Man Group shares rose about 4.6 percent on Monday, extending a gain of roughly 42 percent this year.
The deal lands on a manager at record scale and on an insurer still diversifying. Man Group reported record assets under management of 270.9 billion dollars at September 30, up from 253.6 billion dollars at the end of June, on net inflows of 10.1 billion dollars. Meiji Yasuda last year acquired Legal and General’s US protection business in a 2.3 billion dollar deal and bought 5 percent of that British insurer as well. Reuters noted the wider pattern: Japanese insurers are partnering with British and other Western managers to reach private credit yields unavailable in domestic fixed income, even as regulators raise concerns about the sector’s transparency and valuation practices.