Investec unveils EM multi-asset fund
From Products Dec 6 2011 BY: Will Jackson
, Contributing editor
, International Adviser
John Stopford and Philip Saunders
Investec Asset Management has unveiled an Emerging Markets Multi-Asset Fund in its Luxembourg-domiciled GSF product range.
The fund, which is co-run by Philip Saunders, Investec’s head of global multi asset investments, and John Stopford, co-head of fixed income, offers emerging market debt and equity exposure.
According to Investec, the strategy employs a flexible asset allocation approach. By varying its weightings to equities, local currency debt and hard currency debt, the fund aims to provide exposure to emerging markets but with lower volatility than an equity-only approach.
Frontier market and commodity allocations will be considered “where appropriate”, the firm said.
“This fund aims to offer an approach whereby proven components are combined by experienced asset allocators,” added John Green, global head of client group, at Investec.
“We have a proven record of success in the underlying building blocks that this fund will use, as well as in multi-asset investing.” Investec runs more than $13bn in its global multi-asset strategy, about two-thirds of which is invested in emerging markets.
Emerging market multi-asset funds appear to be growing in popularity, with other firms launching similar products. As International Adviser reported, Citigroup First Investment Management and Bosera International unveiled a China Balanced Fund last month.
Franklin Templeton also launched an Emerging Markets Balanced Fund earlier this year, for managers Mark Mobius and Michael Hasenstab.
Investec GSF Emerging Markets Multi-Asset has a minimum investment limit of $3,000 and an initial charge of 5%. The annual management charge is 1.8%.