Manulife Asset Management, the global asset management arm of Manulife Financial Corp. (TSX:MFC), has acquired the assets of Optique Capital Management, a registered investment advisor based in Milwaukee, Wis.

The acquisition closed on Friday, February 11. Terms were not disclosed.

Optique’s mutual fund and separate account assets under management were approximately $800 million, as at Dec. 31, 2010

In addition, eight members of the former Optique Capital team will be joining Manulife Asset Management to form a new equity team, based in Milwaukee. The team will be led by Wendell L. Perkins, senior managing director and senior portfolio manager, Margaret (Peggy) A. McKay and Edward T. Marraccini, both managing directors and portfolio managers, and will report to Christopher P. Conkey, chief investment officer, global equities, Manulife Asset Management.

“We welcome this outstanding group of seasoned investment professionals to our firm,” Conkey said in a release.. “The team will bring their disciplined, consistent, value equity philosophy and decision-making process to managing international value strategies for John Hancock Funds, through our John Hancock Asset Management division, as well as for Manulife Asset Management’s institutional clients.

J-F Courville, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Asset Management, said: “We are pleased to reach this agreement with Optique Capital. This addition, together with the new U.S. Core Value team we established last month, significantly enhances the value equity capabilities we offer to our clients.”

IE