Canadian investors seeking income and growth potential, insightful access to worldwide opportunities, and deep on-the-ground stock picking expertise, will now have access to two attractive investment portfolio solutions.
In collaboration with New York-based Lazard Asset Management (LAM), Toronto-based Brandes Investment Partners & Co. has just launched two new LAM mutual funds to the market in Canada, which were handpicked from proven strategies: Lazard Global Equity Income Fund and Lazard Emerging Markets Multi-Strategy Fund.
The funds are now available to investors through their financial advisors.
Lazard Global Equity Income Fund is a total return investment solution for Canadian retail investors built on LAM’s best high yielding equity ideas from all over the world. It’s designed to combine the benefits of high current income with global capital appreciation potential in a single risk managed portfolio. The fund seeks to invest in high-dividend yielding securities broadly diversified across country, sector and market capitalization spectrum that have also been selected for their total return potential, not simply income.
Lazard Emerging Markets Multi-Strategy Fund is designed to provide investors with a less volatile means to invest in the growth of emerging markets. By allocating capital across Lazard’s proven emerging markets equity, debt and currency strategies, and actively adjusting weightings based on an analysis of economic and market conditions, the Fund seeks long-term growth with less risk.
“These two new funds represent an exclusive new opportunity for Canadian investors who have been hungry for accessing the higher income and growth streams available in global and emerging markets as a smart alternative to low interest rate investments at home. They respond to the demand for prudent risk conscious strategies without sacrificing long-term growth potential,” says Brandes President Carol Lynde.
“In an uncertain macro environment, a value-oriented equity fund focusing on high yield can offer the opportunity to participate in rising markets, while providing protection on the downside,” says Patrick Ryan, LAM portfolio manager/analyst.
“Many clients acknowledge the attractive macro-economic characteristics of an emerging markets investment, but are deterred from making meaningful allocations by high levels of risk,” adds LAM portfolio manager/analyst Jai Jacob. “The multi-asset allocation structure of the Lazard Emerging Markets Multi-Strategy Fund is designed to provide risk-conscious clients with access to emerging markets opportunities with lower volatility.”
The collaboration with Lazard Asset Management and intent to offer two LAM mandates focusing on global dividend opportunities and emerging market equity and debt opportunities was previously announced by Brandes and LAM on January 23.
Brandes also has an existing strategic partnership with Sionna Investment Managers Inc. (Sionna). All three firms have a strong bias to fundamental bottom-up stock selection and are known for their proprietary research approach and capabilities.