AIC Ltd. today introduced four new global specialty funds enabling investors to capitalize on the growth opportunities within the real estate, banking, insurance and wealth management sectors.

The four new Funds are: AIC Global Real Estate Fund; AIC Global Banks Fund; AIC Global Insurance Fund; and AIC Global Wealth Management Fund.

“AIC has assembled some outstanding portfolio managers in the categories of financial services and real estate to manage these new global funds,” said Jonathan Wellum, AIC’s CEO and chief investment officer. “With the recent weakness in the global financial services sector this is also a particularly unique time to be investing in the sector given the very attractive valuations.”

In addition to the three new AIC Funds which focus on banks, insurance and wealth management, AIC is pleased to offer a fourth fund — the new AIC Global Real Estate Fund, sub-advised by New York’s Third Avenue Management LLC and managed by Michael Winer and Jason Wolf.

The fund provides Canadian investors the opportunity to invest in a vehicle that seeks long-term capital appreciation through exposure to well-managed companies in the real estate or related industries believed to be priced below their intrinsic values.

“AIC has had a sub-advisory relationship with Third Avenue since 2005 when the Third Avenue team began to sub-advise the AIC Global Focused Fund,” says David Barse, president and CEO, Third Avenue Management. “While Third Avenue’s mantra is ‘Safe and Cheap’ and AIC’s is ‘Buy, Hold and Prosper’, we believe that both our firms share a long term, value investing approach, anchored on delivering above-average returns over the long run. We’re pleased to have the opportunity to sub-advise the new AIC Global Real Estate Fund.”

Third Avenue Management LLC is based in New York and has assets under management of approximately US$27 billion.

The new AIC Global Banks Fund, AIC Global Insurance Fund and AIC Global Wealth Management Fund each seek to maximize long term capital growth by investing in equity securities of banking, insurance or wealth management companies respectively around the world. These funds are available in tax efficient T5 and T8 classes; the class T5 Units have a targeted 5% annual distribution paid monthly and the class T8 have a targeted 8% annual distribution paid monthly.

AIC has developed sub-advisory relationships with three established and highly reputable U.S. value investing firms: Third Avenue Management LLC, based in New York; Chicago-based Ariel Capital Management, LLC; and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., based in Boston.

Along with the new AIC Global Real Estate Fund, Third Avenue is sub-advisor to AIC Global Focused Fund and AIC Global Focused Fund Corporate Class.