Vancouver-based HSBC Investments Funds Canada Inc. is expanding its emerging-markets lineup. The firm’s recently launched HSBC Indian Equity Fund provides investors with access to opportunities in India, HSBC Canada says. The management subadvisor on the fund is Halbis Capital Management (Singapore), a division of HSBC Global Asset Management (Singapore) Ltd. The subadvisor follows a disciplined investment philosophy targeting long-term capital appreciation using a diversified equities portfolio. The Asia-based portfolio management team will target key sectors and companies that it believes will benefit from India’s rapid economic expansion. The fund will invest directly in securities listed on stock exchanges in India that have been approved by applicable regulatory authorities, and also in securities of companies listed on other stock exchanges outside of India but which have significant business or investment links with India. Regarding companies listed outside India, the HSBC fund will generally invest only in those that are either owned or controlled by Indian interests, or for which a significant portion of the earnings, production facilities, turnover, assets or investments are based in or derived from India. Advisor commissions for front-end sales are 0%-5%, 4.9% for deferred sales and 1% for the low-load option. Redemption fees begin at 6% in Year 1 and end at zero after Year 6 in the regular DSC schedule; or begin at 2% in Year 1 and end at zero after Year 3 of the low-load schedule. Trailing commissions are 1% for front-end sales and the low-load option; and 0.5% for deferred sales. Management fees are 2.25% for A-class units. Minimum investment is $500.

Criterion Investments goes convertible

Criterion Investments, part of Toronto-based First Asset Capital Corp., has launched one of Canada’s first convertible bond funds. Criterion Canadian Convertible Bond Fund provides investors with initial cash distributions of 5% a year on a quarterly basis and the opportunity for capital appreciation through investments predominantly in Canadian debentures that are convertible into equity of Canadian issuers, investments of convertible debentures of non-Canadian issuers, and fixed-income instruments and equities. Lee Goldman, senior vice president and portfolio manager with Toronto-based First Asset Management Inc., will manage the fund. Advisor commissions for front-end sales are 0%-2%, 5% for deferred sales and 2% for the low-load option. Redemption fees begin at 5.5% in Year 1 and end at zero after Year 7 for the regular DSC schedule; or begin at 2.5% in Year 1 and end at zero in Year 3 of the low-load schedule. Trailing commissions are 1% for front-end sales, 0.6% for the first seven years of deferred sales and 1% thereafter, and 0.7% for the first three years of low-load sales and 1% thereafter. Management fees are 1.9% for A-class units and 0.75% for F-class units. Minimum investment is $500.

Hartford Dividend Growth Fund reopens

Toronto-based Hartford Investments Canada Corp. has reopened Hartford Canadian Dividend Growth Fund to new investment. The fund was capped, based on capacity constraints, in May 2008. Subadvised by Regina-based Greystone Managed Investments Inc., the fund is invested in a concentrated portfolio of 25 Canadian dividend-paying companies with the objective to provide a predictable stream of income as well as modest long-term capital appreciation by investing in an actively managed portfolio of primarily Canadian stocks. Advisor commissions for front-end sales are 0%-5%, 5% for deferred sales, 1% for low-load option 1 and 3% for low-load option 3. Redemption fees begin at 6% in Year 1 and end at zero after Year 6 for the regular DSC schedule; begin at 2% in Year 1 and end at zero after Year 2 of low-load option 1 schedule; or begin at 4% in Year 1 and end at zero after Year 3 of low-load option 3 schedule. Trailing commissions for front-end sales and low-load option 1 are 1%; and 0.5% for deferred sales and low-load option 3. Management fees are 2.15% for A-class units and 1% for F-class units. Minimum investment is $500.

Management changes at Manulife

Waterloo, Ont.-based Manulife Investments Inc. has announced that Gerald Cooper-Key, co-manager of Manulife Mawer World Investment Class Fund, will withdraw from day-to-day activities as co-manager of the fund as of March 31, 2010, but will continue to maintain an active role with Mawer Investment Management Ltd., providing broad input to the fund as chairman of Mawer’s global equity working group. This group is being formed in conjunction with the upcoming launch of Manulife Mawer Global Equity Class Fund and will provide co-ordination and input across Mawer’s global/international large- and small-cap mandates, which are subadvised for Manulife Mutual Funds, a division of Elliott & Page Ltd. David Ragan has been co-manager of Manulife Mawer World Investment Class Fund since 2007 and will continue in his role, along with newly appointed Jim Hall, Mawer’s director of research. Ragan and Hall will be supported by the full team of 15 portfolio managers and analysts in Mawer’s research department.

@page_break@Compiled by Clare O’Hara (cohara@investmentexecutive.com).