The CC&L Small Cap Market Neutral strategy will now be available to individual investors, says Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group. Investors will be able to access the strategy via a fund distributed through investment dealers.

With a performance history dating back to March 2006, the strategy has delivered strong absolute returns for clients, including significant positive performance in 2008, CC&L says.

Previously, direct investment in the strategy has only been available to institutional investors and partners of Connor, Clark & Lunn.

“We have been fortunate in developing strong partnerships with a number of the top investment advisors in the country at select full-service investment dealers”, says Tim Elliott, who heads CC&L’s distribution efforts into this channel.

“By making the CC&L Small Cap Market Neutral strategy available through Fundserv, we are providing a unique tool for advisors to help them build better portfolios for high net worth clients. Given the strategy’s distinctive track record and structure, it can serve an important role in enhancing the risk/reward profile for traditional portfolios, especially during volatile markets.”

In a departure from common pricing practices for alternative funds, CC&L has elected to offer the fund without a performance fee. Instead, a flat management fee of 2.50% will be charged for the A class and 1.50% for the F class.

“Our desire is to have long term, mutually beneficial relationships with advisors and their clients by creating the conditions for their success” says Elliott. “For this type of strategy, we feel that a straight flat fee is the best way to achieve this.”

CC&L Small Cap Market Neutral strategy is managed by the fundamental equity team at Connor, Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. This team manages over $6 billion in large and small-cap Canadian equity mandates. Three members of the team were recently named as top 50 equity managers in Canada by Brendan Wood International.

IE