Guardian Group of Funds Ltd. (GGOF) today launched GGOF Global Dividend Growth Fund, providing investors the opportunity to invest globally, with a combination of capital growth, income and risk control.

GGOF says the fund’s emphasis on global equities with above average yields makes it particularly well suited for conservative investors looking for global equity exposure.

“Conservative investors are sometimes reluctant to invest globally because of a greater perceived level of risk,” says Gavin Graham, chief investment officer, GGOF. “One option that gives investors access to the growth potential of global equities, while minimizing risk, is investing in equities that focus on strong cash flow generation and high dividend yields.”

GGOF Global Dividend Growth Fund holds a well diversified portfolio of approximately 60 – 100 equity holdings, with no geographic restrictions. Although developed markets are favoured, the fund may invest up to 25% of its assets in emerging markets. Holdings are selected with the goal of creating a diversified portfolio that will maximize expected yield and capital growth.

“Returns from global dividend investments have historically been non-correlated with returns from other asset classes. For this reason, a product like GGOF Global Dividend Growth Fund can be particularly valuable in achieving portfolio diversification,” adds Graham.

The fund is managed by a team at Lazard Asset Management (Canada), Inc. of New York, made up of Patrick Ryan, Kyle Waldhauer and Andrew Lacey. Collectively, the portfolio team has more than 40 years of industry experience and will be supported by Lazard’s Global Research Platform.