Fund closures, creations at Standard Life

Montreal-based Standard Life Mutual Funds is terminating two equity funds while launching two emerging-markets funds. Standard Life Canadian Equity Focus Fund and Standard Life U.S. Equity Focus Fund will close, effective July 31. Existing unitholders of these two funds have the option to redeem or switch their investments to any Standard Life mutual fund before termination. The new Standard Life Emerging Markets Dividend Fund aims to provide capital growth and income by investing primarily in a portfolio of dividend-paying equities and equities-type securities of companies that are located in or are participating in emerging markets. And the just launched Standard Life Emerging Markets Debt Fund aims to provide capital growth and income by investing primarily in debt securities of issuers located in or participating in emerging market countries. Advisor commissions are 0%-5% for front-end sales, 5% for both the deferred sales and the low-load option. Redemption fees begin at 6% in Year 1 and end at zero after Year 5 for the regular DSC schedule; or begin at 4% in Year 1 and end at zero after Year 3 for the low-load schedule. For trailing commissions and management fees information, visit www.standardlife.ca. Minimum investment is $1,000.

(cohara@investmentexecutive.com).