The latest news in investment offers, financial products and other services relevant to wealth advisors and their clients.

Franklin Templeton
California-based investment manager Franklin Templeton has launched its new Franklin Global Low Volatility Bond Fund for Hong Kong investors, with Hang Seng Bank serving as the distributor in Hong Kong.

The low-volatility strategy, managed by Chris Siniakov, Andrew Canobi and Joshua Rout from Franklin Templeton fixed income, aims to harness yield opportunities in high-quality global bonds, the firm said in a statement. 

The fund primarily invests at least 65 per cent of its net asset value in investment grade debt securities issued by governments, government-related entities, including supranational organisations supported by several national governments. Designed to capitalise on global yield opportunities across various market segments, the low-volatility strategy also emphasises active duration management to ensure that portfolio volatility is controlled within the target limit.

“The fund focuses on high-quality assets within global bond markets which have historically exhibited lower volatility, offering a strong foundation for long-term investment strategies and potentially greater resilience through periods of market volatility,” Simon Wong, co-head of Hong Kong and head of retail sales, Greater China at Franklin Templeton, said.

“As we enter 2025, the US economy is expected to maintain a strong growth momentum. The re-election of President Donald Trump should provide robust support to the US market due to significant changes in economic policy,” Chris Siniakov, managing director, Franklin Templeton fixed income, said. â€śOn the other hand, non-US corporate credit and emerging market bonds might be impacted by major shifts in US policies. Therefore, our investment strategy will focus on selecting issuers and sectors that are somewhat insulated from US policy fluctuations.” 

“Overall, we believe that the global bond index is on an upward trajectory, offering numerous yield opportunities. We are confident that the Franklin Global Low Volatility Bond Fund can help meet investors’ desire for global yield opportunities in different market segments,” Siniakov added.

Quantum Advisors
Quantum Advisors, a Mumbai, India-based firm, has launched the Q India Equity Fund, aimed at individual and institutional investors based in the US.

The fund, which is organised as a non-diversified series of Unified Series Trust, will be distributed by Ultimus Fund Distributor, Quantum Advisors said in a statement. 

Applying Quantum Advisors’ proprietary Integrity Screen, introduced in 1996, to weed out poorly governed companies and assess valuation metrics, the fund aims to generate long-term capital appreciation by investing in liquid stocks.

The new fund, which will typically include 25 to 40 stocks, builds on Quantum Advisors’ almost 25-year track record with the Q India Value Equity Strategy.

All stocks in the portfolio must trade at least $1 million per day, ensuring a liquid and a scalable portfolio, Quantum Advisors said.