Friends First has launched a new Market Neutral Equity Fund at the company’s Pension and Investment Seminar in Dublin today. Managed by Insight Investment, a leading UK based asset manager, the Market Neutral Equity Fund uses an ‘absolute return strategy’ delivering positive returns for investors regardless of the overall market performance.

Speaking at the seminar, Simon Hoffman, Pensions Sales Manager at Friends First commented: “Irish investors are quite rightly nervous given the huge volatility experienced in the market place in the last couple of years, this new fund uses techniques which gives it the potential to deliver positive market returns in all market climates, offering more consistent returns for investors.”

“In periods of uncertainty many investors rush to safety and move their funds into cash until markets return to growth.” Mr Hoffman continued, However, timing the markets is not an exact science – the Market Neutral Equity Fund gives investors the opportunity to invest in a fund with the aim of producing higher growth than cash funds, regardless of how markets perform, but with less of the volatility associated with equity investments.”

The Market Neutral Equity fund is available across the range of Friends First Pension and Investment products. It is ideal for use as a diversifier and can be used by brokers and clients as a component when designing and building their own portfolios.

In addition, to assist clients when portfolio building, Friends First have also introduced a new Magnet Range which includes 3 specific funds with varying degrees of risk – Magnet Stable, Magnet Portfolio and Magnet Adventurous. The Magnet Range is different because it includes funds from established and proven fund managers which, while investing in traditional assets such as international equities, property and Government bonds, also look for growth opportunities in emerging markets or currencies or through alternative investment strategies. The new Market Neutral Equity fund is a key component within these new options.

For more information see our Investment Centre

Note:

The Market Neutral Fund has a management charge of 1.35% pre annum. The fund manager also earns a performance fee equivalent to 10% of the growth in excess of the Euribor 3 month interest rate achieved in the fund. Additional charges also apply to specific products.

Insight Investment

Insight Investment is a specialist asset manager at the forefront of designing investment solutions specifically to meet clients’ needs. Fully capitalised and with its own balance sheet, Insight has grown its business to be one of the largest asset managers in the UK since its launch in 2002.

Insight provides institutional investment services and financial solutions to a wide range of corporations as well as insurance companies and public sector clients. Our innovative investment platform provides our clients with access to a wide range of specialist capabilities to help provide the most effective solutions.

These include liability driven investment, fixed income, absolute return and specialist equities as well as an innovative range of cash management solutions. In November 2009, Insight became part of BNY Mellon Asset Management and a wholly owned subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation – one of the world’s major financial services groups with operations in 34 countries serving more than 100 markets. Insight Investments manage £83 billion in net assets under management.

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