New products introduced over the last week include a new China equity fund from Neuberger Berman, a new bear ETF from AdvisorShares and two new BulletShares ETFs from Guggenheim.
In addition, Prudential Retirement and ASPire Financial partnered on a stable value product for the education market and W&S Financial Group Distributors launched a mobile website.
Here are the latest developments of interest to advisors:
1) Neuberger Berman Launches China Equity Fund
Neuberger Berman Group announced the launch of the Neuberger Berman Greater China Equity Fund (CEAX, NCECX and NCEIX), a mutual fund for U.S. investors investing primarily in equity securities of issuers based in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. It is managed by a team of 13, including portfolio managers and strategists, research analysts and traders, that is based in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Led by portfolio managers and managing directors Yulin (Frank) Yao and Lihui Tang, the team has an average of 14 years of experience investing in greater China markets.
The fund seeks to achieve an attractive total return by investing in typically 30-50 large- and mid-cap equity securities primarily in the greater China region. The team is focused on two broad themes: consumption-driven sectors, including agriculture, autos, entertainment, food and beverage, health care and retail; and infrastructure, including equipment, machinery and utilities. The fund has the latitude to invest in securities not found in the MSCI China index.
2) AdvisorShares Announces Launch of Athena International Bear ETF
AdvisorShares recently announced that the AdvisorShares Athena International Bear ETF (HDGI) opened for trading on Friday. HDGI, subadvised by AthenaInvest Advisors, is an actively managed short international equity securities portfolio with a tactical overlay.
Portfolio management is led by Dr. C. Thomas Howard, Ph.D., cofounder and chief investment officer of Athena. The HDGI portfolio can range from 50 to 100 holdings and invests in American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and international company stocks traded on U.S. exchanges.
