• King Irving Funds Management launches with the King Irving SURA Pacific Alliance Fund.
• Provides Australian investors with first ever access to a key emerging market – in the high growth Pacific Alliance Region comprised of Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile.
• Appoints SURA Asset Management Group (SURA) manager – SURA is the pension and asset management giant of Pacific Alliance, with more than US $100b funds under management.
King Irving Funds Management has launched today with the establishment of a fund providing Australian investors with their first ever access to a key new Emerging Market.
The King Irving SURA Pacific Alliance Fund (the Fund), has been established to meet the needs of professional investors searching for new sources of growth and diversification. An outcome of this has been an increasing focus by professionals in key emerging markets.
The Fund’s strategy of investing in equities in the growing Pacific Alliance Region of Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile reflects this developing investor appetite for best in asset class, and in local and regional investment expertise.
King Irving is a specialist fund manager providing access to International managers not otherwise available in the Australian market. Kate Mulligan, Managing Director of King Irving Funds Management, said that they are delighted to provide access to this significant growth marketplace by establishing an Australian fund managed by a regional expert.
“The growth prospects for Pacific Alliance makes a compelling investment case, particularly when compared to the expected low growth environments of many developed and even some EM economies,” she said.
Reforms adopted by Peru, Mexico, Chile and Colombia – Pacific Alliance member countries – are turning these nations into the economic stars of the region1. In Latin America (Latam), Pacific Alliance represents a bigger economy than Brazil and is expected to grow three to four times faster over the next few years.2
“With the hunt for growth spurring increased investment in emerging markets in the medium to longer term, the importance of selecting the right EM region with strong governance and regulatory standards is critical for the generation of strong returns for investors,” Ms Mulligan said.
“We are pleased to announce the appointment of the SURA Asset Management Group as manager of the Fund. SURA is the leading pension provider and asset manager of Pacific Alliance. Until now, investment in Latam has been expressed only through Brazil, which does not share a similar economic or governance footprint as the Pacific Alliance, and investors may not have been aware of the potential benefits of investing there.”
Andrés Castro, Chief Executive Officer of SURA Asset Management said, “With our heritage of adding value to millions of local investors for over 30 years, we feel very enthusiastic about providing Australian investors with access to our proven investment capabilities. Countries in the Pacific Alliance Region share a focus on open trade, regulated markets and rule of law. The investment fundamentals combined with these factors make a compelling argument for inclusion of this capability as a strong potential provider of alpha in professional portfolios.”
Afina International Advisors (Afina), a Latin American specialist adviser firm, assisted King Irving Funds Management in the search and selection of the manager for the Fund. Alex Ortiz, Afina Chief Investment Officer, said, “The access to Pacific Alliance underscores the increasing importance of South to South trade and investment routes.”
The Fund has been seeded by SURA Asset Management and commenced operation as a wholesale domestic managed investment scheme earlier this year. State Street Australia Limited is the Fund’s appointed Custodian and Fund Administrator.
Notes:
1 International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, October 9, 2015
2 CNBC report, 26 March 2015
Source: King Irving Funds Management