Manulife unit launches fund pool for investors

MANULIFE Investment Management and Trust Corp. (Manulife IM PHL) has recently launched a “Global Thematic Opportunities Equity Feeder Fund,” a unit investment trust fund (UITF) that aims to achieve capital growth by investing in a collective investment scheme.

Manulife IM PHL President and CEO Macaria Trinidad F. Gaspar said the target fund will invest the client’s financial assets in equities and equity-related securities of companies throughout the world. Gaspar noted it applies a sustainable strategy that aims to achieve a positive environmental and social impact by investing mainly in companies that benefit from global long-term themes resulting from secular changes in economic, social and environmental factors such as demographics, lifestyle or regulations.

She said the fund uses a “rigorous approach” to identify and prioritize 13 investable themes that occupy “intersections of multiple megatrends.” These themes are: biotech; clean energy; digital; environment; health; living more fulfilling lives; nutrition; premium brands; robotics; security; smart city; timber; and, water.

“’Thematic investing’ is different from traditional investment styles because it harnesses the power of global megatrends set to structurally change the way we live, how society operates and how business gets done,” Gaspar said in a recent webinar.

She added that the firm’s equity feeder fund “provides investors access to companies that have a true competitive advantage within their segment of the market, which is benefiting from multiple megatrendbased tailwinds.”

Documents provided by the wholly-owned subsidiary of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. Philippines Inc. said the feeder fund offers investors “broad diversification benefits given the target fund’s unconstrained and focused approach across a diverse range of sectors, companies and geographies, creating an investment universe, which has a low overlap with global equity indices.”

“Alongside this, the target fund employs a sustainable approach integrating environmental, social and governance factors and activities that drive a positive impact in the investment process.” Investors may avail of the fund for as low as P5,000 or $100.