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The article reports that Virtus Investment Partners has field paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in June 2012 regarding its plan to launch five mutual funds with various strategies and subadvisors. The company's plan to acquire firms with assets of at least one billion dollars and specialist investment teams and new subadvisory relationships is mentioned. Subadvisors who have partnered with Virtus include Horizon Asset Management and Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors.

The article reports on the plan of investment management firm Eaton Vance to acquire 49 percent of Canadian investment management company Hexavest. According to Eaton Vance chief executive officer and chairman Thomas Faust, the acquisition will help the company expand its lineup of global and international equities. The funds that Eaton Vance offers are described as being focused on global, international or emerging market equity strategies.

The article presents a round-up of U.S. asset managers who are looking to explore Latin America to boost their respective assets under management (AUM). The executives cite the region's strategic importance over the next 5 years as ongoing pension fund reforms allow funds to outsource investment management to international firms and growing middle classes. Among the firms represented by the executives in the round-up are BlackRock, Franklin Templeton Investments and JPMorgan Asset Management.

The article reports that Direxion Funds has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to bring to market 6 Bull and Bear exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that mirror strategies of the firm's existing products, but with more limited leverage. Direxion Funds chief marketing officer Andrew O' Rourke said the launch of the new ETFs positions the firm to a potential rise in market demand for tradable products. Further information on the ETFs and Direxion Funds' growth plans.

The article reports that OppenHeimer Funds is set to merge away its 505-million-dollar Oppenheimer Champion Income Fund which was the center of a 2012 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission disclosure probe that ended with the firm's acceptance of a 35-million-dollar settlement deal. SEC alleged Oppenheimer made misleading statements about the said fund and the 1.2-billion-dollar Oppenheimer Core Bond Fund during the 2008 financial crisis.

The article reports that HSBC Global Asset Management U.S.A. has brought to market its first renminbi Fixed Income Fund, the fifth U.S.-domiciled fund dedicated to China's offshore bond market. HSBC is positioning the fund as a fixed-income portfolio diversifier as well as a yield and currency play as it could potentially make the China bond market, also known as the Dimsum bond market as one of the largest in the world.

The article reports that Nashville, Tennessee-based Compass EMP Funds has rolled out 5 equity indices. The indices are calculated by Dow Jones Indexes and emphasize target weightings of different asset classes by their riskiness, rather than their fundamentals or performance. Compass EMP Funds is conducting negotiations with exchange-traded funds (ETF) providers who are interested in licensing the indices for new products. Further information on the new indices is provided.

The article offers information on Eaton Vance's upgraded website. Eaton Vance has added a new tab called Asset Class Insights to be dedicated to specific asset classes such as alternatives investment strategies which were featured in the newly-upgraded website. Eaton Vance is also in the process of adding interactive educational tools to the various pages, starting with the municipals page and other tools to assist investment advisors with search engine optimization strategies.

The article reports that Legg Mason Inc. has entered on a rebranding exercise that will revoke his name from affiliates' mutual funds with 26 Western Asset Management Co. funds on August 1, 2012. It says that the exercise represents a fundamental change in the firm's strategy and philosophy in branding. It also mentions that the company is in consideration to launch advertising when the Western funds change its names.

The article discusses a result of a poll conducted by the periodicals "Morningstar" and "Barron's" which reveals the 23.2 billion dollars of inflows in alternatives funds in 2011. It says that asset class interest has grew at a steady rate from 2008 to 2010 before a retreat in 2011. It adds that more than 46.2% of the investment advisors claim that fees serve as the top reason for their hesitance in investing to alternatives products.

Information on the first conference for the strategists in exchange traded fund (ETF) investment of the iShares Inc. of Blackrock Inc. that was held at the Conrad New York in New York in June 2012 is presented. Topics include guide for ETF investment strategists, separately managed accounts (SMA), and model portfolios. The conference featured Katharine Earhart who leads the program.

The article reports that exchange-traded funds provider VelocityShares has hired people for its distribution team. It says that Daniel Saieh has been chosen as the company's Latin American head of sales while Daniel Aronson as its director. It mentions that the hiring brings eight people to the firm's distribution team and it will also hire additional wholesalers over the next 12 months.

The article reports on the three exchange-traded funds (ETFs) such as the Pring Turner Dow Jones Business Cycle ETF, the QAM Equity Hedge ETF, and the STAR Global Buy-Write ETF, which will be launched by AdvisorShares in summer 2012. Noah Hamman, the company's chief executive officer (CEO) states that financial advisors see the need for higher allocations on alternative strategies due to increase correlation in traditional asset classes. The differences in the three ETFs is cited.

The article reports on the Ivy Global Equity Income Fund which was launched by Ivy Funds. It says that the company changes the name and investment strategy of another incomed-focused fund to broaden the company's lineup and draws the interest of investors on income-oriented products. It also mentions that Global Equity Income Fund is centered on equity investment in developed markets.

The article presents a forecast from industry executives that mutual funds and exchange-traded funds investing in floating-rate notes and bank notes will experience growth over the 2012-13 period. According to Loren Fox of Strategic Insight, the total number of floating-rate notes and bank loans launched in 2011 was 19. Joe Becker of Invesco PowerShares says the PowerShares Senior Loan Portfolio is being marketed by the firm as a potential hedge against rising interest rates.

The article reports on the growing demand for alternative-based '40 Act funds among executives at broker-dealers in spite of the perception that the fund industry's new product churn machine is in overdrive. It notes that these executives are seeking for more event-driven and fundamental strategies, as well as better labeling. According to Cerulli Associates, 95 alternatives mutual funds were launched in 2011.

The article reports on the growing popularity of JPMorgan Investment Management's mutual fund provider brand among investors, according to a survey by Cogent Research. A cross-section of 4,100 U.S. adults with at least 100,000 U.S. of investable assets participated in the online survey. The survey found that more than one-in-five investors mentioned Fidelity Investments and Vanguard Group when asked about providers they plan to use. JPMorgan has been added to the list of the top 10 fund firms.

The article reports that the distribution and marketing efforts of BlackRock's iShares are focused on institutional investors. According to Liz Tennican, managing director and head of U.S. institutional sales, the institutional sales force of the company has been increased to 20 over the previous four years as it continues to add wholesalers aimed at the effort. She also explains the liquidity issue facing institutional investors.

The article announces the appointment of Tim O'Donovan as director of sales at Linde, Hansen & Co.

The article focuses on a plan by USAA to launch a series of target-risk funds in June 2012 in a bid to complement its existing target-date series of funds. Four funds will be launched by the firm, while two existing ones will be rebranded. Information on the growth of the firm's target-date funds lineup is provided. As of April 2012, target-date funds have earned 19.6 billion U.S. dollars.

The article reports that industry executives are preparing for the potential consequences of an inevitable increase in interest rates. The rise in interest rates is expected to lead to panic selling and finger-pointing toward asset management firms and in returns on fixed-income to plummet. Despite this fear, 17 bond funds were launched in the intermediate-term government bond, intermediate-term bond and long-term bond categories from the beginning of 2011 through the first quarter of 2012.

The article focuses on the plan of the boards of directors at nine of Morgan Stanley Investment Management's 13 closed-end funds to launch initiatives in response to pressure from dissident shareholders inflamed by the funds' persistently wide discounts. These actions include one-time tender offers, changes to funds' benchmarks, and portfolio manager shakeups. The also plan to create committees of independent directors to consider issues unique to closed-end funds and a proposed open-ending.

The article reports on the plan of HSBC Global Asset Management (USA) to launch a new mutual fund in the U.S. market approximately every four months for at least a year. According to Deborah Hazell, head of the firm's North American asset management business, the company intends to focus on emerging markets strategies, which it considers as the cornerstone for growing its retail business in the U.S. In April 2012, the firm launched its fifth emerging markets fund, the HSBC Total Return Fund.

The article reports on the decision of Federated Investors to add two more income-focused funds to the spring flight of its product-specific advertising campaign and to shift to almost entirely digital delivery. According to J. T. Tuskan, director of marketing, the current campaign continues the income theme. It notes that the company has also been increasing the amount of its spending to on-line advertising.

The article discusses the opportunities offered by rep-as-portfolio-manager (RPM) programs for fund management firms. RPM programs involve putting asset allocation decisions and manager selection in the hands of financial advisors at broker-dealers. According to Bob Cunha, principal at Market Metrics, RPM programs deliver superior results for clients, as they prove less volatile and have lower dispersion and better risk-adjusted returns.

The article reports that William McNabb, chairman and chief executive officer of Vanguard Group, has advised fund management firms to use social media to interpret and frame news, macroeconomic trends and investment choices. Speaking at the ICI General Membership Meeting in May 2012, McNabb said that firms have to experiment with different channels to see what works for them and their constituents. He added that the return on investment from using social media will be greater in the long-run.

The article focuses on the Global Income Builder Fund, the first mutual fund launched by First Eagle Funds in more than 10 years. The fund has been in development for nearly two years. The fund will be allocated to global equities, gold and fixed income. A dividend yield of 3-4% is predicted for the fund.

The article reports on the prediction of industry leaders that there will be a slowdown in new fund churn over the next decade and an increase emphasis on outcome-based strategies, such as dividend income. Paul Haaga of Capital Research Management claimed that the historical notion that more choice equates to less liability is no longer viable. Marie Chandoha of Charles Schwab Investment Management stated that the financial industry already started the shift to outcome-based products.

The article reports on the statement by Mellody Hobson of Ariel Investments that the way to face challenging times is to stick to the time-honored principles of investing, rather than seeking the quick score. She stresses the importance for mutual funds to innovate and to bring the best of investment management to the investor of moderate means. She also cited the 401(k) market as an example of how innovation has impacted a large portion of American investors.

The article reports on the entry of Arrow Funds into the exchange traded funds (ETF) market through the launch of a global go-anywhere fund that began on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Arca. The first ETF that was branded by the company as ArrowShares was the Arrow Dow Jones Global Yield ETF. The firm also launched four mulit-asset ETFs with an income focus in April 2012, according to Patricia Oey, senior ETF analyst at Morningstar.

The article reports on the debut of Baird Funds in the small-capitalization sector on May 7, 2012 with the launch of the Baird Small Cap Value Fund.

The article reports on the confirmation by executives at BlackRock's iShares, State Street Global Advisors and Invescom PowerShares that they are focusing their product development initiatives on emerging markets, commodities and asset allocation strategies. The executives said that these asset classes are popular with investors who want to diversify their portfolios to boost income and reduce volatility. Information on the exchange traded funds (ETFs) launched by these firms is also provided.

The article reports on the decision by Morningstar to downgrade its economic moat ratings for AllianceBernstein, Legg Mason and Federated Investors to narrow from wide. Janus Capital Group, Waddell & Reed Financial and Gamco Investors have also received narrow economic moat ratings from Morningstar. Information on Morningstar's economic moat ratings system is provided.

The article reports on the plan of Fidelity Investments to merge its Fidelity Advisor Stock Selector All Cap Fund into its Fidelity Stock Selector All Cap Fund. Lipper analyst Matthew Lemieux noted that the management teams and portfolio holdings of both funds are identical, but the advisor-sold fund had net outflows in 2011, while the direct-sold fund had substantial inflows over the same time period. Christopher Sharpe and Geoff Stein will be retained as co-managers of the combined fund.

The article reports on the launch by Intrepid Capital Funds of its Intrepid Small Cap UCITS Fund . It was noted that the new fund is a replication of the company's Intrepid Small Cap Fund in the U.S. and marks its entry into Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) market. It is also being managed by the same managers of the U.S. version. Chief executive Mark Travis said a major draw for the fund will be access to the firm's absolute return orientation.

The article reports on the results of the "Cerulli Quantitative Report: Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) and Retail Alternatives" in 2012. Sixty percent of respondents to the survey are planning to launch funds in the commodities and emerging markets in 2012. Cerulli Associates reported that more than 15 respondents hold 90% of the ETF industry's 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars of assets under management. It also revealed that firms are focusing on fundamental index products across asset classes.

The article focuses on the move of Invesco into a new, product-specific phase of its financial advisor-targeted branding campaign, which uses the tagline Intentional Investing. The campaign includes print, online and television (TV) advertisements and estimated to cost 12 million dollars, according to industry consultants. David Nardecchia, head of U.S. brand marketing of Invesco, stated that the transaction included 119 billion dollars of retail assets under management.

The article reports on the plan of Destra Capital to roll out two mutual funds this 2012, a fixed-income global flex fund and a fund of exchange-traded funds.

The article reports on the plan of Exchange Traded Concepts (ETC) to launch three covered-call exchange-traded funds (ETF) to be subadvised by Horizons Exchange Traded Funds and its U.S. affiliate Mirae Asset Global Investments. Analyst Matthew Lemieux stated that buy/write strategies entail taking exposure to underlying shares and writing covered calls on them to generate additional income. Horizons ETF is considered one of the growing lineup of proposed offerings by ETC.

The article reports on the plan of BPV Capital Management to bring to market up to four more mutual funds over the next two years and build a wholesaling force to support the effort. BPV will focus on creating a suite of funds that use alternatives investment strategies that employ hedging techniques, according to Mike West, senior partner and chief executive officer (CEO) of the firm. The firm is also managing 140 million dollars in a separately managed account and a limited partnership.

The article reports on the success of State Street Global Advisors to secure the investment management contract for the State of Nevada's 965 million-dollar 529 college savings plan. The firm will also offer an investment lineup of 15 Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts (SPDR) exchange-traded funds. The contract was awarded by the state to State Street to reduce fees and broaden distribution, according to Steve George, chief of staff at the Nevada State Treasurer's Office.

The article reports that three closed-end funds are being targeted by dissident shareholder proposals to terminate investment advisor Morgan Stanley Investment Management. These funds are the 76 million-dollar Malaysia Fund, the 233 million-dollar Thai Fund and the 66 million-dollar Morgan Stanley Eastern Europe Fund. Shareholders will vote on the proposals during the funds' annual meeting in June 2012.

The article reports on the filing of OppenheimerFunds with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for the launch of a commodities mutual fund called Oppenheimer Diversified Commodity Strategies Fund.

The article reports on the success of State Street Global Advisors to secure the investment management contract for the State of Nevada's 965 million-dollar 529 college savings plan and to offer an investment lineup of 15 Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts (SPDR) exchange-traded funds.

The article reports on the plan of IndexIQ to license its hedge fund replication and alternative beta indices to major wirehouses and broker-dealers. Adam Patti, chief executive of Index IQ, stated that the firm has fielded dozens of inquiries in recent months. The firm will produce a newsletter focused on the importance of using such indices for benchmarking.

The article reports that documents have been filed by three firms with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to bring initial public offerings of closed-end funds that will invest in energy master limited partnerships (MLP). ClearBridge Energy MLP Total Return Fund, the Tortoise Energy Independence Fund and the Salient Midstream & MLP Fund are the three proposed funds. It notes that the distribution yields of MLP funds ranged from 5.5% to 8%.

The article reports on the plan of First Western Capital Management to bring to market its first mutual fund called First Western Fixed Income Fund. Barry Julien, managing director of the firm's investment-grade fixed income, will manage the fund. Investments of the fund will primarily be focused in a diversified portfolio of investment-grade, fixed-income securities.

The article announces the selection of Thomas Butch, head of distribution, and Lori Dorsey, director of marketing at Ivy Funds, as Fund Marketer of the Year by the Fund Industry Intelligence (FII) at the 19th Annual Mutual Fund Award held the Mandarin Oriental in New York City on April 8, 2012.

The article announces the selection of George Gatch, chief executive officer (CEO) at JPMorgan Funds, as Fund Leader of the Year by the Fund Industry Intelligence (FII) at the 19th Annual Mutual Fund Award held the Mandarin Oriental in New York City on April 8, 2012.

The article reports that the municipal bond market has maintained a profitable pace of inflows this 2012 as investors continue to focus on income and capital preservation, and asset managers are lining up with products to tap into that demand. Among the firms that have filed paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to bring municipal bond mutual funds and exchange-traded funds to market are BlackRock and BlackRock's iShares, PIMCO, and MainStay Investments.