Franklin Templeton Rolls Out International Fund

Franklin Templeton Investments announced the introduction of the Mutual International Fund.

The announcement said the fund will “use Mutual Series’ deep value investment approach while investing predominantly in securities of non-U.S. companies.” The fund seeks capital appreciation, with income as a secondary goal, and it will focus primarily on undervalued securities of large- and mid-capitalization companies and, to a lesser extent, merger arbitrage and distressed securities. The fund’s strategy is to invest primarily in Europe and developed Asia.

“We believe that diligent, company-by-company research is critical to finding out-of-favor stocks trading at significant discounts to their intrinsic worth,” said Philippe Brugere-Trelat, vice president of Mutual Series and co-portfolio manager of the fund. “We also take a business owner’s perspective and are willing to actively press companies for change when we believe it will unlock shareholder value.”

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“Using Mutual Series’ rigorous, bottom-up investment strategy, we will focus on uncovering the most attractive investment opportunities in Asia,” said Andrew Sleeman, co-portfolio manager of the fund, in the announcement. “As always, our focus will be on companies with strong balance sheets and robust cash generation, with an eye on capital preservation.”

Brugere-Trelat began his career with Mutual Series in 1984. He has 25 years of experience focused primarily on the European equity markets. In addition to managing all European investments for Mutual International Fund, he also manages Mutual European Fund. Sleeman has 23 years of experience and has been with Mutual Series since 2007 where he has been responsible for covering the insurance sector and later the Asia region. Prior to joining Mutual Series, he focused on international equities and fixed income.

Brugere-Trelat and Sleeman will be supported by the Mutual Series investment team, which includes more than 25 portfolio managers, analysts, and traders with an average of more than 16 years of industry experience, according to the announcement.

 

United Capital Offers New RIA Support Services through FundQuest

United Capital Financial Advisers, Inc. (UCFA), launched services for its national network of advisers and regional offices.

FundQuest, a provider of managed account software, partnered with United Capital to build a customized suite of technology-based sales and productivity tools, back-office operations, portfolio accounting services, best-of-breed investments, and transition support teams, according to a news release.

UCFA said the services will integrate with its existing portfolio management capabilities. FundQuest will provide reporting aggregation, operational and workflow management technology, portfolio accounting integration, and sales and financial planning tools. Advisers will be able to work with multiple custodians and report on held-away assets, the company said.

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FundQuest offers open-architecture solutions, including hybrid active and passive strategies, and income-oriented portfolios, according to the release.

“Our partnership with FundQuest enables us to provide RIAs and independent advisers with the best set of wealth management tools, technology, products, and support services available today,” said Joe Duran, CEO of United Capital, in the release. “These expanded services will help us continue to attract breakaway brokers from firms like Merrill Lynch as well as independent RIAs looking to materially improve their practices.”

United Capital, an independent national network of advisers, said it oversees more than $9 billion of client assets at 20 offices nationwide.

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