Products December 30, 2008

Brandes Investment Partners Opens Two Mutual Funds

Brandes Investment Partners, L.P. has announced the availability of two mutual funds.
Reported by

The Brandes Institutional Global Equity Fund (ticker: BIIEX) is a new fund, while the Brandes Institutional International Equity Fund (ticker: BGVIX) is an existing fund that has reopened since being closed to new investors on September 30, 1998.

“In the wake of significant equity market declines over the past year, we believe the number of extremely undervalued investment opportunities around the world is higher than it’s ever been in our firm’s nearly 35-year history,” Ed Blodgett, Director – Private Client Group said. “It’s an exciting time to be a long-term investor, and we see this as an exceptional opportunity for existing and new clients to pursue competitive future returns.”

For more stories like this, sign up for the PLANADVISERdash daily newsletter.

According to the announcement, investments for these equity funds will be based on the decisions of Brandes’ investment committees. “Brandes uses a team approach to investment management, reflecting knowledge shared among seasoned investment professionals, rather than the reliance on a single individual,” Blodgett added.

Brandes managed approximately US$69.7 billion on behalf of institutional and individual investors, as of September 30, 2008.

More information is available online at http://www.brandes.com.

The Markets December 29, 2008

Advisers Slightly More Optimistic in December

Advisers' outlook on the economy and the stock market improved slightly in December, according to Rydex AdvisorBenchmarking.
Reported by

The Advisor Confidence Index (ACI), which gauges adviser views on the U.S. economy and stock market, increased 2% between November and December, from 82.46 to 83.57.

The calculation of the ACI considers four economic elements, two of which rose in December. The component with the most significant increase was the stock market outlook (+4.73%).

Want the latest retirement plan adviser news and insights? Sign up for PLANADVISER newsletters.

The four index components are:

  • Current economic outlook (+3.78%)
  • Six-month economic outlook (+0.82%)
  • 12-month economic outlook (-3.17%)
  • Stock market outlook (+4.73%)

Despite the positive outlook on the stock market and current economic outlook, advisers surveyed are least confident about the longer-term economic outlook. The 12-month economic look is relatively pessimistic, showing a -3.17% change. Advisers are also less optimistic about the likelihood of economic growth improving in the first half of 2009.

«