IOOF expands wholesale trusts range

IOOF Funds Management has introduced four wholesale trusts on the Australian market, expanding its range of investment opportunities.

The new IOOF trust range consists of the IOOF Socially Responsive Shares Trust and the IOOF Perennial Value Shares Trust, both of which invest in Australian listed companies but have two distinct ideologies.

The responsive shares trust focuses on companies who have a social performance in its corporate culture, while the value shares trust invests in under-valued Australian companies with a solid operational base.

The IOOF Asia Trust and the IOOF Japan Trust are the final two trusts investing in a portfolio of Asian shares (excluding Japanese shares), and well-managed Japanese companies with long term growth prospects, respectively.

IOOF managing director Rob Turner says the trusts were designed to have distinct investment options which can be offered to advisers and clients.

"Given investor trends and market movements around the world, the new trusts provide investors with the opportunity to access strong and competitive investment solutions which reflect these trends," he says.

The IOOF Socially Responsive Shares Trust, of which there are only a handful of similar products currently in Australia, will also be available to investors in a retail version about July this year.

The wholesale trusts, to be managed by specialist wholesale fund manager and IOOF subsidiary Perennial Investment Partners, require a current minimum investment of $50,000 and hold a high risk/return profile.

The trusts are also accessible through IOOF's MAX Portfolio Management Service, with a minimum investment of $2,000.