Zurich launches the Scudder
Zurich Financial Services is to launch a more focussed range of funds as part of a restructure of its product range.
Zurich Financial Services is to launch a more focussed range of funds as part of a restructure of its product range.
Under the changes, Zurich will introduce two international niche funds, concen-trating in small companies and emerging markets, which will be managed by the Zurich’s global investment arm Scudder Kemper from New York.
This will be the first time investors have had access to international funds through Zurich's links with Scudder in the US, which were formed when the two merged local operations in September last year.
The other new funds include an Australian fixed interest, property securities, bal-anced and share funds.
According to the head of product management, Michael Abbott, the small compa-nies fund will target companies with a market capitalisation between $200 million and $4 billion.
He also says the fund, which is has 80 per cent exposure to North America and Europe, has returned an average of nearly 20 per cent since its inception in 1991.
The emerging markets fund will target longer term capital growth by targeting companies in emerging markets including eastern Europe, Latin America and Af-rica.
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Jason Spits
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