Manulife IM unveils new funds aimed at maximizing returns through innovative fixed-income strategies
Manulife Investment Management (Manulife IM) has launched two new liquid alternative funds: the Manulife Alternative Opportunities Fund and the Manulife Strategic Income Plus Fund.
These funds are managed by the Canadian fixed-income team and the global multi-sector fixed-income team, which collectively oversee more than $54bn in assets globally.
The Manulife Alternative Opportunities Fund is designed to generate attractive long-term total returns by combining income and capital appreciation while using hedging strategies to mitigate potential volatility.
The Canadian fixed-income team, comprised of Roshan Thiru, CFA, Altaf Nanji, CFA, Sivan Nair, CFA, and Jonathan Crescenzi, CFA, leverages their extensive expertise in North American fixed income.
They aim to offer a tactical bond solution that could potentially provide higher yields with less volatility compared to typical bond funds.
“Our focus is on managing the risks and opportunities associated with a typical bond portfolio through the use of interest rate futures, credit default swaps, options, and synthetic leverage,” said Roshan Thiru, the head of Canadian fixed income.
“While these tools have traditionally been used for risk mitigation, their synthetic addition offers us enhanced flexibility to drive returns in an increasingly volatile investment landscape.”
Similarly, the Manulife Strategic Income Plus Fund aims to maximize total returns through both income generation and capital appreciation.
Managed by Christopher Chapman, CFA, Kisoo Park, Thomas C. Goggins, Bradley Lutz, CFA, and Charles Tomes, this fund draws on their collective 140 years of industry experience.
The team utilizes its deep knowledge of the global fixed-income market and increased adaptability to deliver a global bond solution that could offer higher yields than typical bond funds while actively managing duration and currency exposure.
“In addition to the fund’s dynamic sector allocation and global outlook, the increased derivatives flexibility and leverage capability bring further levers and resilience to the Strategic Income Plus portfolio. With this nimble approach, the fund could be a new source of potential alpha for clients looking to diversify their fixed-income exposure,” explained Christopher Chapman, head of global multi-sector fixed income.
