Investment Products and Services Launches

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. and Morningstar, Inc. have entered into an agreement to provide retirement investment data to asset managers in an effort to further strengthen their ability to identify and prioritize adviser and consultant sales opportunities. 

According to Broadridge, the company’s analytics offerings for all segments of the retirement market will be enhanced with Morningstar’s RightPond retirement investment data and expertise related to product mappings, performance and risk ratings. Broadridge’s solutions, powered by Morningstar data, enable wholesalers to identify the over 10,000 advisers that specialize in the retirement business, and can provide more clarity into non-mutual fund assets held in large retirement plans. 

“The retirement business continues to be a major opportunity for asset managers, but adviser product specialization and investment product shifts have changed the landscape significantly in recent years,” says Frank Polefrone, senior vice president of Broadridge’s mutual funds data and analytics business. “The combination of Morningstar data and Broadridge’s analytics solutions provides fund firms with the technology and precise information to pursue their best possible client opportunities. This is another example of how we’re working with clients to deliver real business value through data-driven solutions.” 

Broadridge’s business intelligence and analytics capabilities help Defined Contribution Investment Only (DCIO) sales teams identify advisers that specialize in retirement plans and prioritize the ideal opportunities for their products. Broadridge also helps institutional asset managers identify product opportunities for large private defined contribution (DC) and defined benefit (DB) plans.  

“Due to an increased specialization in the retirement market, asset managers and advisors are demanding advanced data and insights. We are excited to meet that demand and be the fuel to Broadridge’s analytical platform to help investors achieve their financial retirement goals,” says Scott Burns, Morningstar’s head of data and research products.

Advantus Rebrands as Securian Asset Management

Advantus Capital Management Inc. has changed its name to Securian Asset Management Inc., effective May 1.

According to Securian, the name change will help the St. Paul, Minnesota-based asset manager build a stronger brand in the institutional asset management market. The company remains the same legal entity, with no change in ownership or control.

“Brand recognition is important, and by rebranding to Securian Asset Management, we expect to gain greater market awareness for our institutional asset management capabilities,” says David Kuplic, Securian Asset Management’s president.

“Additionally, the timing of this change just makes sense. We are working more closely with Securian Financial than perhaps ever before, leveraging our collective expertise to build new, mutually beneficial capabilities in emerging growth opportunities like pension risk transfer. These new capabilities, along with our established areas of expertise, will serve as the base of our reinvigorated focus on external asset growth moving forward,” adds Kuplic.

Northern Trust to Provide Services for New Morningstar Funds

Northern Trust announced it has been selected to provide fund accounting, fund administration, transfer agency and global custody services for Morningstar Funds Trust, a new fund complex with nine subadvised mutual funds to be launched by Morningstar Investment Management LLC, a provider of discretionary investment management and advisory services.

“Northern Trust’s global technology platform and mutual fund expertise make it an excellent mutual fund service provider to support our new funds,” says Daniel Needham, president and chief investment officer of Morningstar Investment Management, the investment adviser to Morningstar Funds Trust. “Our strong relationship with Northern Trust allows us to focus on our active, multi-manager investment strategies while providing exceptional client service to our investors.”

“We are happy to build on our relationship with Morningstar Investment Management as they launch a new line of mutual funds,” says Dan Houlihan, head of Northern Trust Global Fund Services in North America. “Through technology innovation and talent development, Northern Trust aims to deliver a more automated, client-centered service model to the U.S. mutual fund market, and this appointment by a premier asset manager confirms our progress toward that goal.”