Munder, Aston Partner in Fund Launch

The fund seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation by investing in emerging markets in Latin America, Eastern and Southern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The fund will be offered in I shares (ALMEX) and N shares (ALEMX). Lee Munder Capital Group is the sub-adviser.

Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the fund’s portfolio will be invested in equity securities including depositary receipts representing companies listed in the MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index.

The fund will also invest in the securities of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and exchange-traded notes (ETNs) that track an emerging market index. Lee Munder’s emerging markets investment philosophy is a bottom-up, quantitative approach. It seeks to exploit inefficiencies in the market by identifying stocks with attractive valuations that also have good growth prospects and high quality of earnings. By selecting stocks that rank well on a variety of metrics, the firm’s investment strategists aim to diversify its source of returns in different market environments. 

“We are committed to selecting experienced, boutique investment managers with proven expertise in distinct areas of the market to help us bring new strategies to mutual fund investors,”

Aston believes the fund will give investors an effective alternative to the equity markets of developed countries, said Stuart D. Bilton , chairman and chief executive of Aston. “Our experience working with Lee Munder Capital Group has shown us their strong capabilities,” Bilton said.

Emerging markets offer significant growth potential in the years ahead, according to Kenneth L. Swan , CEO of Lee Munder Capital Group. “Today, emerging markets are more than the ‘BRICS’—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa,” Swan said. “We see opportunities in many places including, Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Malaysia and Thailand.”

Aston is an investment management firm with headquarters in Chicago.