Industry Updates

K2 Advisors launches alts fund for Canadian investors

Monday, March 11, 2019

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Opalesque Industry Update - Franklin Templeton Investments Canada today introduced Franklin K2 Alternatives Fund to provide investors with access to alternatives investments in a mutual fund format. The fund uses a multi-strategy approach in seeking to dampen volatility and offer downside protection, while providing added diversification and low-correlation to asset classes typically held in a traditional portfolio.

"With the market environment being unpredictable over the past year, investors are looking to reduce volatility and protect capital," said Duane Green, president and CEO of Franklin Templeton Investments Canada. "Our alternatives fund addresses these investor needs and combines the benefits of a sophisticated solution with the liquidity, convenience and fee transparency of a mutual fund."

Franklin K2 Alternatives Fund provides access to multiple alternative strategies in an integrated, cost-effective solution, including:

Hedge fund replication that seeks to replicate the returns of high conviction hedge funds.
Equity premium alpha that seeks to capture alpha produced by skilled hedge fund managers while shorting crowded hedge fund equities.
Risk premia that seeks to monetize behavioural and structural market anomalies using a systematic approach.

As market conditions warrant, Franklin Templeton's K2 Advisors - the fund's sub-advisor - may implement a conditional risk overlay for risk mitigation, which will act as a hedge against negative market events.

Franklin K2 Alternatives Fund will be co-managed by Brooks Ritchey, senior managing director and head of portfolio construction, Rob Christian, senior managing director and head of investment research, and Gordon Nicholson, senior vice president and portfolio manager, K2 Advisors. These portfolio managers have 33, 29 and 24 years of industry experience, and 14, 9 and two years with the firm, respectively.

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