The latest news in investment offerings, financial products and other services relevant to wealth advisors and their clients.

Invesco

US-based asset manager Invesco, with $2.2 trillion in assets under management, has expanded its fixed income range with the launch of two passively managed exchange-traded funds (ETF) which aim to enhance the yield on a core investment-grade credit allocation. The Invesco IG Corporate Bond Yield Plus UCITS ETFs offer investors the choice of exposure to either euro or dollar investment grade credit markets, the firm said in a statement.

“While investment grade credit was one of the most popular fixed income categories for European ETF investors last year, strong demand for non-core credit products suggests investors are looking to further improve their returns,” Matthew Tagliani, head of EMEA ETF product at Invesco, said. “Our approach with these new ETFs aims to enhance the return of the core allocation itself by systematically applying a well-established strategy from active management. By carefully controlling the risk versus the traditional benchmark, we look to provide a cost-effective, rules-based, passive index product in an efficient ETF structure.”

The two new Invesco ETFs will follow the respective iBoxx Corporates Investment Grade Spread Select Top 50 per cent TCA Index, focused either on bonds issued in dollars or euros. Each index is designed to reflect the performance of investment grade corporate bonds, while aiming to provide a yield enhancement compared with the parent iBoxx Corporates Index by selecting the bonds with the highest “benchmark spread” within that parent index. Benchmark spread is the premium over the yield of a default-free bond with a similar time to maturity.

The index constituents are selected quarterly, when every security in the parent index is grouped into one of 20 categories based on a combination of its remaining time to maturity and sector classification. Within their respective categories, securities are ranked based on their Benchmark Spread, and the top 50 per cent of securities within each category are selected to construct the index. The index is market value weighted.

Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management

Dutch-based Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management has introduced a new private equity fund focused on North America. With the Kempen North American Private Equity Fund II, private banking clients can invest, through carefully selected specialised private equity managers and direct co-investments, in small and mid-sized private companies in North America.

“The demand for private markets offerings remains strong. In 2025, private banking clients committed more than €540 million ($634 million) to our private equity funds, which have become a component of well-diversified investment portfolios,” Wendy Winkelhuijzen, member of the management board of Van Lanschot Kempen, responsible for private banking Netherlands, said. “As a wealth manager with an in-house investment manager, we can respond to this demand with diversified solutions. Thanks to our broad network and the long-standing expertise of our private markets specialists, we offer clients access to opportunities that were traditionally available only to institutional investors.”

This is the second fund focused on North America and the sixth private equity fund that Van Lanschot Kempen has launched since 2018. Like its predecessor, the fund is offered in a closed-end structure with a 10-year term, the firm said in a statement. By combining investments in private equity funds with co-investments, the fund achieves strong diversification and is designed to generate positive cash flow sooner.

“North America is the world’s largest and most dynamic private equity market. Despite the challenging geopolitical environment, we continue to see a wide range of high-quality companies with realistic valuations in the North American private equity sector,” Sven Smeets, head of the private equity strategy at Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management, added.

Alltrust

Alltrust, a UK-based pension trustee and administration specialist providing SIPP, family pension trusts and small self-administered services, has launched a Sophisticated Investor SIPP, a premium self-invested pension. The fund is designed for high net worth individuals, experienced investors and the Independent Financial Advisors (IFA) and wealth managers who advise them.

The Sophisticated Investor SIPP builds on Alltrust’s established SIPP proposition, offering greater flexibility, wider investment choice and enhanced control for clients with complex retirement and investment needs. It is aimed at investors seeking to move beyond standard platforms to access all markets including private markets, commercial property and bespoke investment structures, subject to Alltrust’s due diligence and approval process.

With a minimum initial fund of £100,000 ($134,000), funded through contributions and/or transfers, the Sophisticated Investor SIPP allows flexible funding with no requirement for regular contributions, the firm said in a statement.

Members can invest across a broad permitted list, from listed equities and funds. The main benefits of the SIPP include providing a tax-efficient vehicle for long-term retirement planning, enabling access to a broad range of traditional and non-standard assets, offering flexibility at retirement through drawdown, and lump sums or annuity purchase.

Online establishment with a regulated advisor costs £99, with an annual administration fee of £1,000. Non-standard investments are subject to a fee schedule set out in the product documentation.

Orbis Investments

Orbis Investments has made three of its equity strategies available to UK investors: Orbis Japan Equity, Orbis Emerging Markets Equity and Orbis International Equity.

The funds identify undervalued companies, which may result in them differing significantly from their benchmark or peers, the firm said in a statement.

Launched in 1998, the Orbis SICAV Japan Equity Fund takes a long-term, value-oriented, bottom-up approach to stock selection. Brett Moshal and Alex Bowles are responsible for the portfolio, which is unconstrained by benchmark weightings, and offers investors significant diversification benefits through its low correlation to other developed market indices. Since inception, the fund has returned an annualised 10.1 per cent net of fees†, compared with 5.7 per cent for the benchmark.

The Orbis SICAV Emerging Markets Equity Fund, managed by Stefan Magnusson and Stanley Lu, is characterised by its selective, research-driven approach. Launched in 2006, the fund takes a long-term approach: two-thirds of stocks in the portfolio have been held for more than five years. Since inception, the fund has returned an annualised 11.2 per cent net of fees, compared with 8.7 per cent for the relevant MSCI benchmark.

Launched in 2014, the Orbis SICAV International Equity Fund, managed by Graeme Forster, provides global ex-US equity exposure at a time of high US concentration in global indices, the firm continued. The bottom-up, value-oriented approach seeksn opportunities which the team believes offer attractive long-term value. The fund, unconstrained by benchmark weightings, typically comprises around 60 to 80 companies with about two-thirds of NAV in the top 25 stocks. Since inception, the fund has returned an annualised 12.5 per cent net of fees, compared with 8.5 per cent for the benchmark.

“We are hearing a consistent message from advisors, discretionary fund managers, wealth managers and family offices in the UK,” said Matthew Spencer, head of UK Retail at Orbis. “They are recognising the need for more diversified global exposure outside the US in the form of high-conviction building blocks that offer differentiated exposure and complement core allocations. Our Japan and Emerging Markets funds provide just that, having delivered strong track records while bearing very little resemblance to their benchmarks.”

The funds are available via Orbis’ refundable reserve fee, performance-linked structure that aligns the firm’s success with that of its clients. There is also a fixed-fee share class available for each of the funds.