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

Legal & General
Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) has announced the expansion of its exchange-traded funds range with the launch of the L&G Global Brands UCITS ETF.

The new fund builds on LGIM’s range of ETFs and will provide investors with access to non-traditional investment opportunities through an investment approach which focusses on companies with top global brands, the firm said in a statement.

The Global Brands UCITS ETF, which is the first ETF of its kind to integrate brand value into the investment process, aims to give investors access to a diversified portfolio that captures companies with the world’s most valuable brands, the firm continued.

The fund is listed on the London Stock Exchange and Borsa Italiana and is expected to be listed shortly on XETRA Deutsche Boerse and SIX in Switzerland. It has been categorised as Article 8 under the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation.

The ETF leverages the expertise of Brand Finance®, a global name in independent brand valuation and the first consultancy certified to provide ISO-compliant brand valuation and evaluation across industries. Brand Finance®’s established framework to determine brand value is based on five key metrics: brand investment, brand equity, brand performance, brand impact and forecast revenues, the firm added. 

“A business’s brand is one of its most important financial assets. Used correctly, strong brands can unlock vast financial value for businesses and shareholders. Brand Finance is excited to partner with LGIM to launch this ETF and demonstrate the added value that brands bring. This will continue to reaffirm the role of brand in the boardroom,” Richard Haigh, managing director at Brand Finance, said.

The fund’s investment strategy capitalises on the financial performance exhibited by companies with the top brands globally across all sectors, such as LVMH, Apple, Samsung and Visa. 

“We hope that the launch of this ETF will enable investors seeking exposure to such brands and companies that own them, gain access to a diversified portfolio of higher quality names that have historically demonstrated greater earnings resilience,” Aanand Venkatramanan, head of ETFs, EMEA at LGIM, said. “Additionally, investing in an index with ESG filters can help support companies that prioritize sustainability and ethical practices, which has increasingly gained importance for investors’ strategies.” 

Calculus Capital
Calculus Capital, a provider of tax-efficient investments, has unveiled its latest Venture Capital Trust (VCT) Fund offer for the 2023/24 tax year.

The offer, which will seek to raise up to £10 million ($12 million), will have an over-allotment facility for an additional £10 million, with a total fundraising of up to £20 million including the over-allotment facility, the firm said in a statement. The launch follows the UK government's amplified support for the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), which is one of the three tax-based venture capital schemes. With this VCT launch, Calculus said it aims to bolster the UK's potential high-growth companies.

The VCT Fund, due to close on 30 August 2024, offers investors a diversified portfolio targeting sectors including technology, healthcare, and entertainment, the firm continued. With a minimum investment threshold set at £5,000, the fund is poised to attract both seasoned and new investors.

"Our journey since launching the first HMRC approved EIS fund in 1999, has been one of growth. With this VCT Offer, we are further solidifying our pledge to back the UK's most promising businesses. We believe that through this VCT, investors can not only benefit from capital growth and tax-free dividends, but also play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the UK's innovation landscape," John Glencross, chief executive and co-founder of Calculus Capital, said. 

Investors in the VCT can anticipate a range of benefits, including up to 30 per cent income tax relief, exemption from capital gains tax, and the potential for tax-free dividends. The fund's focus on the technology and healthcare sectors resonates with the UK's current trajectory, with the technology sector in particular, leading the European market in VC funding, the firm said. Among the companies in Calculus's portfolio are Oxford BioTherapeutics, Optalitix, and Rotageek, all of which have shown growth and innovation in their respective domains.