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Prudential Launches MLP Fund Investing In US Energy Production
Sandra Kilhof
19 December 2013
, the mutual fund business of
Prudential Financial, has launched the Prudential Jennison MLP Fund, which
seeks total return through a combination of income and long-term capital
appreciation, offering investment opportunities in master limited partnerships. This is the firm’s second mutual fund launch in 2013. The
funds are designed to give investors opportunities to invest in the growing
infrastructure sector, this time with a focus on businesses that support
increased US
energy production. The new fund, which invests in MLPs, follows the recent
launch of the Prudential Jennison Global Infrastructure Fund. The fund is sub-advised by New York-headquartered Jennison
Associates’ income and infrastructure team, and is led by portfolio managers Bobby
Edemeka and Shaun Hong. “Historically, MLPs have demonstrated low correlation to
broader markets and low volatility compared to other sectors. A focus on MLPs
provides an opportunity for dividend yields that are higher than other asset
classes and could provide consistent income, given the long life span of many
infrastructure investments,” said Hong. The fund management team will focus on firms
that are engaged in the transportation, storage, processing, refining,
marketing, exploration and production of oil and gas or the mining of minerals
or other natural resources, the statement said. The fund will contain
between 30 and 50 holdings, will focus on North America, and will use the Alerian MLP Index
as a benchmark. Prudential Financial had more than $1 trillion in assets
under management as of September 30, 2013, with operations in the US, Asia, Europe and Latin
America.