BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Columbia Threadneedle Investments today announced that Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC has completed its acquisition of Emerging Global Advisors, LLC (EGA), a New York-based registered investment adviser and a leading provider of strategic beta emerging market portfolios. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
The acquisition adds over $900 million1 in assets across a suite of nine emerging markets equity exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and significantly expands the firm’s capabilities in the development, management and deployment of innovative strategic beta products. The product line includes strategic and thematic index-based investment strategies, highlighted by the $671 million2 EGShares Emerging Markets Consumer ETF (ECON).
“We believe that our combined strategic beta offerings enhance and complement our actively managed investment capabilities and bring our expertise to a broader set of investors,” said Ted Truscott, chief executive officer of Columbia Threadneedle Investments. “We are pleased to welcome our new EGA colleagues to Columbia Threadneedle and to offer our clients and partners a strong platform of strategic beta portfolios.”
Marc Zeitoun, formerly EGA chief product and marketing officer, now leads Columbia Threadneedle’s strategic beta platform as head of strategic beta, reporting to Mr. Truscott. Edward Kerschner now serves as chief portfolio strategist for strategic beta, reporting to Colin Moore, global chief investment officer, and Mr. Zeitoun.
Effective today, EGA’s website (www.emergingglobaladvisors.com) has been rebranded to Columbia Threadneedle Investments. Product information and market commentary related to the EGShares suite of ETFs can be found by visiting www.columbiathreadneedleetf.com and accessing the emerging market ETF section.
The company intends to rebrand the EGShares ETFs to Columbia later this year, consistent with the naming convention for the firm’s U.S. mutual funds and other ETFs. There will be no changes to the funds’ ticker symbols.
About Columbia Threadneedle Investments:
Columbia
Threadneedle Investments is a leading global asset management group that
provides a broad range of investment strategies and solutions for
individual, institutional and corporate clients around the world.
With more than 2,000 people, including over 450 investment professionals based in North America, Europe and Asia, we manage $460 billion3 of assets across developed and emerging market equities, fixed income, asset allocation solutions and alternatives.
Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global asset management group of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP).
For more information, please visit columbiathreadneedle.com/us and columbiathreadneedleetf.com.
1As of June 30, 2016
2As of July 31, 2016
3As
of June 30, 2016
Notes to Editors:
The Columbia
Beta AdvantageSM suite of smart beta ETFs consists of:
Columbia Sustainable Global Equity Income ETF (ESGS), Columbia
Sustainable International Equity Income ETF (ESGN) and Columbia
Sustainable U.S. Equity Income ETF (ESGW).
The Columbia Beta Advantage ETFs are a natural extension of our equity income capabilities and track custom-designed multi-factor indices that are calculated and maintained by MSCI. Each ETF’s name includes “Sustainable,” which refers to selection of index constituents based on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.
The EGShares suite of nine emerging-markets equity exchanged traded funds (ETFs) that track custom designed indices consists of:
- EGShares Beyond BRICs (BBRC)
- EGShares EM Core ex-China (XCEM)
- EGShares EM Quality Dividend (HILO)
- EGShares EM Strategic Opportunities (EMDD)
- EGShares Emerging Markets Consumer (ECON)
- EGShares Emerging Markets Core (EMCR)
- EGShares India Consumer (INCO)
- EGShares India Infrastructure (INXX)
- EGShares India Small Cap (SCIN)
An investor should consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The Prospectus contains this and other information. For more complete information about the fund or to obtain a Prospectus, call 888-800-4347 or visit www.columbiathreadneedleetf.com. Please read the Prospectus carefully before investing.
Edward Kerschner and Marc Zeitoun are Registered Reps of ALPS Distributors, Inc.
Shares are not individually redeemable. Investors buy and sell shares on a secondary market. Only “authorized participants” may trade directly with the fund(s), typically in blocks of 50,000 shares.
Smart beta is an approach to indexing that weights companies by criteria other than market capitalization. Smart beta strategies are rules-based, with product-specific rules that are transparent to the market. They track indices that deviate from standard indices in security selection and weighting.
ETFs trade like stocks, are subject to investment risk and will fluctuate in market value. Investment products, including shares of funds, are not federally or FDIC-insured, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by any financial institution.
Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal. Emerging market investments involve risk of capital loss from unfavorable fluctuation in currency values, from differences in generally accepted accounting principles, from economic or political instability in other nations or increased volatility, and lower trading volume. The value of an investment denominated in a foreign currency could change significantly as foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar. Some Funds are non-diversified and, as a result, may have greater volatility than diversified funds. Some Funds will concentrate investment in issuers of one or more particular industries to the same extent that the underlying index is so concentrated. Concentration risk results from maintaining exposure to issuers conducting business in a specific industry.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC serves as the investment manager to the ETFs. The ETFs are distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc., which is not affiliated with Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, or its parent company Ameriprise Financial, Inc. Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies.
As of the Closing Date, the following funds will operate under an interim investment advisory agreement with CMIA for up to 150 days: EGShares EM Strategic Opportunities ETF, EGShares Emerging Markets Core ETF, EGShares India Consumer ETF and EGS Shares India Infrastructure ETF. During this period, continued proxy solicitation will be made to shareholders related to the new agreement. To the extent that any such fund does not approve a new advisory agreement with CMIA, it may be liquidated. Shareholders of the remaining funds have approved a new investment advisory agreement with CMIA.
The Beta Advantage indexes are custom indexes owned and calculated by MSCI, based on MSCI Parent Indexes and aim to reflect the performance of a Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC investment approach.
The Beta Advantage ETFs referred to herein are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by MSCI, and MSCI bears no liability with respect to any such funds or any index on which such funds are based. The Prospectus contains a more detailed description of the limited relationship MSCI has with Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and any related funds.
Columbia Beta Advantage ETFs are new and have limited history.
The content within this press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to sell any of these securities.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC.
AdTrax 1579247 / (09/16) CET000120 (Exp. Sept 1, 2017)
© 2016 Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC. All rights reserved.
