Mackenzie Investments introduces broadest exposure to alternative asset classes available to all Canadian retail investors

TORONTO, Oct. 26, 2015 /CNW/ - Non-traditional or alternative asset classes are growing in importance as investors look for innovative ways to diversify their portfolio. Mackenzie Diversified Alternatives Fund, launched today by Mackenzie Financial Corporation (Mackenzie Investments), is at the forefront of alternative mutual funds in Canada – it provides the broadest exposure to alternative asset classes and is available to all Canadian retail investors. The Fund offers a one-stop, broadly diversified portfolio of alternative asset classes such as real estate, infrastructure, emerging market debt, micro cap equities, high yield, foreign currencies, preferred shares and commodities. In addition, it provides access to an absolute return strategy by investing in Mackenzie Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund.

"We have developed a simple, transparent and holistic way for Canadian retail investors to gain access to these important alternative investments that have always been available to large pension funds and institutional investors," said Michael Schnitman, Senior Vice President, Product of Mackenzie Investments.

Mackenzie Diversified Alternatives Fund is designed to complement a traditional balanced portfolio of large cap developed market equities and investment grade bonds by increasing diversification and enhancing risk-adjusted returns.  

Working with a broad universe of investible alternative asset classes, the Mackenzie Systematic Strategies Team has developed proprietary quantitative models that allocate the Fund's portfolio to a sub-set of these alternative asset classes.

"Non-traditional asset classes offer investors an enhanced ability to meet both risk/return and diversification goals," said Allan Seychuk, Senior Investment Director, Mackenzie Investments. "Unfortunately, individual investors have been at a significant disadvantage to large pension plans in this area. These asset classes are more challenging for investors to analyze and access and it is also harder to know how much of each asset to include in a portfolio. Mackenzie Investments addresses this challenge and provides advisors with a Fund that they can now recommend as a complement to a traditional balanced portfolio." 

About Mackenzie Investments
Mackenzie Investments was founded in 1967, and is a leading investment management firm providing investment advisory and related services. With $60.3 billion in assets under management as at September 30, 2015, Mackenzie Investments distributes its investment services through multiple distribution channels to both retail and institutional investors. Mackenzie Investments is a member of the IGM Financial Inc. (TSX: IGM) group of companies. IGM Financial is one of Canada's premier financial services companies with over $131 billion in total assets under management as at September 30, 2015. For more information, visit mackenzieinvestments.com.

SOURCE Mackenzie Investments

Trish Tervit, Director, Communications and Media Relations, Mackenzie Investments, 416-967-2166, [email protected]