Top Portfolio Products: New Alternative-Strategy ETF

New products and changes introduced over the last week include an alternative strategy ETF from Invesco PowerShares and an Asia fund focused on long-term opportunities from T. Rowe Price.

Also, Janus announced an unconstrained bond fund.

Here are the latest developments of interest to advisors:

1) Invesco PowerShares Launches Alternative Strategy ETF

Invesco PowerShares has announced the launch of the PowerShares Multi-Strategy Alternative Portfolio (LALT). The ETF is designed to offer investors risk-adjusted returns with low correlation to traditional asset classes.

LALT employs a long-short strategy that seeks to provide a positive total return with low correlation to the broader securities markets through a cost-efficient vehicle. Invesco Advisers, Inc., the subadvisor, selects investments for inclusion in LALT’s portfolio with reference to the components of the Morgan Stanley Multi-Strategy Alternative Index, its benchmark, using a quantitative process that seeks to exceed the index’s performance.

2) T. Rowe Price Offers Asia Opportunities Fund

T. Rowe Price has launched the Asia Opportunities Fund (TRAOX), which will seek long-term capital appreciation by owning high-quality, well-managed companies that are doing business throughout Asia (excluding Japan) and that it believes can reliably grow over the long term. TRAOX will focus on companies with highly predictable earnings.

The fund, managed by Eric Moffett, will typically invest in 40–70 high-quality companies in Asia, with country and sector positions a result of the firm’s fundamental, bottom-up stock selection process. The net expense ratio is estimated to be 1.15% for investor class shares and 1.25% for advisor class shares.

3) Janus Launches Unconstrained Bond Fund

Janus Capital Group, Inc. has announced the launch of the Janus Unconstrained Bond Fund (JUCTX), which seeks to maximize total returns, consistent with the preservation of capital. The fund will be managed by Gibson Smith and Darrell Watters.

JUCTX seeks positive total returns over a full market cycle, regardless of the prevailing fixed income market environment. The fund is not limited by duration or sector constraints and the portfolio duration may range from negative three years to eight years.

Read the May 26 Portfolio Products Roundup at ThinkAdvisor.