Lazard AM launches emerging market fund to retail sector

Lazard Asset Management (LAM) has launched an emerging markets equity fund to retail investors.

The Lazard Emerging Markets Equity Advantage Fund, which uses a quantitative solution and systematic investment process, is now available to retail investors.

Overseen by the Lazard's equity advantage team, the fund invests in 175 to 300 securities and seeks to generate consistent outperformance through market cycles.

Lazard has managed the investment strategy behind the fund since 2011.

The fund invests in regions such as China, Taiwan, Indonesia, India and Brazil and is benchmarked against the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. Some of its holdings include TSMC, Samsung, Alibaba, Petrobras and MediaTek.

"We believe this fund that uses a quantitatively based investment process will be a complement to the Lazard Emerging Markets Fund, which employs an actively managed fundamental approach," LAM Asia Pacific chief executive Paul Cuddy said.

"Our equity advantage team continues to attract interest from investors around the world, including in Australia. The team has a track record of delivering consistent outperformance, particularly in inefficient markets like global small caps and emerging markets."

The fund manager opened the Lazard Global Equity Advantage Fund, which is also managed by the equity advantage team, as an Australian unit trust last November.

LAM manages about $379 billion of client assets globally.

Parent company Lazard announced last week it entered into an agreement to acquire Campbell Lutyens, a global private markets adviser focused on fund placement, secondary advisory, and general partner capital advisory services.

Lazard plans to combine its existing private capital advisory group with Campbell Lutyens to form Lazard CL, marking its third global business.

In recent months, LAM rolled out several executive leadership changes at its New York headquarters. In January, LAM appointed a new chief investment officer in Eric Van Nostrand.

Before his promotion, Van Nostrand served as global head of markets and chief economist at the fund manager.

Chris Hogbin assumed the role of chief executive of LAM the month prior, previously leading the company's institutional research business in Europe and Asia.