The fund seeks capital appreciation in the long term by investing in companies across any size outside the United States.
The sub-adviser’s investment process starts with a list of companies in the benchmark index and the research team utilizes quantitative techniques and fundamental analysis to identify investment opportunities.
Next, the research team invests in equity securities, depositary receipts, and in derivatives and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to such securities.
The research process is driven by fundamental analysis of one stock at a time. In selecting securities for the portfolio, the research team focuses on companies that have durable competitive advantages and provide opportunities for long-term growth.
In addition; the team focuses on companies with proven management teams that allocate capital prudently.
The team also considers companies that are attractively priced relative to their estimated intrinsic value.
As part of the process, the team reviews a company’s financial information, competitive position and its future prospects.
The team may also meet with the company’s management and take into account general industry and economic trends.
Also, the research team integrates environmental, social and governance factors as part of its process.
Then the manager constructs a portfolio of stocks from a list of companies favored by the research team and allocates capital based on its conviction level.
The fund will invest in companies economically tied to at least three different countries, including the U.S.
Also, the fund may invest at least 40%, unless market conditions are not deemed favorable, in which case at least 30%, of the fund’s net assets in companies that are economically tied to countries other than the U.S.
The fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities of issuers located in emerging markets countries, i.e., those that are generally in the early stages of their industrial cycles.
The fund may also invest in China A shares.
The fund has the flexibility to invest across all market capitalizations, but will generally invest significantly in large capitalization companies.