Fund Product Update

Product Updates

Australian Unity launches new green bond fund

A new green bond fund being launched by Australian Unity is investing in fixed-interest securities specifically to help lower carbon emissions. The fund will be managed by the cash and fixed-interest team in-house, led by Bill Bovingdon. Crestone Wealth Management and Clean Energy Finance Corporation have backed the new fund as cornerstone investors.

Amazon launches climate venture capital fund

Technology giant Amazon has launched a US$2 billion venture capital fund to invest in companies building products, services and technology that protect the planet. Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund is to help the company reach The Climate Pledge, a net-zero-carbon commitment by 2040. Amazon launched The Climate Pledge with podcast produce Global Optimism in 2019 to attempt to meet the Paris Climate Agreement 10 years early

Metrics Credit Partners launches private debt fund

Pinnacle’s boutique, Metrics Credit Partners, has launched a new private debt fund to invest in direct loans to Australian corporations. The minimum investment is $1,000, with the Metrics Direct Income Fund targeting a 3.25 per cent per year above the Reserve Bank of Australia cash rate, with monthly income. The new fund is acting as a wholesale investor in a sub-trust, investing in other wholesale funds managed by the boutique. Management costs are set at 0.69 per cent per year of the fund’s net asset value.

ETF Securities launching new NASDAQ 100 ETFs

ETF Securities is launching geared, index-shorting exchange-traded funds (ETF), based on the NASDAQ 100. The new ETFs will offer leveraged long exposure or geared short exposure. The leverage of the two ETFs is 200-275 per cent of the net asset value. The funds are to be actively managed by ETF Securities, which are designed as trading tools, rather than traditional buy-and-hold stocks.

Vanguard launches SMSF capacity to personal investors

A self-managed superannuation capability has been added to Vanguard’s Personal Investor offering. SMSFs can now trade the top ASX shares by market capitlisation at $19.95 or 0.15 per cent per trade (whichever is greater). SMSFs will also have access to an interest-earning Vanguard cash account.