Australian boutique investment manager Maple-Brown Abbott has entered into an agreement with Hyde Park Investment (HPI) to distribute its UCITS funds in the UK and several countries across Europe including Sweden, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and France.
Maple-Brown Abbott CEO and Managing Director Sophia Rahmani said the partnership with HPI would allow the firm’s UCITS funds to be distributed to a broader range of UCITS fund buyers including wealth managers, family offices and private banks. This distribution agreement would complement Maple-Brown Abbott’s existing relationship with Douse Associates, which has been a quality partner for 17 years with a focus on institutional investors and their consultants, and some UCITS buyers in the UK and Switzerland.
“We are aiming to build on our existing presence across the UK and Europe for our existing UCITS funds – global listed infrastructure and Asian equity income – as well as funds we are looking to launch in the future such as global emerging markets,” Ms Rahmani said. “We believe we have compelling and differentiated investment capabilities, which are managed by globally recognised and award-winning teams. This includes the long-standing integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into the investment process for all our strategies, with our existing UCITS funds all registered Article 8.
They are confident that the HPI team is aligned with their culture and values at Maple-Brown Abbott, and believe that HPI’s distribution model, with experienced teams on the ground in the UK, Sweden, France, Italy and Spain and its strong track record in attracting assets, will broaden its investor base in these markets, according to Rahmani’s statement.
Commenting on the new agreement, Hako Finckenstein, Director, Hyde Park Investment, added, “We are delighted to be representing Maple-Brown Abbott’s UCITS funds in the UK and Europe. This partnership is a natural alignment of our businesses and values, particularly our mutual commitment to ESG. Maple-Brown Abbott has nearly 40 years of excellent investment pedigree and a unique product offering which resonates strongly with the market.
“We are encouraged by the interest our clients have shown already, especially in relation to Maple-Brown Abbott’s integrated ESG capability.”
Ms Rahmani concluded: “As a world class boutique investment manager with a range of differentiated investment strategies, we are excited to be working with two established and well-respected partners to continue to build deeper relationships with existing and future clients in the UK and Europe.”