CFS to ease access to global markets with expanded menu

Colonial First State (CFS) has announced the launch of international signature managed accounts on its Edge platform, bringing the total number of managed accounts on CFS Edge to more than 150, while the firm reports having more than $14 billion invested in CFS managed accounts across its Edge and FirstChoice platforms.

In order to expand users’ investment options, the firm will utilise global equity managers, including T. Rowe Price, CBRE Investment Management, ClearBridge, and Lazard Asset Management.

Furthermore, the firm has brought on several new portfolio managers, including AZ Sestante, InvestSense and Mercer, and added 21 new managed accounts to its Accelerate Series investment solution, which was launched late 2023 with the intention of providing a lower cost option for managed account construction.

CFS said the new options are complimented by its new white paper, International Investing Through Managed Accounts.

Bryce Quirk, CFS group executive - distribution, said this latest round of expansions will allow advisers to better utilise managed accounts for their clients.

“CFS Edge was designed with managed accounts at its core. These new options give advisers and their clients easy direct access to global markets while benefiting from the efficiency of a managed account structure,” Quirk said.

With Australia making up just 2.5 per cent of global markets, Frances Taylor, CFS executive director of managed accounts, said this will allow advisers to better service their clients and provide greater portfolio diversification.

“Advisers and their clients benefit from true diversification by spreading risk across different countries, sectors and asset classes,” Taylor said.

“International signature managed accounts on CFS Edge cut through the complexity of international equity trading and foreign exchange management with innovative currency wallet technology which enables advisers to transact and invest in 12 currencies.”

Jonathon Ross, T. Rowe Price head of intermediary distribution for Australia, added that he was excited to be partnering with CFS and help more investors access wider markets.

“T. Rowe Price is pleased to extend our investment capabilities to more Australian investors through CFS Edge’s managed account platform. We welcome the opportunity to make our strategies more accessible,” Ross said.