CFS expands investment menu with international managed accounts

Colonial First State (CFS) has announced an expansion of international managed accounts on the CFS Edge platform, as well as new managed accounts on the Accelerate Series menu.

In what the firm called an “Australian first”, advisers and clients will now have access to an international managed account from global equity investment specialists Walter Scott through the CFS Edge platform.

CFS Edge will also host international managed accounts from Franklin Templeton and Watershed, bumping the total number of managed accounts on CFS Edge to more than 170 with over $16 billion invested in CFS managed accounts across the Edge and FirstChoice platforms.

Bryce Quirk, CFS group executive, distribution, said this addition to the platform is a direct result of the growing demand from advisers and licensees “seeking international investing opportunities”.

Meanwhile, Walter Scott executive director Roy Leckie added that the collaboration with CFS underscores the firm’s commitment to providing Australian investors with access to “high-quality and long-term global equity opportunities”.

“We have a single focus – investing in world-leading companies. Clients can count on us to stay true to this tried-and-tested investment approach for decades to come,” Leckie said.

Looking at the new additions to the Accelerate Series menu, the firm has introduced new portfolios from CFS Investments and Innova Asset Management to work alongside existing portfolios from BondAdviser and Ausbil.

Frances Taylor, CFS executive director of managed accounts, noted the rising demand for managed accounts from advisers as they chase further opportunities to improve efficiency.

“We are seeing a growing number of advisers and investment managers choosing CFS for managed account solutions due to our unique position in the market, offering options on both the FirstChoice and Edge platforms,” Taylor said.

“The expansion of our menu provides advisers with even more choices to present to their clients.”