Highland Capital Management has launched its first European regulated fund and will act as the sub-advisor of the BB Highland Floating Rate Fund.
The fund has been launched as an Irish Qualified Investor Fund (QIF) in partnership with BB DTVM, the asset management arm of Banco do Brasil.
The fund is designed to replicate the Highland Floating Rate Opportunities Fund by investing primarily in US bank loans and other floating rate products that seek to generate yield in a rising interest rate environment. As of 30 June, the Highland Floating Rate Opportunities Fund was ranked as the number one bank loan fund by Morningstar based on total return for the one, three and five year periods among 213, 168 and 111 funds, respectively.
“As international investors continue their search for yield, alpha generating bank loan funds are becoming an increasingly popular solution,” says Highland’s co-founder and chief investment officer Mark Okada, who will serve as the lead portfolio manager of the fund. “We’re excited to be able to bring the success of the Highland Floating Rate Opportunities Fund to a much wider base of international investors.”
The fund will target an investor base comprised of investors from Europe, Latin America and Asia. It is designed to provide foreign investors with access to the US bank loan market through one of the largest and most experienced global senior loan managers.
As sub-advisor of the fund, Highland will have discretion and authority over all investment decisions. The fund will offer bi-monthly liquidity.
