Equity Trustees has added to its list of managers after signing an agreement with Scottish investment manager Martin Currie Investment Management (Martin Currie).
The trustee company signed a deal yesterday to act as the firm's responsible entity for the Martin Currie Global Alpha Fund.
"We cheekily say that we are the largest responsible entity partnership service in the world," Equity Trustees funds management head Harvey Kalman told InvestorDaily.
Equity Trustees acts as a responsible entity for more than 35 fund managers offering in excess of 120 funds.
Foreign fund managers partner with Equity Trustees to leverage off its experience, relationships, compliance and administration in Australia.
Equity Trustees stipulates that the fund must have a sales and marketing co-ordinator in Australia to build business and achieve economies of scale.
Edinburgh fund manager Martin Currie manages around $30 billion in active equity portfolios for clients across the world.
Around $5.4 billion or 18 per cent of Martin Currie's total funds under management are invested in specialist global and international equity portfolios.
Equity Trustees and The Trust Company remain in exploratory discussions about a possible merger. Trust holds a direct 13 per cent stake in Equity Trustees.
In April, Equity Trustees completed its acquisition of Holdfast Fund Services (HFS).
HFS holds sponsorship rights that relate to the distribution and marketing of the EQT Intrinsic Value International Sharemarkets Fund and the EQT Intrinsic Value International Sharemarkets Plus Fund.
The funds had around $310 million under management at February 2008.
A fund distributed by Equity Trustees, EQT SGH LaSalle Global Listed Property Securities Trust, has been upgraded from a four star rating to a five star rating in the Standard and Poors Global Listed Property sector review.
