SEI, a financial services firm based in Oaks, Pa., that offers products and services to banks and investment advisors, among other professionals, has launched four new investment strategies to expand options for its clients, the firm announced Tuesday.
The new strategies are available to the firm’s separately managed accounts and unified managed accounts and are designed to help advisors better serve mass-affluent, high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth investors, SEI said.
The new strategies, as described by SEI, are:
• The Systematic U.S. Aggregate Bond Core strategy, which provides exposure to the U.S. aggregate fixed-income market while seeking to provide an overall risk-factor exposure that is similar to that of the benchmark index.
• The Systematic Municipal Bond Core strategy, which provides exposure to the intermediate municipal bond market while seeking to provide an overall risk-factor exposure that is similar to that of the benchmark index.
• The Systematic U.S. Dividend Yield Core strategy, which seeks to provide a return similar to that of a dividend yield-focused index and consists of U.S. stocks from the index that are screened for consistent records of high dividend payments and the ability to sustain them in the future.
• The U.S. Dividend Yield (Multi-Factor SMA) strategy, which deploys a quantitative-based, active investment process, delivered through an enhanced dividend yield factor that seeks to deliver income without sacrificing long-term capital appreciation. It does this by purchasing high dividend-paying U.S. large-cap stocks.
“We have developed these investment strategies to provide all of our clients with greater control, transparency and tax-efficiency,” said Erich Holland, executive managing director of client experience for SEI’s advisor business, in a statement. “This launch represents a significant milestone in our ongoing mission to innovate and enhance our product offerings based on what matters most to our clients.
“Our goal is to continue to offer better tax-efficient and cost-effective personalization at scale, so advisors can unlock new opportunities for growth, navigate complexity with confidence, and better align their strategies with the new wealth portfolio—driven by each client’s individual needs and objectives,” he added.
SEI predicts that unified managed accounts will continue the strong growth pattern that they’ve seen in the last five years. The new strategies are designed to take advantage of that, the firm said.
Separately managed accounts offer individualized strategies run by distinct professional managers, while unified managed accounts provide a comprehensive investment solution that combines multiple strategies or investment vehicles within a single account structure, SEI said.
The use of the new strategies can improve the advisor’s value-add for clients, the firm said.
“We remain steadfast in delivering solutions rooted in advice, customization and stability for our clients. Our internal capabilities provide access to the entirety of the capital markets through SEI’s direct indexing solutions, factor strategies, and individual bond portfolio management,” said Jim Smigiel, chief investment officer and head of SEI’s Investment Management Unit, in a statement.