Alternative investments

Versus Capital will launch a retail mutual fund-of-funds that invests directly in income-producing real estate—a type of investment typically only available to institutional investors. Callan Associates will serve as sub-advisor.

Global X Funds is liquidating eight of its exchange-traded funds, including a fund focused on emerging markets and another on waste management. All of the funds trade on NYSE Arca. The eight closings, scheduled for Feb. 27, with the last day of trading on Feb. 16, are:

TIAA-CREF has launched the TIAA-CREF Global Natural Resources Fund, aimed at providing investors with diversification, a hedge against inflation and an opportunity to participate in the growing demand for resources among the world’s seven billion population.

PHOENIX, Ariz.-Richard A. Ferri, the founder of Portfolio Solutions, spent much of his first day at the Super Bowl of Indexing conference here trying to collect names.

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Richard A. Ferri, the founder of Portfolio Solutions, spent much of his first day at the Super Bowl of Indexing here trying to collect names.

Principal Funds has launched the Principal Global Multi-Strategy Fund, which will invest in alternative strategies through specialist sub-advisors to provide income, while combating inflation and market volatility.

The International Securities Exchange said Thursday that it intended to provide venture capital to the exchange-traded product industry.

Asset management firms recorded average profitability of 28% through 2010 and the first half of 2011, according to a new McKinsey report.

Global X Funds has launched the Global X Social Media Index ETF (SOCL), which it says is the first ETF that will globally focus on social media companies. The fund will cover companies that provide social networking, file sharing and other web-based media applications.

Fidelity Investments has introduced two new emerging markets funds, the Fidelity Total Emerging Markets Fund and the Fidelity Emerging Markets Discovery Fund. The first fund invests in equities and bonds, the second in small- and mid-cap stocks.

BOSTON—“Emerging markets are just a niche asset class” persistently remains as one of the five biggest myths about investing in emerging markets, said John Flint, chief executive officer of HSBC Global Asset Management.

BOSTON—Morgan Stanley Smith Barney has three words for asset managers specializing in registered alternative investment products: Bring it on.

Commodity Futures Trading Commission chairman Gary Gensler said Monday he recused himself from the regulator’s probe of the failure of derivatives player MF Global, because “I didn't want my participation to in any way be a distraction.''

SAN FRANCISCO -- Alternative investment strategies are relatively new. But they've already achieved broad acceptance within the investment world, Jerome Abernathy of Rydex SGI told a packed gathering at the Schwab Impact conference here Wednesday.

Eaton Vance has launched the Eaton Vance Multi-Strategy All Market Fund, a new fund that can invest in a broad spectrum of asset classes, including stocks, bonds and alternatives. The fund’s managers will employ fundamental analysis, quantitative portfolio optimization and risk management techniques.

IndexIQ has expanded its IQ series of 16 funds with the IQ Global Alternatives ETF Model Portfolio. The investment vehicle uses liquid, transparent, low-cost alternative exchange-traded funds to achieve diversification, growth of capital and low volatility.

Highland Funds Asset Management has launched the Highland Alpha Trend Strategies Fund, a global fund that will invest in country- and region-specific exchange-traded funds as well as take long and short positions in equity indexes. The fund aims to invest in areas with low correlation and volatility.

Schwab Charitable has launched the Charitable Legacy Program, to enable individuals to extend their charitable giving beyond their lifetimes.

Flexibility. Tactical allocation. Macroeconomic analysis.

Investors contributed $748 million to Fidelity Charitable, the largest donor-advised fund in the U.S., in the first nine months of 2011, a 23% increase from the first three quarters of 2010. Thus, the fund is on course to receive the largest amount of contributions in its 20-year history, Fidelity said.