Alternative investments

ProShares has launched the ProShares Short Investment Grade Corporate exchange-traded fund, the first inverse investment grade corporate bond exchange-traded fund, which seeks to provide 1x the daily performance of the Markit iBoxx $ Liquid Investment Grade Index.

While corporations, consumers and governments are trying to get back on their feet following the global recession, continued volatility is pushing investors, especially high-net-worth investors, to pour their money into alternatives, which allow for broader diversification, said Gurinder Ahluwalia, president of Genworth Financial Wealth Management, at a media roundtable on diversification and new asset classes in New York.

ProShares has launched an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that will provide investors inverse exposure to the high yield bond market‹a first for the market, the Bethesda, Md.-based ETF manager said in a statement today.

Direxion has launched three single-inverse fixed income exchange-traded funds to permit investors to wager on decreases in interest rates. They are the Total Bond Market Bear 1x Shares, the Daily 7-10 Year Treasury Bear 1x Shares and the Daily 20+ Year Treasury Bear 1x Shares ETFs. They seek 100% of the inverse of the daily performance of, respectively, the Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, NYSE 7-10 Year Treasury Bond Index and NYSE 20-Year Plus Treasury Bond Index.

Prudential Investments has launched two new real estate funds, the Prudential U.S. Real Estate and the Prudential International Real Estate funds, complementing the existing Prudential Global Real Estate and Prudential Real Assets funds.

Virtus Investment Partners has launched three new funds: the Virtus Allocator Premium AlphaSector, the Virtus Global Premium AlphaSector and the Virtus Global Commodities Stock funds.

Variable annuity assets in the U.S. reached an all-time record of $1.5 trillion in 2010, with fourth-quarter sales rises 18% year-over-year to $37.6 billion, the Insured Retirement Institute announced Monday.

Russell Investments and Research Affiliates have launched a new index series based on Research Affiliates’ fundamental index methodology, whereby components of the index are selected by fundamental measures of company size rather than market capitalization.

ProShares has launched the ProShares UltraShort TIPS exchange-traded fund, which seeks to deliver -2x the daily return of the Barclays U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Index.

Genworth Financial Wealth Management has added alternative investment specialist Altegris Advisors to its investment platform.

Forward Funds has launched the Forward Commodity Long/Short Strategy Fund, which aims to profit from both up and down movements of commodity prices.

An innovative do-it-yourself investment platform is looking to broaden its business by providing high-net-worth-style service to investors who have as little as $50,000.

361° Capital has launched the 361° Absolute Alpha Fund, its first mutual fund.

Turner Funds on Monday debuted three new long/short mutual funds, the Turner Market Neutral, Turner Medical Sciences and Turner Titan funds.

John Hancock Funds announced on Tuesday its new John Hancock Alternative Asset Allocation Fund, a multi-managed fund that John Hancock will manage along with five other leading asset management firms: PIMCO, Wellington Management, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Stone Harbor, Deutsche Asset Management and First Quadrant.

Forward Management on Tuesday launched the Forward Tactical Enhanced Fund, an absolute return fund that seeks to deliver returns regardless of the market’s direction.

Frost Investment Advisors has launched the Frost Diversified Strategies Fund, a mutual fund that combines hedge and private equity approaches. The fund seeks to reduce downside volatility while providing upside investment opportunities.

RiverNorth Capital, in partnership with DoubleLine as sub-advisor, has launched the RiverNorth/DoubleLine Strategic Income Fund.

BNY Mellon Wealth Management is now offering its private banking clients Cash Management Access Accounts that will allow them to manage banking and self-directed investments in one place.

ETF Securities on Friday began trading its new exchange-traded product, the ETFS Physical Asian Gold Shares, on NYSE Arca.