Phoenix Investment Counsel of Hartford is asking shareholders to approve a proposal to rename one of the Phoenix Funds as part of the firm's effort to brand its funds. Phoenix has proposed changing the name of the $314 million Phoenix Strategic Allocation Fund to the Phoenix-Oakhurst Strategic Allocation Fund, according to a proxy statement filed with the SEC Aug. 30. Phoenix's Oakhurst Division in Scotts Valley, Calif. includes prominent portfolio managers Steven Colton and Dong Hao Zhang.
The branding effort will make it easier for investors and advisors to identify the managers of the various Phoenix funds. Phoenix Investment Partners includes eight different Phoenix investment management affiliates. In December, the Phoenix Funds began a systematic effort to rename the group's offerings, identifying the advisers in the funds' names, a spokesperson said. The effort is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, she said.
