Investment funds

A new Franklin Templeton survey found that globally investors are optimistic about 2013, but are still wary of the potential for risk.

U.S. securities regulators are reviewing a proposal that would require the riskiest money-market mutual funds to adopt a floating share price, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Fidelity Investments has rolled out a target volatility strategy, the Fidelity VIP Target Volatility Portfolio. The portfolio seeks to manage total return volatility within a target range.

Fidelity Investments has rolled out a target volatility strategy, the Fidelity VIP Target Volatility Portfolio. The portfolio seeks to manage total return volatility within a target range.

Bruce Karpati, the former national chief enforcement officer of the SEC's asset management unit, has been named chief compliance officer for Prudential Investments.

Legg Mason filed with the SEC yesterday to launch the Western Asset Ultra Short Obligations Fund, which will be sub-advised by its subsidiary, Western Asset Management Company,

WisdomTree filed with the SEC yesterday to register the S&P 500 Managed Distribution Fund. The fund will track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the S&P 500 Managed Distribution Index.

Income, safety and international. Those are the key words when it comes to describing the most popular mutual fund categories.

MidAtlantic Trust Company said it had resolved record-keeping problems that have kept exchange-traded funds from being part of holdings in 401(k) and other retirement plans.

Principal has filed to launch the Capital Securities Fund in Class S shares.

Daniel Needham has been appointed global chief investment officer for Morningstar Investment Management and managing director for Morningstar Investment Management Europe.

Jeff Vinik, in a move that echoes his departure 17 years ago from the Fidelity Magellan Fund, is shutting his hedge fund after making ill-timed bets on gold and the direction of stocks.

Principal Life Insurance Co. plans to roll out a variable annuity called Principal Lifetime Income Solutions on Aug. 1.

UCM Partners, a New York City-based boutique asset manager specializing in residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, will be launching the UCM MBS Total Return Fund, its second mutual fund.

Arrow Investment Advisors will be launching a new high yield bond ETF. According to a filing made with the SEC May 6, the company registered to launch the Arrow Global Enhanced HY Bond ETF.

Thomson Reuters has launched a proprietary index designed to measure trust in global financial institutions called the Thomson Reuters TRrust Index (TRust Index).

Morningstar has rolled out the next generation of Morningstar® Retirement ManagerSM, an advice and managed account service for defined contribution participants in the United States.

Primerica is incorporating two additional annuity products from Lincoln Financial Group into its retirement lineup.

Vanguard is establishing an intermediary business in Hong Kong. Along with the new business unit, Vanguard also said the announcement of its first locally domiciled product offering in Hong Kong is imminent.

Two or three years ago, institutional investors primarily used ETFs for tactical purposes, holding them for less than one year. But now they are using them strategically as well, according to the 2013 Greenwich Associates study of trends in institutional usage of ETFs, which was sponsored by iShares.