Yesterday the New York City-based quant mutual fund shop unveiled the Gerstein Fisher Multi-Factor Global Real Estate Securities Fund. Gerstein founder and chief investment officer Gregg Fisher PMs the new fund. Academic advisor Sheridan Titman co-PMs the fund.
An open niche is part of what attracted the Gerstein team to the REIT fund space. Fisher told MFWire that, of the 36 existing global REIT funds, he thinks his fund is the only quantitative one.
Shares of the new fund come with a total expense ratio of 100 basis points.
The overall firm offers financial planning and tax management, as well as investment management. Gerstein works with more than $2 billion in client assets.
Company Press Release
PRESS RELEASE
June 3, 2013, 9:00 a.m. ET
Gerstein Fisher Launches Global Real Estate Fund
NEW YORK--June 03, 2013--
Independent investment management firm Gerstein Fisher today announced the launch of Gerstein Fisher Multi-Factor Global Real Estate Securities Fund (ticker: GFMRX), a mutual fund designed to provide exposure to global real estate.
"By adding global real estate securities to their portfolios, individuals can broaden their investment opportunity set and increase their diversification," said Gregg S. Fisher, Gerstein Fisher's founder and Chief Investment Officer and the Fund's portfolio manager. "Our research indicates a number of positive trends for global real estate, such as growing global populations and increasing urbanization. Working with Sheridan Titman, now an Academic Advisor to Gerstein Fisher and a preeminent researcher in the areas of factor-based investing and real estate, we have developed a truly distinctive approach to investing in this fast-growing asset class."
The Fund seeks to provide diversified exposure to global real estate markets using a structured, quantitative approach. Gerstein Fisher constructs the Fund's portfolio using a multi-factor optimization model that examines possible combinations of REITs and other real estate securities considered for inclusion in the Fund's portfolio, with the goal of finding a combination that maximizes expected return potential while attempting to manage exposure to risk. The model incorporates fundamental factors, statistical factors and macroeconomic factors, including, but not limited to, size, value, momentum, leverage, country selection, profitability and liquidity.
The Fund offers globally diversified real estate exposure to meet the demand of a growing number of investors who are seeking real estate investments beyond the ownership of their own homes, a single commercial building or even several commercial buildings. With this Fund, for a minimum of $2,500, investors can access a pool of several thousand properties around the globe covering retail, apartments, health care, office buildings, hotels and other commercial properties.
About Gerstein Fisher
Gerstein Fisher is an independent investment advisory firm founded in 1993 by Chief Investment Officer Gregg S. Fisher. Based in New York City, the firm manages and/or consults on over $2 billion in assets on behalf of individuals, families, institutions, endowments and foundations, as well as mutual fund investors through the Gerstein Fisher Multi-Factor Growth Equity Fund (GFMGX) and the Gerstein Fisher Multi-Factor International Growth Equity Fund (GFIGX). The firm uses a disciplined, quantitative, research-based investment approach that is grounded in economic theory and common sense. For more information about Gerstein Fisher, please visit www.gersteinfisher.com.
The Gerstein Fisher Global Real Estate Securities Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and other expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The statutory and summary prospectuses contain this and other important information about the investment company and may be obtained by calling 1-800-479-1155, or visiting www.gersteinfisherfunds.com/downloads.html. Read it carefully before investing.
Mutual fund investing involves risk; Principal loss is possible. Investments in foreign securities involve greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks as well as differences in accounting methods. Small- and Medium-capitalization companies tend to have limited liquidity and greater price volatility than large-capitalization companies. Options on securities may be subject to greater fluctuations in value than an investment in the underlying securities. The investment in options is not suitable for all investors. The risks of investments in derivatives include imperfect correlation between the values of these instruments and the underlying assets; risks of default by the other party to the derivative transactions; risks that the transactions may result in losses that partially or completely offset gains in portfolio positions; and risks that the derivative transactions may not be liquid. The fund may engage in short sales of securities, which involves the risk that losses may exceed the original amount invested. Diversification does not assure a profit nor protect against loss in a declining market. A REIT's share price may decline because of adverse developments affecting the real estate industry, including changes in interest rates. The returns from REITs may trail returns from the overall market. Additionally, there is always a risk that a REIT will fail to qualify for favorable tax treatment. Unlike mutual funds, ETFs do not necessarily trade at the net asset values of their underlying securities, which means an ETF could potentially trade above or below the value of the underlying portfolios. Additionally, because ETFs trade like stocks on exchanges, they are subject to trading and commission costs, unlike open-end investment companies.
Diversification does not assure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market.
The Gerstein Fisher Multi-Factor International Growth Equity Fund, Gerstein Fisher Multi-Factor Growth Equity Fund, and the Gerstein Fisher Multi-Factor Global Real Estate Securities Fund are distributed by Quasar Distributors, LLC, an affiliate of US Bancorp.