McLean Budden expands international reach with new UCITS funds to be marketed
worldwide

High performing, Canadian managed equity funds based in Dublin

TORONTO , Jan. 18 /CNW/ - McLean Budden, one of Canada's oldest and most respected investment firms with more than $35 billion under management, has launched Canada's first UCITS fund family based in Dublin, Ireland , making five of Canada's top performing equity funds available in more than 100 countries worldwide. RBC Dexia Investor Services is acting as the fund's custodian, administrator and transfer agent.

"We have actively managed assets on behalf of our non-Canadian clients for more than four decades," said Roger Beauchemin , President and CEO, McLean Budden. "This international following has grown organically based on the strength of our balanced approach, which translates into a non-Canadian client base of over $2.5 billion in a dozen countries. The UCITS umbrella now makes us available to an array of global clients who until now have not had access to us."

Since being introduced in 1985, UCITS (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) funds have become increasingly popular among global investors. UCITS funds enable investment managers to distribute their products across borders within a transparent and highly regulated structure. UCITS have been described as the gold standard for investor protection, regulation and disclosure.

"As a Canadian investment firm, we have a substantial advantage in international markets," said Beauchemin. "Canadian diversity fuels an understanding of global markets, and this is reflected in our firm - with 110 employees and 27 languages spoken across the company. We understand global markets because we have been global investors since day one - today we manage over $8 billion in global equities. It also helps that Canada's financial system is widely recognized for its strength, integrity and stability."

The McLean Budden UCITS structure has a family of five funds. Each fund has four classes: two Institutional (denominated in US $ and (euro)) and two Private Client (denominated in US $ and (euro)). The Funds mirror five of McLean Budden's top performing funds, which have previously only been available to Canadians:

    
    -   McLean Budden American Equity Fund
    -   McLean Budden Canadian Equity Fund
    -   McLean Budden Global Equity Fund
    -   McLean Budden Global Equity Growth Fund
    -   McLean Budden Global Equity Value Fund
    

The McLean Budden UCITS fund family was launched on December 31 and is regulated by the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority.

About McLean Budden

Founded in 1947, McLean Budden is one of Canada's oldest and most respected investment firms with offices in Toronto , Montréal, Vancouver and Chicago . The firm actively manages over $35 billion in pension, foundation, mutual fund assets and private wealth on behalf of institutional and private clients across North America , Europe and Asia. The firm's investment philosophy is based on long-term, balanced strategies. Now in its fourth generation of management, McLean Budden's experience and success in succession planning provides the assurance of consistent investment style, service and performance. McLean Budden has 110 employees, including 46 portfolio managers and research analysts. Investment professionals at McLean Budden own approximately 40 per cent of the firm and retain day-to-day control of operations. Sun Life Financial, a leading international financial services organization with total assets under management of $412 billion and operations in key markets worldwide, holds a majority interest. Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF. For more information please visit www.mcleanbudden.com.

For further information: Alex Mangiola, Pilot PMR, [phone] Ext. 21, [email protected]