The team at a 28-year-old, $159.8-billion-AUM (as of February 28), 498-employee, publicly traded, Midwestern fund firm recently rolled out a pair of active fixed income mutual funds. The new funds are the first offerings from the fund firm's newest autonomous investment team.

Michael A. Cirami Artisan Partners Managing Director, Portfolio Manager - EMsights Capital Group

Yesterday, Eric Colson, CEO of Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Artisan Partners [profile], and Michael Cirami, managing director of Artisan's EMsights capital group, unveiled the launch of the Artisan Global Unconstrained Fund and the Artisan Emerging Markets Debt Opportunities Fund. The first fund debuted on March, and the second debuted yesterday.

The launches come about seven months after the Boston-based EMsights capital group team joined Artisan. The team is led by Cirami, Sarah Orvin (a portfolio manager), and Michael O'Brien (managing director and global head of trading). Cirami and Orvin PM the two new funds, and Artisan Partners Distributors LLC serves as the funds' distributor.

Both funds come in three share classes. For the Artisan Emerging Markets Debt Opportunities Fund, investor shares (APFOX) come with an expense ratio of 125 basis points (including a 14-bps fee waiver promised through January 31, 2024), advisor shares (APDOX) cost 115 bps (including a 10-bps fee waiver), and institutional shares (APHOX) cost 110 bps (including a 5-bps fee waiver). For the Artisan Global Unconstrained Fund, investor shares (APFPX) cost 154 bps (including a 14-bps fee waiver), advisor shares (APDPX) cost 144 bps (including a 10-bps fee waiver), and institutional shares (APHPX) cost 139 bps (including a 5-bps fee waiver).

"There is ample opportunity for this team to generate alpha and differentiate from peers and the index," Colson states. "Demand for yield is growing from institutional and wealth channels, and asset allocators are increasingly globalizing their credit allocations."

The new funds' other service providers include: DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. as transfer agent; Ernst & Young LLP as independent account firm; Goldman Sachs Bank USA as securities lending agent; JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. as custodian and portfolio accountant; and Ropes & Gray LLP as counsel. 

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