MutualFundWire.com: American Century Applies Quant to Emerging Markets
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Thursday, October 31, 2013

American Century Applies Quant to Emerging Markets


American Century [profile] is taking quant to the emerging markets sector.

The Kansas City, Mo.-based firm has launched the American Century Investments Emerging Markets Value Fund.

The fund is managed by American Century’s quantitative equity team in Mountain View, Calif., and is available in investor, institutional, A, C and R share classes.

“American Century Emerging Markets Value is unique in that most emerging market funds follow a ‘growth’ or ‘core’ style rather than the ‘value’ approach of our fund,” stated Scott Wittman, chief investment officer overseeing the company’s disciplined equity (quantitative) strategies. “Also, our team uses quantitative models and screens to identify stocks for the portfolio, while the majority of emerging markets funds rely on a fundamental investment approach.”

The fund’s investment strategy utilizes a two-step process to identify undervalued securities. First, the portfolio managers use quantitative models to rank, from most attractive to least attractive, the stocks of publicly-traded companies located in emerging market countries. The team seeks to identify companies with characteristics similar to those that comprise the *MSCI Emerging Markets Value Index. Next, the managers use portfolio optimization techniques to build a portfolio of stocks they believe will provide the optimal balance between risk and expected return. The goal is to create a fund that provides better returns than its benchmark without taking on significant additional risk.

The team managing the fund consists of Director of Quantitative Research Vinod Chandrashekaran, Ph.D.; Portfolio Manager Yulin Long, Ph.D.; and Portfolio Manager Elizabeth Xie, Ph.D. and CFA. This same team also manages American Century International Value and American Century International Core Equity.

Here is the press release:
Company Press Release

AMERICAN CENTURY INVESTMENTS LAUNCHES EMERGING MARKETS VALUE FUND



KANSAS CITY, Mo., October 31, 2013 — Effective today, American Century Investments Emerging Markets Value Fund is available to clients and investors seeking ways to diversify their portfolios through investments in emerging market countries. Managed by American Century’s quantitative equity team in Mountain View, Calif., the new fund is available in investor, institutional, A, C and R share classes.

“American Century Emerging Markets Value is unique in that most emerging market funds follow a ‘growth’ or ‘core’ style rather than the ‘value’ approach of our fund,” said Scott Wittman, chief investment officer overseeing the company’s disciplined equity (quantitative) strategies. “Also, our team uses quantitative models and screens to identify stocks for the portfolio, while the majority of emerging markets funds rely on a fundamental investment approach.”

The fund’s investment strategy utilizes a two-step process to identify undervalued securities. First, the portfolio managers use quantitative models to rank, from most attractive to least attractive, the stocks of publicly-traded companies located in emerging market countries. The team seeks to identify companies with characteristics similar to those that comprise the *MSCI Emerging Markets Value Index. Next, the managers use portfolio optimization techniques to build a portfolio of stocks they believe will provide the optimal balance between risk and expected return. The goal is to create a fund that provides better returns than its benchmark without taking on significant additional risk.

The team managing the fund consists of Director of Quantitative Research Vinod Chandrashekaran, Ph.D.; Portfolio Manager Yulin Long, Ph.D.; and Portfolio Manager Elizabeth Xie, Ph.D. and CFA. This same team also manages American Century International Value and American Century International Core Equity.

American Century Investments is a leading privately held investment management firm, committed to delivering superior investment performance and building long-term client relationships since 1958. Serving investment professionals, institutions, corporations and individual investors, American Century Investments offers a variety of actively managed investment disciplines through an array of products including mutual funds, institutional separate accounts, commingled trusts and sub- advisory accounts. The company's 1,300 employees serve clients from offices in New York; London; Hong Kong; Mountain View, Calif. and Kansas City, Mo. James E. Stowers Jr. is founder of the company and Jonathan S. Thomas is president and chief executive officer. Through its ownership structure, more than 40 percent of American Century Investments' profits support research to help find cures for genetically-based diseases including cancer, diabetes and dementia. For more information, visit www.americancentury.com.

You should consider the fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before you invest. The fund’s prospectus or summary prospectus, which can be obtained by visiting americancentury.com, contains this and other information about the fund, and should be read carefully before investing.

*MSCI Emerging Markets Value Index: Represents the performance of large- and mid-cap value stocks in global emerging market countries.

International investing involves special risks, such as political instability and currency fluctuations. Investing in emerging markets may accentuate these risks.

The portfolio managers use an approach to stock investing that relies heavily on quantitative tools to identify companies, regardless of size, industry type or geographic location, whose share price patterns suggest their stocks are likely to increase in value. Among the risks associated with the fund, is the reliance on the fund's computer-based investment process. If the investment style embedded in this process falls out of favor with the market, the fund's performance may suffer.

©2013 American Century Proprietary Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. American Century Investment Services, Inc., Distributor.



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