Investment Giants Expand UCITS ETF and Research Fund Offerings

Lazard Asset Management is expanding its Equity Advantage platform with the European ex-UK Equity Advantage Fund. Managed by a team overseeing $50.9 billion, the fund utilizes a quantitative framework that assesses financial quality and growth potential, requiring manual validation for every trade to avoid black-box reliance. Simultaneously, Franklin Templeton is scaling its UK presence by introducing the FTGF Putnam Global Research Fund. Co-managed by a veteran team, the fund builds on the momentum of its US counterpart, which has attracted over $5 billion since April 2025.

Invesco is doubling its Enhanced Equity UCITS ETF range, bringing its active management lineup to 19 funds with $8.4 billion in assets. The expansion targets Global Small Caps, Japan, and the UK, positioning these products between passive indexing and traditional active management. WisdomTree has also entered the defined-outcome space with two new ETFs listed on Xetra and Borsa Italiana. These funds, DRTN and DRTD, focus on autocallable strategies tied to the EURO STOXX 50, aiming for consistent annual returns of 6% to 9% by leveraging equity and volatility risk premia.