Pictet Asset Management has added the Pictet-TR Akari fund to its total return fund range.
The latest addition is a Ucits-compliant Japanese equity market neutral fund offering weekly liquidity, which will invest principally in liquid and large-cap stocks.
The fund is designed to deliver long-term capital growth with low equity market correlation. It aims to achieve this by linking stock selection with Japanese market specific factors, the firm said.
Akari represents the eighth total return fund to be launched by the group, which has combined assets under management of $10.3bn (£7.9bn).
It will be managed by Tokyo-based senior investment managers Teruhiko Nishimura and Tomohiro Yamaguchi.
Mr Nishimura said: "A thorough understanding of both company fundamentals and market technicals is essential to generating consistent returns in this market.
"We believe that Japan provides structural and cyclical opportunities to extract pure alpha."
Patrick Connolly, head of communications at Chase de Vere, said: "Pictet tend to specialise in very specialist areas, and this fund certainly seems to fit that bill. Investing in Japanese funds takes up very little room in most portfolios.
"Also, the weekly liquidity is likely to prove a stumbling block, particularly in most typical investments, including Isas. I think it’s a niche product."
