QIC has opened its Global Fixed Interest Alpha Fund to investors outside Australia via a US dollar class of units.

QIC has opened its Global Fixed Interest Alpha Fund to investors outside Australia via a US dollar class of units.

The initiative represents QIC's first significant move to secure clients outside Australia.

The GFI Alpha Fund generates absolute return strategies across fixed income global macro markets and credit derivatives.

It uses the latest available instruments and processes in actively managing the broadest possible global interest rate and credit derivative strategies.

Launched in Australia in July 2005, the GFI Alpha Fund has a since inception gross return of 13.4 per cent per annum and a one year return figure of 16.5 per cent (as at 31 May 2009).

Susan Buckley, QIC managing director of global fixed interest, says: 'Our investment process has helped position the portfolio to outperform in the face of extreme market volatility and stress. We exploit the broadest possible range of fixed interest active return opportunities and underpin this with a transparent and disciplined framework to best control risk.

'The other great benefit of the fund is liquidity and flexibility. By using synthetic fixed interest instruments we remain nimble and responsive which is vital in the current market. The fund also provides excellent diversification for investors with low correlation with the major asset classes or other hedge fund or absolute return products.'

QIC has established an Irish QIF structure with Carne Global, a globally-recognised adviser to the asset management industry, to be the management company.