The latest news in investment offerings, financial products and other services relevant to wealth advisors and their clients.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Goldman Sachs Asset Management has just launched a range of actively managed equity exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in Europe.

Goldman Sachs Alpha Enhanced US Equity Active UCITS ETF (GQUS) is the first of five funds to be launched. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Börse, with further listings across major European exchanges to follow, and will provide exposure to US equities. The four upcoming funds will offer access to global, European, Japanese, and emerging markets equities, the firm said in a statement.

The launch follows Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s recent entry into active exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in EMEA with several fixed income funds, expanding the product range and underscoring the firm’s commitment to making its investment capabilities available through the ETF wrapper.

“Clients are increasingly looking for leading active capabilities, delivered with the control and convenience of ETFs,” Hilary Lopez, head of the EMEA third party wealth business at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, said. “Following the launch of our core active Fixed Income building blocks, we are leveraging our proven Quantitative Investment Strategies to expand the range into equity.”

Goldman Sachs Asset Management manages 55 ETF strategies globally as of today, representing over $38.7 billion in assets as of 31 March 2025. The TER for Goldman Sachs Alpha Enhanced US Equity Active UCITS ETF (GQUS) is 0.20 per cent. Goldman Sachs Asset Management is the primary investing area within New York-listed Goldman Sachs, which oversees more than $3.1 trillion in assets under supervision. 

Franklin Templeton has also been continuously expanding its ETF range, most recently with the launch of two new indexed exchange-traded funds (ETFs), classified as Article 8 under the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR): the Franklin S&P 500 Screened UCITS ETF and the Franklin S&P World Screened UCITS ETF. 

Franklin Templeton
California-based investment manager Franklin Templeton has just announced the FTGF Putnam US Research Fund, a sub-fund of the Irish-domiciled Franklin Templeton Global Funds range available to UK investors. Adopting a similar approach to the Putnam US Research Equity strategy, the fund will offer US large-cap equity exposure, focusing on stock selection as the primary driver of active return. This strategy was established in 1995 and has $2.4 billion of US client assets across pooled and segregated portfolios, the firm said in a statement.

The Putnam US Research Fund will pursue consistent, superior risk-adjusted returns through a disciplined approach to idea generation, portfolio construction, and risk management. Managed with a sector-neutral approach, the strategy can own both growth and value stocks. 

The move comes after the California-headquartered investment manager acquired Putnam Investments in January last year.

WineFi
WineFi, a UK wine investment fintech offering investors a data-driven approach to investing in fine wine, has just confirmed that it has raised a £1.5 million ($2 million) seed round. The round was led by wine group Coterie Holdings, the firm said in a statement. WineFi’s raise also incorporated a crowdfund and saw a number of high-profile angels join the company’s cap table, as well as existing VC investors SFC Capital and Founders Capital increase their shareholding. 

Founded by Oliver Thorpe and Callum Woodcock, who started his career at investment managers Fidelity International and JP Morgan Asset Management, WineFi’s raise comes at a time when the global economy is in flux and investors are in search of exposure to diversification away from mainstream assets. 

A pattern which has seen high net worth investors and family offices seeking to diversify their portfolios and gain exposure to selections of fine wines, this follows another trend, which in recent years has seen the same investors buy exposure to other collectables such as whisky, fine art and classic cars. 

For high net worths and those seeking to educate themselves, WineFi also allows individuals to co-invest in diversified, expertly-curated wine portfolios using their syndicate structure, with minimum investments of as little as £3,000 ($4,000).

"The fine wine investment space has historically been split between wine merchants that are set up to facilitate drinking and collecting rather than investing, and bespoke investment businesses that often operate like merchants with added management fees," said Woodcock. "We created WineFi to serve investors who view wine primarily through an investment lens, offering them diversified, cost-efficient exposure to a fascinating asset class that has historically remained off-limits to all but specialists. While many of our investors are also wine enthusiasts, WineFi seeks to bridge the gap between the two."

In the current economic climate where interest in collectables is rising, fine wine is fast emerging as a compelling alternative asset, which notably is exempt from capital gains tax in many cases, adding to its appeal for diversification-focused investors, the firm said.

"Most of our clients are either high net worth individuals or high earners looking to allocate 2 to 10 per cent of their portfolio to racier alternatives, whether it’s collectables like fine wine or illiquid alts like early-stage startups," Woodcock continued. "And, especially given the unpredictable nature of traditional investment havens like the S&P 500 and even supposedly safe havens like US Treasuries, we’re increasingly seeing customers move into wine for diversified returns."

WineFi confirmed that the new funds would be used to fuel growth and expand its team as it sets its sights on becoming the go-to solution for investors seeking to access fine wine as an asset class. As part of this drive, WineFi is seeking to develop industry fiduciary standards – soliciting third-party audits for everything from client asset segregation, valuation accuracy reviews, portfolio management practices, and ‘conflicts of interest’ policies. WineFi believes it is well-positioned to capitalise on growing demand for returns less correlated to equity, bond and commodities markets. See more about WineFi here.