Ms. Jennifer Sinopoli reports

CI GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT EXPANDS ALTERNATIVE FUNDS LINEUP WITH LAUNCH OF CI AUSPICE ALTERNATIVE DIVERSIFIED CORPORATE CLASS

CI Financial Corp.'s CI Global Asset Management (CI GAM) has launched CI Auspice Alternative Diversified Corporate Class, a systematic, trend-following, multistrategy mandate designed to deliver returns that are uncorrelated with traditional asset classes.

The fund uses a disciplined, rule-based approach to invest in commodities and other financial interests and can take both long and short positions. It seeks to provide returns that are uncorrelated with other alternative strategies and fixed income while also being negatively correlated to equities. This results in increased diversification and the potential for crisis alpha -- delivering outperformance during market downturns. The fund's trend-following strategy and emphasis on commodities can also provide a hedge against inflation.

"CI Auspice Alternative Diversified Corporate Class is a unique mandate that offers investors enhanced diversification benefits and potential downside protection in volatile markets," said Jennifer Sinopoli, executive vice-president and head of distribution for CI GAM. "It can help to strengthen portfolios in an uncertain investment landscape that, following spikes in inflation and interest rates, is vastly changed from previous years."

The fund invests substantially all of its assets in units of Auspice Diversified Trust, a fund managed by Auspice Capital Advisors Ltd., which has been named subadviser to the fund. Auspice is Canada's largest active commodity and commodity trading adviser (CTA) fund manager.

"With a 17-year history of delivering commodity and crisis alpha to investors, Auspice Diversified Trust has the longest track record in its category in Canada, and we're pleased to partner with CI GAM to provide expanded access to this successful strategy," said Tim Pickering, chief investment officer and co-founder of Auspice.

"We are in a volatile era marked by a structural shift in inflation, rising global conflict and a narrowly focused stock market rally alongside a potential commodity supercycle. The result is increasing demand for non-correlated returns and this mandate fills that need."

The team at Auspice, which was founded in 2006, has extensive experience in commodities, trading, risk management and quantitative investment strategies. Auspice is also subadviser to CI Auspice Broad Commodity Fund, which is available as a mutual fund and ETF (exchange-traded fund).

"CI GAM continues to expand and diversify its lineup of alternative investment solutions by leveraging the expertise of our own investment team as well as engaging specialized third party managers such as Auspice," said Ms. Sinopoli. "We strongly believe that individual investors can benefit from an allocation to alternatives and we remain committed to providing them with access to sophisticated, institutional-style solutions."

CI GAM is a leader in the alternative investment segment in Canada with a strong lineup of liquid alternatives mandates with approximately $3.8-billion in total assets (as at Dec. 31, 2023; excluding cryptocurrency funds). CI GAM also offer offers a diverse selection of private markets solutions.

CI Auspice Alternative Diversified Corporate Class can be purchased for an initial minimum investment of $500. It has a risk rating of medium and a Series F management fee of 1 per cent. The fund also charges a performance fee, which is subject to a hurdle rate and a high-water mark. For further details, please see the simplified prospectus.

About CI Global Asset Management

CI Global Asset Management (CI GAM) is one of Canada's largest investment management companies. It offers a wide range of investment products and services. CI GAM is a subsidiary of CI Financial, an integrated global asset and wealth management company with approximately $450.8-billion in assets as at Jan. 31, 2024.