Waystone to support American Century’s first European ETFs

• Waystone has been appointed to support a UCITS ETFs platform launched by American Century’s Avantis Investors.
• The initial two ETF launches are sub-funds of the American Century ICAV and represent the asset manager’s first foray into the European ETF market.
• The appointment follows a milestone year for Waystone ETFs, including the launch of a white-label platform with Northern Trust Asset Management and its appointment as Management Company to Fair Oak Capital’s CLO ETF – the first of its kind in Europe.

Launch of new European ETFs

Waystone, a leading provider of specialist services to the global asset management industry, today announced that it has been appointed as Management Company by American Century Investments to its first European ETFs.

The two UCITS ETFs – Avantis Global Small Cap Value UCITS ETF and Avantis Global Equity UCITS ETF – have been launched under American Century’s quantitative investment unit, Avantis Investors – one of the largest active ETF brands in the US with over US$50 billion AUM. The funds now trade on the Deutsche Boerse as AVWS and AVWC, respectively.

With over 20 years’ experience in managing UCITS, and as an ETF specialist, Waystone will provide expert Management Company and associated ETF services to the platform.

Recent milestones for Waystone ETFs

The appointment builds upon what has been a momentous year for Waystone ETFs, including the launch of a white-label platform with Northern Trust Asset Management and its appointment as Management Company to Europe’s first collateralised loan obligation ETF, launched by Fair Oak Capital.

In recent months, the Waystone ETFs team has been strengthened by the arrival of a number of experienced new team members. In addition, the Waystone Group has received accolades including being named the fastest growing independent Management Company in Luxembourg and the leading independent Management Company in Ireland.

Leadership insights from Waystone

Paul Heffernan, CEO of Waystone ETFs, said: “This appointment is testament to the depth of expertise and experience within the Waystone ETF team, in a market that is new territory for many of our clients. We look forward to enabling investors to benefit from the value that American Century will bring, and to continuing to contribute to the rise of active ETFs in Europe.”

Sanjiv Sawhney, Group CEO of Waystone, added: “With our global reach and local expertise, Waystone is best placed to support clients’ growth and expansion into new markets. We are delighted to be partnering with American Century on their entry into the world of UCITS ETFs.”

ETF market growth potential

In Europe, the active ETF market has garnered a great deal of interest in recent years and now stands primed for significant future growth. With its depth of expertise, Waystone has continued to attract strong demand from active managers and has positioned itself as a leader in this market, well ahead of the curve.

About Waystone

Waystone is a leading provider of institutional governance, administration, risk and compliance services to the asset management industry. Partnering with institutional investors, investment funds and asset managers, Waystone builds, supports and protects investment structures and strategies worldwide.

With over 25 years’ experience and a comprehensive range of specialist services to its name, Waystone provides its clients with the guidance and tools to allow them to focus on managing their investment goals with confidence.

About American Century Investments

American Century Investments is a leading global asset manager focused on delivering investment results and building long-term client relationships while supporting breakthrough medical research. Founded in 1958, American Century Investments’ 1,400 employees serve financial professionals, institutions, corporations and individual investors from offices in Kansas City, Missouri; New York; Los Angeles; Santa Clara, California; Portland, Oregon; London; Frankfurt, Germany; Hong Kong; and Sydney. Jonathan S. Thomas is president and chief executive officer, and Victor Zhang serves as chief investment officer. Delivering investment results to clients enables American Century Investments to distribute over 40% of its dividends to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a 500-person, nonprofit basic biomedical research organization. The Institute owns more than 40% of American Century Investments and has received dividend payments of more than $2 billion since 2000. For more information, visit the American Century Investments website.

Further Information

Nepean press contact: Harry Roxburgh
+44 7814 372664
[email protected]