IFS opens doors to retail investors
Industry fund financial services provider Industry Fund Services (IFS) has announced a new model where retail investors can access unlisted infrastructure investment ventures of IFM Investors.
The IFS infrastructure investment model combines retail investors' funds and invests them in the IFS Australian Infrastructure Wholesale Fund, a fund available to institutional investors.
IFS chief executive, Bill Danaher, said the move came after increasing demand from investors for more investment options to fulfil their long-term financial goals.
"Institutional investors have long favoured portfolios that include infrastructure, such as toll roads, port terminals and utilities, because of their ability to produce stable yields," Danaher said.
"Infrastructure assets typically have long operating lives, resilient earnings, and can provide less volatility than listed securities."
The investment model has a target benchmark return of above 10 per cent per annum after fees over a rolling three-year period. Returns will come from a combination of income and capital growth.
It is available through IFS' Industry Fund Portfolio Service (IFPS), which is an online investment platform that offers access to term deposits, different investment models, and ASX-listed securities.
Australian residents must invest a minimum of $50,000 for at least seven years to invest in the infrastructure investment model.
The IFM investments include Melbourne and Brisbane Airports, Port of Brisbane and NSW Ports.
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