Columbia Threadneedle’s CT (Lux) Pan European Focus, whose launch was announced in a press release issued on 16 January 2025, is a Ucits fund structured as a Luxembourg Sicav (société d’investissement à capital variable, or investment company with variable capital). It will invest in 30-40 holdings, explained the communiqué, thus “producing a concentrated portfolio of European and UK companies.” The team will look for business models that score highly on the Porter’s “Five Forces” framework, which include internal competition, the potential for new entrants, the negotiating power of suppliers, the negotiating power of customers, and the customers' ability to find substitutes, according to Investopedia.

“Our selective approach aims to uncover and invest in unique businesses, that drive strong growth and sustain exceptional returns on capital,” commented Frederic Jeanmaire, manager of CT (Lux) Pan European Focus at Columbia Threadneedle. The new fund will follow the same approach and philosophy used for the Pan European Focus Strategy, which Jeanmaire has managed since 2014.

The fund is registered in Luxembourg, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and UK, noted the press release.

Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global asset management group of Ameriprise Financial. It has €602bn in assets under management as of 30 September 2024 and employs around 2,500 people around the world, including in Luxembourg.