Short Takes: BT Unveiling 2 International Equity Funds

Undaunted by volatile markets overseas, Bankers Trust Co. plans July 1 to launch two international equity mutual funds.

The BT Investment Global Emerging Markets Equity Fund and the BT Investment International Small Company Equity Fund will be marketed to retail and institutional investors in the United States.

The funds will be overseen by managing director Paul Durham and vice president Monik Kotecha, respectively. The executives, both based in Sydney, Australia, run similar portfolios for institutional clients in commingled trusts and separate accounts.

At a press briefing Tuesday, Mr. Durham said the economic crisis in Asia, far from discouraging Bankers Trust, presents opportunities. "That is exactly what we need to see: capital destruction to remove deadwood and allow new companies to thrive," he said.

The funds bring Bankers Trust's international mutual funds to five. The flagship BT Investment International Equity Fund invests around the world. Two others focus on regions: Latin America and the Pacific Basin, excluding Japan.

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