Amvescap PLC appears to be looking to grow by acquisition on several fronts.
The London company said Monday that it is in talks to buy Trimark Financial Corp., a mutual funds company based in Toronto.
Published reports also speculated that it was in discussions to buy Perpetual PLC of London. Amvescap declined to comment.
The talks with Trimark came as Amvescap takes steps to jump-start sales through U.S. intermediaries. Its Denver-based Invesco Funds Group Inc. plans to offer an aggressive growth fund with a front-end, back-end, or level load, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
The Invesco Advantage Fund would invest primarily in equities that the company expects to appreciate faster than other securities, as well as in options, futures, and other investment vehicles, according to the filing.
Amvescap owns Invesco, which has specialized in no-load funds, and Aim Management Group of Houston, the second-largest seller through bank brokerages last year.
Invesco has moved to boost sales through intermediaries by offering level loads, or C-shares, for 27 of its funds. Investors in C-shares typically do not pay up-front commissions but are charged higher expense ratios, a price that many are willing to pay for advice.
Invesco is one of several companies to change the pricing structure on some funds in order to increase distribution. Dreyfus Founders Funds and Stein Roe & Farnham have begun offering funds with loads, which compensate brokers. And Janus Capital Corp. and T. Rowe Price have added distribution fees to some funds.
A spokeswoman for Invesco said the pricing structure for the Advantage Fund would be proposed to the board of directors within two weeks; she said she would not comment until then.
Invesco had $40.8 billion of assets under management as of March 31, according to Financial Research Corp. of Boston.
