Toronto-based CI Investments Inc. has launched Signature Floating Rate Income Pool, which may suit investors concerned about rising interest rates.

The pool invests in a conservative, actively managed global portfolio of floating-rate bonds and leveraged loans as well as shorter-term high-yield and investment-grade bonds. These securities tend to be less sensitive to changes in interest rates compared with other fixed-income securities. The pool provides an income stream through a monthly distribution.

“When interest rates are rising, investors are concerned about preserving capital and balancing risk within their fixed-income portfolios,” says Geof Marshall, senior vice president, Signature Global Asset Management, and portfolio manager of the new pool, in a statement. “Signature Floating Rate Income Pool is designed to diversify fixed-income portfolios and provide protection against increases in interest rates.”

Signature Global Asset Management, a division of CI Investments, manages more than $53 billion in assets, including a diverse lineup of income mandates. Signature Floating Rate Income Pool will benefit from Signature’s expertise in managing high-yield, investment-grade and government bonds, preferred shares and other income securities. Within the floating-rate space, Signature currently manages more than $800 million in senior secured loans and more than $1 billion of floating-rate preferred shares.

On a separate note, CI also announced that the risk ratings of both Harbour Global Growth & Income Corporate Class and Marret Strategic Yield Fund have been changed to “medium” from “low to medium.”

These changes will be effective on or about July 27. The changes are based on the new methodology mandated by the Canadian Securities Administrators to determine the risk level of mutual funds and are not a result of any changes to the investment objectives, strategies or management of the funds, CI states in a news release.

CI also announced the Mackenzie Ivy investment team, a division of Toronto-based Mackenzie Financial Corp., will be added to the group of subadvisors managing two of CI’s multi-manager funds, effective on or about July 17. Along with Cambridge Global Asset Management, (a division of CI), New York-based Epoch Investment Partners Inc. and Toronto-based Picton Mahoney Asset Management, the Mackenzie Ivy Team will manage a portion of the portfolios of CI Select U.S. Equity Managed Fund and CI Select U.S. Equity Managed Corporate Class.