Toronto-based Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. has introduced Franklin Bissett Canada Plus Equity Fund, combining diversification beyond Canada with a risk-managed approach.

The new mutual fund can invest up to 49% of its assets in foreign securities, with a focus on U.S. equities. It may also use equity put option strategies to help reduce overall volatility. Stocks are carefully selected based on Calgary-based Franklin Bissett Investment Management’s fundamental investment philosophy of growth-at-a-reasonable-price.

“Canadian investors often have a domestic home bias when investing in equities, but it is essential that they diversify beyond their market to help reduce risk in a portfolio,” says Duane Green, president and CEO of Franklin Templeton Investments Canada, in a statement. “With access to a broader investment set beyond the Canadian sector allocation, the portfolio managers can take advantage of potential growth opportunities in U.S. equities to provide investors further diversification.”

Garey Aitken, chief investment officer and portfolio manager, and Tim Caulfield, equity research and portfolio manager, Franklin Bissett Investment Management, will co-manage Franklin Bissett Canada Plus Equity Fund. Aitken and Caulfield have 24 and 18 years of industry experience, respectively, and have an average of 14 years with Franklin Bissett Investment Management.

“We focus on investing in equity securities of high quality businesses with long-term profitability and growth profiles,” says Aitken in a statement. “Taking a high conviction approach to portfolio construction, we will invest in Canadian and US equities to offer alpha and diversification in this fund, while using strategies to seek to reduce the impact of market volatility.”