AGF Management Ltd. today announced an agreement to take a minority ownership stake in Maruhachi Securities Co., Ltd., a brokerage firm based in Nagoya, Japan, an associated company of Nomura Securities Co., Ltd.

“AGF’s investment in Maruhachi Securities intensifies our commitment to the Japanese market and builds on our vision to be a global company with a Canadian home,” said Blake Goldring, president and CEO of AGF.

This June, AGF launched a suite of offshore funds initially available only in Japan through selected distributors. The Goldrings Group of Funds, an international offshore umbrella trust unit under the management of AGF International Advisors Company Ltd., offers investors five funds covering broad sectors and regions.

“AGF is taking decisive steps to strengthen our presence in Japan by securing partnerships with Japanese firms,” said Goldring. “We remain on the lookout for new opportunities to export our superior money management expertise and build on our long-standing relationships in Japan.”

In 2000, AGF was the first-ever Canadian mutual fund company to open a branch office in Japan–the culmination of a 30-year involvement in the Japanese financial services market.

“We are very pleased that AGF has chosen to take an ownership stake in Maruhachi in preparation for our initial public offering in the near future,” said Norio Yoshida, president and chief executive officer, Maruhachi Securities Co., Ltd. “This partnership with AGF offers new benefits to our clients.”