By James Langton

(November 9 – 09:35 ET) – MRS Group of Companies and Altamira Investment Services Inc. have signed a distribution agreement that will see MRS and its parent Mackenzie Financial Corp. market and distribute a number of Altamira funds through independent financial advisors.

Subject to regulatory approval, the Keystone Altamira Advisor Series Funds will be a family of eight funds including: the Keystone Altamira Capital Growth Fund, Keystone Altamira Equity Fund, Keystone Altamira e-business Capital Class, Keystone Altamira RSP e-business Fund, Keystone Altamira Science & Technology Capital Class, Keystone Altamira RSP Science & Technology Fund, Keystone Altamira Global Equity Capital Class, and Keystone Altamira RSP Global Equity Fund.

Under the agreement, Altamira will work in a sub-advisory role. The Keystone Altamira Advisor Series funds will be fully exchangeable to and from all Mackenzie-sponsored funds and will carry the product features typically associated with Mackenzie’s funds. The new funds will be jointly marketed and wholesaled by MRS and Mackenzie.

This move into the advisor channel comes as Altamira prepares itself to go public, indicating its long-term belief in the need for advice. The deal also helps Mackenzie demonstrate its premium value compared to other fund companies as it faces a hostile takeover battle with C.I. Fund Management Inc.

“We know that financial advisors respect Altamira’s performance and brand name,” said Laurie Munro, president of the MRS Group of Companies. “Now they will have the ability to recommend Altamira as a part of the advice they provide to their clients. This is also another way that MRS can support these advisors in the many ways that they serve their clients.”

Chris Hodgson, managing director for Altamira, commented that, “We recognize that a segment of investors prefer to work exclusively through independent financial advisors. We are delighted to work with MRS and Mackenzie, firms whose commanding knowledge of the advisor distribution channel and relationships in the financial advisor community will allow the Keystone Altamira Advisor Series to reach a broad market very quickly following final regulatory approval.”

Three of the funds will also be offered under Mackenzie’s newly launched Capital Class tax-efficient structure, giving investors the freedom to move between any of the Keystone Altamira products, plus thirty other Mackenzie Capital Class funds, without realizing capital gains. Preliminary prospectuses for the funds have been filed.