M&G Global Maxima Equity UCITS ETF Debuts on London Stock Exchange

M&G Investments has expanded its range of active ETFs with the launch of the M&G Global Maxima Equity UCITS ETF, which began trading on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) on 31 March 2026.

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Article created by the editorial staff of ETFWorld.co.uk

Joseph Pinto, Chief Executive of M&G Investments

The instrument adopts a management approach based on quantitative analysis and machine learning techniques. It represents the ETF version of an existing equity strategy already available in the mutual fund space.

Product features

The new ETF follows the approach of the M&G (Lux) Global Maxima Fund, a product launched in December 2019 that currently manages approximately €385 million in total assets. The UCITS ETF version, which will also be listed on Deutsche Boerse and Borsa Italiana, has a total expense ratio (TER) of 0.55%.

The stated objective is to provide a combination of capital growth and income higher than that of the global equity market over a five‑year period. At least 80% of the portfolio is invested in shares of companies across any sector, size and geographic region, including emerging markets, with the ability to invest in China A‑Shares via Stock Connect or QFI.

Quantitative investment process

Stock selection is driven by quantitative analysis of individual companies. The manager uses a proprietary machine‑learning model to analyse a global universe of stocks and identify those most likely to outperform equity markets.

The management team consists of Gautam Samarth and Michael Cook, equity specialists at M&G who have managed the strategy since 2019. The artificial intelligence model, trained on historical data, evaluates interactions among multiple market factors to generate recommendations, which are then reviewed by the managers before inclusion in the portfolio.

According to M&G, the corresponding Luxembourg fund outperformed its benchmark in the five years following launch and ranked in the first decile of the Morningstar Global Flex‑Cap Equity category as of 31 December 2024. The ETF version follows the same investment philosophy.

Operational details and benchmark

The ETF is domiciled in Ireland (ISIN: IE000AEM1K78). The share class is denominated in US dollars and accumulates income. The reference benchmark is the MSCI ACWI Net Return Index, from which the active management may deviate significantly in terms of portfolio composition.

The launch is part of a broader strategy initiated by M&G in late 2025, when the firm entered the European active ETF market with three fixed‑income strategies backed by an initial £350 million investment from its Life division. The move aims to transfer the firm’s active management expertise into the ETF format while retaining the liquidity and transparency characteristics typical of that structure.

Source: ETFWorld.co.uk