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Generally I agree, especially with acquisitions because the acquired family name is the one investors are familiar with. It has value - presumably the funds were acquired because they (and thus the brand) had value.
But MainStay is different. It's not a, well, mainstay of many portfolios. The name may not have much value. OTOH, NYLife is a golden name in the insurance industry. https://www.newyorklife.com/newsroom/featured-awards
On MFOP, we try to keep or add the firm owner's name:
New York Life MainStay Balanced A Deutsche DWS Science and Technology A AIG SunAmerica SA MFS Blue Chip Growth Portfolio 1 Franklin Templeton Western Asset Core Bond A Allianz PIMCO Income Inst Guggenheim Rydex Energy Natixis Oakmark Equity and Income Inv
But it's a real pain. Nearly impossible to keep up.
Consider yourself fortunate that you haven't been doing this for fifty years (or have you?)
My father purchased shares of "One William Street" back when mutual funds issued certificates (image below not his certificate)
This was originally a fund run by Lehman. Subsequent owners due to mergers, sales of investment units, etc. were Lehman Brothers Kuhn Loeb Inc, Shearson Lehman Brothers, Shearson Lehman Hutton,
Salomon Brothers, Salamon Smith Barney (under Travelers, then Citicorp), Smith Barney (under Citicorp),
Legg Mason, and now Franklin Templeton.
Fund family/fund name changes didn't always coincide with parent changes (as with Mainstay changing to NY Life).
Fund names evolved from One William Street to Salomon Brothers Investors Fund, Salomon Brothers Investors Value Fund, Legg Mason Partners Investors Value Fund, Legg Mason Clearbridge Investors Value Fund, Legg Mason Clearbridge Large Cap Value Fund, Clearbridge Large Cap Value Fund. (The three Legg Mason names were in a span of just four years: 2009-2013.)
Alas, same as it ever was. Yes, most of it is nonsense - the name changes, the mergers, the ads.
Comments
My least favorite task on MFOP is maintaining our master fund names list!
Rebranding seems pointless to me.
If you deliver for your shareholders, you don't need to rebrand.
c
Generally I agree, especially with acquisitions because the acquired family name is the one investors are familiar with. It has value - presumably the funds were acquired because they (and thus the brand) had value.
But MainStay is different. It's not a, well, mainstay of many portfolios. The name may not have much value. OTOH, NYLife is a golden name in the insurance industry.
https://www.newyorklife.com/newsroom/featured-awards
New York Life MainStay Balanced A
Deutsche DWS Science and Technology A
AIG SunAmerica SA MFS Blue Chip Growth Portfolio 1
Franklin Templeton Western Asset Core Bond A
Allianz PIMCO Income Inst
Guggenheim Rydex Energy
Natixis Oakmark Equity and Income Inv
But it's a real pain. Nearly impossible to keep up.
c
My father purchased shares of "One William Street" back when mutual funds issued certificates (image below not his certificate)
This was originally a fund run by Lehman. Subsequent owners due to mergers, sales of investment units, etc. were Lehman Brothers Kuhn Loeb Inc, Shearson Lehman Brothers, Shearson Lehman Hutton,
Salomon Brothers, Salamon Smith Barney (under Travelers, then Citicorp), Smith Barney (under Citicorp),
Legg Mason, and now Franklin Templeton.
Fund family/fund name changes didn't always coincide with parent changes (as with Mainstay changing to NY Life).
Fund names evolved from One William Street to Salomon Brothers Investors Fund, Salomon Brothers Investors Value Fund, Legg Mason Partners Investors Value Fund, Legg Mason Clearbridge Investors Value Fund, Legg Mason Clearbridge Large Cap Value Fund, Clearbridge Large Cap Value Fund. (The three Legg Mason names were in a span of just four years: 2009-2013.)
Alas, same as it ever was. Yes, most of it is nonsense - the name changes, the mergers, the ads.
I wrote a more detailed description of this fund's evolution a decade ago:
https://mutualfundobserver.com/discuss/discussion/comment/21862/#Comment_21862