Investment management firm GAM has announced the launch of the GAM Star Cat Bond fund, which will have 'a low correlation to traditional asset classes'.

The fund, to be managed by Fermat Capital Management, will invest in insurance risks such as floods and earthquakes, with a portfolio of 40 to 50 cat, or catastrophe, bonds.

In a statement, GAM said the underlying bonds 'transfer the risk of natural disasters from insurers to the capital markets' and offer higher yields compared to similarly rated securities.

The fund's performance will therefore be largely unaffected by market volatility and will have a 'low correlation to traditional asset classes even in times of crisis', said the group.

Dr John Seo, co-founder and managing principal at Fermat, said, 'In today’s investment environment, where the performance of traditional and even many alternative asset classes are converging, cat bonds have demonstrated their ability to produce attractive and stable returns across turbulent market conditions.

'The key is to construct and actively manage a portfolio with risks that are well-understood, extensively modelled and adequately compensated,' he added.

Craig Wallis, global head of institutional and fund distribution at GAM, commented, 'Fermat has been managing an offshore strategy for GAM since 2004. The outstanding performance of its strategy, especially during the recent difficult periods for traditional assets, has demonstrated the value of this asset class to a client’s portfolio. The launch of our UCITS offering will improve the accessibility of this attractive and interesting source of return.'