
Bond Firm Pimco Mulls Foray Into Stocks
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (
) --
Pacific Investment Management
, the world's biggest manager of bonds, is considering opening a stock fund unit for the first time in its 38-year history, reports say.
Pimco is a unit of Munich-based insurer
Allianz
(AZ)
.
Pimco may hire an existing management team with a track record,
Bloomberg
reports, citing a person familiar with the firm's plans.
Earlier this year, Pimco launched its first exchange-traded funds in a move to offer a wider range of investment products,
Bloomberg
notes. Adding equities would help Pimco compete with asset management firms such as
BlackRock
(BLK) - Get Free Report
, which is about to become the world's biggest money manager once its acquisition of Barclays Global Investors closes.