Des Moines-based Principal Funds today announced the recent launch of Principal Origin Emerging Markets Fund. The new mutual fund seeks to achieve capital growth by investing primarily in global emerging market equities that are well-managed and undervalued, and that have improving profit expectations and a rising share price relative to the market. The fund’s investment team “focuses strictly on screened securities, ranking them as a team and looking at individual company characteristics rather than focusing on a benchmark,” said Mike Beer, president and CEO of Principal Funds. Launched on Jan. 23, the fund is managed by Origin Asset Management, an owner-managed investment boutique firm based in London. The fund has three investor classes: Class A (POEYX), Class I (POEIX) and Class R6 (POEFX).