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Grail Advisors LLC is teaming up with Western Asset Management Co., a formidable manager of fixed-income assets, to launch a short-term actively managed fixed-income exchange-traded fund.

Pasadena, Calif.-based Western Asset Management, an affiliate of Legg Mason Inc. (LM), will sub-advise Grail Western Asset Enhanced Liquidity ETF, the firm said Monday. As of March 31, Western Asset, a fixed-income manager, had $478.6 billion in assets under management.

"This partnership with Western Asset Management Co. represents an important addition for us and we work to bring active fund managers and strategies to the ETF marketplace," William Thomas, chief executive of San Francisco-based Grail Advisors, said in a press release. A manager of Western Asset Management's caliber "adds meaningful potential," to Grail's ETF line-up, Thomas said.

Grail Western Asset Enhanced Liquidity ETF will be managed by a broad team of portfolio managers, sector specialists and other investment professionals, according to its prospectus filed with regulators. The ETF will invest primarily in short-term, investment-grade fixed-income securities, the document says. It will typically invest in money-market securities and short-term debt securities, including U.S. Treasurys and agencies, corporate and bank obligations, asset-backed and mortgage-backed instruments, commercial paper and other highly rated, short maturity securities, the prospectus said. The average duration of the portfolio is typically expected to be a year or less.

The ETF's fees and expenses will be reduced in order to keep its net annual operating expenses at 0.30%, the prospectus says. The expense cap will remain in place at least until sometime in 2011, but may be terminated earlier if approved by the fund's board, it says.

Pacific Investment Management Co., a division of Germany's Allianz SE (ALIZF), launched an actively managed bond ETF, Pimco Enhanced Short Maturity Strategy Fund (MINT), in November. That fund seeks to obtain greater income and total return than money-market funds, and invests primarily in short-duration investment-grade debt securities.

The Pimco ETF, which carries an expense ratio of 0.35% with a fee waiver in place, currently has $178.4 million in assets.

Grail, which builds and distributes actively managed ETFs, is currently in talks with a number of leading financial institutions and asset managers, and expects to launch more customized, actively managed ETFs, Thomas said.

Grail launched its first product in May 2009 and now has eight actively managed ETFs. Grail McDonnell Intermediate Municipal Bond ETF (GMMB) and Grail McDonnell Core Taxable Bond ETF (GMTB) began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in January.

-By Daisy Maxey; Dow Jones Newswires; 212 416 2237; daisy.maxey@dowjones.com