News

Tactical Global Management has launched a new strategy for Australian investors to take a lot of the volatility out of their equities portfolios. Given TGM’s pedigree in currency and multi-asset overlay management, the strategy seems to be ideal for the increasingly important retiree demographic. Dr Peter Higgs, the firm’s London-based founder, was back in Australia…

For years the domain of sophisticated hedge funds, so-called ‘alternative data’ is gaining popularity among traditional fund managers and asset owners. Coupled with other advances, alternative data can give institutional investors an edge in both alpha generation and risk management. According to FactSet, a global data and technology provider, it is becoming almost impossible for…

At long last the global institutional investment world – that is the western pension fund world – is starting to invest in China. According to bfinance, the international manager search and consulting firm, the recent Chinese policy initiatives to attract professionally managed money are starting to have effect. Justin Preston, bfinance senior director and head…

As if we didn’t have enough regulatory issues of our own to contend with, the goings on in Europe – not just Brexit – are providing Australia’s big super funds and their managers with more and more grief. DTCC, at least, is trying to help out. In Australia last week to speak with clients and…

Link Group has appointed Dee McGrath as the new chief executive officer of Link Fund Administration, a role which has recently been filled by group chief executive, John McMurtrie, following the departure last year of Suzanne Holden. The appointment is one of several that the company says underlines its commitment to its clients and technology-led…

The CIMA Society is to forge a closer association with Graham Rich’s Portfolio Construction Forum as the provider of educational services and is also looking at the possibility to expand into New Zealand and Asia, according to Pauline Vamos, the investment educational body’s chair. She advised the Society’s members, who number about 300, in March…

by David Chaplin Russell Investments has restructured portfolio management reporting lines and is looking to move to an ’emulation’ model across its funds. Two long-time senior investment people in the Sydney office have been let go. Peter Gunning, Russell chief executive for Asia Pacific, said the restructure had seen some senior staff moves in Australia…

Super funds often talk about their long-term investment horizons. You have to wonder, though, given peer group pressure is real for the people who run the funds. Martin Currie Investment Management is asking investors to make a genuine commitment to this long-term view for its flagship global concentrated unconstrained equity fund. The fund, which in…

All the forces of regulators, advisors and customers in the super and funds management industry point, inexorably, to further pressure on costs for all players. Areas which have not yet seen headline cost pressure from these forces are now likely to feel them. A new white paper by Northern Trust, called ‘Catching the Wave: Global…

The two sides to the deal whereby Canadian fund manager CI Financial took a controlling stake in GSFM Funds Management is starting to take shape, with the Australian-based firm launching successful campaigns to both export Australian capabilities to Canada and import those via its new parent. The deal, signed in November 2016, involved the purchase…

International micro-cap specialist THB Asset Management is increasingly observing its client base and potential clients looking at the asset sub-class as an alternative to private equity – similar return characteristics but at a reduced cost and with better liquidity. Visiting Australia last week, Christopher Cuesta, the firm’s chief executive, said that about 40 per cent…

Willis Towers Watson’s Thinking Ahead Institute has given the first public forums into its latest work, providing an insight into the way the researchers and their big pension funds and other member organisations are thinking about the future of funds management. Big changes are on the way. The Thinking Ahead Institute (TAI), which is funded…