News

By Colin Martin* Super funds are constantly looking for better ways in which to engage members. Clever communication is the key and getting to the members in the mode they require is not always easy. This is sometimes carpeted over by the term ‘digital solution’, when really we need to think collaboratively. It is the…

Global investment risk consultancy CheckRisk has produced its annual assessment of the year ahead, just in time for Christmas cheer and best wishes for clients. It’s a scary Christmas card but at least it’s interesting. The UK-based firm, founded by frequent Australian visitor Nick Bullman, produced its top five risks for 2016 and also a…

(pictured: Rob De Dominicis)  The ASX-listed global software vendor GBST Holdings has confirmed insider Rob De Dominicis as its new managing director amid sustained selling pressure from its long-term shareholders, including recently retired managing director Stephen Lake. Lake announced on September 17 his pending retirement from the firm after 14 years at the helm and…

Wellington-based accounting software firm Xero was the highest-ranked Australasian company in the 2015 KPMG/H2 Ventures ‘Fintech 100’ list published last week. There were nine Australian companies ranked beneath it in the global 100. Xero, the only NZ company on the list, came in at number 15 of the top 50 global fintech elite named in…

(pictured: Grant Kennaway) Morningstar has published its first ‘Morningstar Australia Prospects’ report, a sort-of Morningstar Lite, which lists 26 funds that may be worthy of greater investor attention although they have not yet been fully analysed by the research house. Morningstar points out that the Australian managed fund universe has thousands of unique funds. As of…

(pictured: Raewyn Williams) by Greg Bright For the past year or so funds and their consultants – in particular Frontier Advisors – have been looking more closely at equity protection strategies, given the questionable value of bonds to provide downside protection in the short-medium term. There are various options, including a new entrant with an established…

(pictured: Ashley Dale) After successfully exporting its Asia ex-Japan capability to Europe and, more recently, Latin America, international equity newcomer to Australia, Mirae Asset Global Investments, last week launched its flagship alpha strategies. Ashley Dale, Hong Kong-based chief marketing officer and head of international business development, formally introduced the Korean-owned manager and its Australian-based head of…

(pictured: Kelly O’Dwyer) After several years of discussion with the industry and delays on its introduction, the Government has proposed in new draft legislation a less-onerous disclosure requirement on portfolio holdings by super funds. The new proposals, described in this explanatory memorandum published last week, stop at the underlying fund or product level in most cases. They…

by Alice Breheny* Europe’s diverse retail property markets present excellent opportunities for institutional investors looking for stability, diversification, income and resilience, but not all locations and assets are equal, according to TH Real Estate. Investors in commercial real estate (CRE) are usually seeking capital stability, diversification, income and resilience in the face of economic shocks….

(pictured: Tom Marsico)  Marsico Capital Management, which is one of the global managers chosen in Geoff Wilson’s Future Generation Global LIC, has capitalised on the $300 million September listing to launch an Australian-domiciled vehicle and lift its presence in the wholesale and institutional markets. Marsico, which is a high-conviction US manager founded by Tom Marsico…

(pictured: Lynn Muirhead) In a good sign for employment prospects in funds management, the global recruitment agency Odgers Berndtson has launched a dedicated Australian financial services practice. The recruiters recruited Lynn Muirhead and Jules Orpin from CT Partners after that firm ceased to trade globally in June following a botched sale process. They had both previously…

(pictured: Andrew Brown) Australia is far from alone in not yet being able to deliver sufficient savings through our workplace super system to allow the average person to retire on his or her savings. A global study shows how the major countries compare with their funds’ investment strategies. The London-based Defined Contribution Investment Forum, which has…