News

Mans Carlsson-Sweeny  Ausbil Investment Management has recruited an ESG specialist, Mans Carlsson-Sweeny, as a dedicated resource with the aim of adding alpha through deep research on the ESG performance of companies. Carlsson-Sweeny, who was most recently senior ESG research analyst at AMP Capital, started as head of ESG research at Ausbil late last month. He…

Allan Moss  Small-cap Aussie equities boutique Eight Investment Partners (8IP) has put two big names onto a new advisory board for the firm – Allan Moss and Simon Barrett. The formation of the advisory board follows the recent win for 8IP of its first institutional mandate – a $55 million investment by Colonial First State…

The six-monthly S&P report on the performance of retail active equity funds versus their indices is never a comforting read for supporters of active management. But, this time around, it’s the bond managers who really disappointed. The report of the S&P Dow Jones Versus Active Funds (SPIVA) for the 12 months to June 30 shows only…

Matt Fellowes by Greg Bright In what is bound to shake up the fledgling Australian fintech industry, Chicago-based Morningstar Inc is working on an Australian launch for some of the robo-advice services of its US subsidiary HelloWallet, which provides various online retirement and financial “wellness” software and information. A Morningstar Australia spokesman confirmed last week…

Fiona Trafford-Walker  Fiona Trafford-Walker has maintained her position as one of the top 10 asset consultants in the world, according to a US investment media outlet, but she is now the only Australian on the list, which is compiled annually by Asset International. Trafford-Walker, the long-time head of investments for Frontier Advisors, is ranked number…

Fiona Mackenzie Australian-based infrastructure manager CP2 (formerly known as Capital Partners) has been dropped from the New Zealand Superannuation Fund roster in favour of in-house management. The $NZ30 billion (A$27.3 billion) will now manage in-house the approximately NZ$370 million previously held by CP2 in two separate mandates, a spokesperson for the fund said. According to…

Bruce Watson  Bruce Watson is to leave Mine Wealth + Wellbeing, the industry fund formerly known as AUSCOAL, after an association spanning 23 years, the last 10 as chief executive. He will look for his “next opportunity” towards the end of this year. The fund has instituted a search for a replacement – either internal…

Mario Livio Why can you understand this sentence: ‘How cmoe yuor bairn is albe to udnertsnad tihs snetnece eevn tghouh olny the frist and lsat ltetres of ecah wrod are crreoct ?’. Because of innate pattern recognition, that’s why. And here’s why it’s dangerous in investments. According to global risk consultancy CheckRisk, humans’ desire to…

We hope we are not dwelling too much on the latest twist and turn over the future of Russell Investments, given the de-stabilising effect of all the talk and rumours. But ‘Investor Strategy News’ thinks it’s important, given the consulting and multi-manager firm’s historical influence on the industry worldwide and in Australia. Here’s the latest…

Mark Kiesel A global focus on credit in the hunt for yield has become a little more confusing with the delay this month of the expected increase in US official interest rates. But credit is looking attractive, according to PIMCO. The world’s largest fixed interest manager has outlined, in a short paper for clients last…

Yasser El-Ansary The Australian private equity and venture sector is on track for another good returns year, according to participants at the recent AVCAL conference, probably eclipsing last year’s 22 per cent after fees. But the biggest funders of the sector, now, are offshore sovereign and pension funds. Super funds are missing out. The annual…

Ian Dunbar AustralianSuper has sided with the NSW Government and data provider Dion Global Solutions in getting behind the latest major fintech startup conference, which takes place in Sydney next week. The conference will showcase 32 Australian and New Zealand innovators in the space. Ian Dunbar, the former UBS executive who was instrumental in the…