News

Richard Brandweiner  The $65 billion First State Super has invested $110 million into the Australian venture capital manager Blackbird Ventures, in one of the largest mandates for the local venture industry that has struggled to compete with offshore industries – especially in Silicon Valley. First State Super CIO, Richard Brandweiner, said last week: ‘We are…

Shamez Alibhai Most impact investing relies in part on some government funding or philanthropic involvement to lever an investment up to investment grade. One UK manager, Cheyne Capital’s Shamez Alibhai, is proving that this is not essential. He has delivered 10-12 per cent a year, levered, from affordable housing for the past two years. Alibhai,…

Kirby Rappell SunSuper, Catholic Super, QSuper and Telstra Super are the only funds to make it to the finalists’ lists of each of the three major categories in the SuperRatings awards this year. The awards and preceding ‘Day of Confrontation’ have moved from the Ivy to the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney to accommodate an…

Brian Keogh  Equipsuper has appointed Thomas Murray IDS to assist in a review of its custody and securities servicing contract as the sector continues to keep custodians and consultants busy with a record level of activity. Thomas Murray, which is famous for its ‘Star Chamber’ quizzing of short-listed custodians, this year expanded in Australia with…

 David Braga The growing importance of environment social and governance (ESG) issues in funds management has also increased demand for better data and analytics from securities servicing firms. David Braga, the managing director of BNP Paribas Securities Services in Australia and New Zealand, told a briefing last Friday that sustainability had become a “new pillar”…

David Clarke The hedge fund industry is concerned about the increasing frequency and severity of cyber attacks, especially in the US, and is about to publish a paper on the subject. Meanwhile, a big Australian manager, QIC, has just taken out insurance against cyber attacks for its US operation. The Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA)…

Alistair Rew  Just as technology is disrupting most industries, so it will disrupt the main participants in the investment management industry. Hedge fund managers, though, by there nature should be nimble enough to thrive in the future. The final session of last week’s AIMA Australia Hedge Fund Forum – with a panel of six investors…

Raewyn Williams New Parametric research shows a marked difference in return enhancements when comparing super funds using a specialist implementation manager versus a backoffice custodial solution to manage the tax impact of investing. “More funds are turning to questions of ‘how,’ and ‘who’ can help them to fulfil their legal obligation to focus on after-tax returns,”…

Geoff Wilson With the kick-start of a lazy $3 million from Geoff Wilson’s family foundation, the Future Generations Global listed investment company, which debuted on the ASX last Thursday, attracted a glittering array of celebrity investors. It also attracted some mental health and other charities as shareholders. The LIC sponsored by Geoff Wilson’s Wilson Asset…

Johan Carlberg AMP Capital has given a big leg-up to the Australian equities boutique Alphinity Investment Management through its Specialist Australian Share Fund’s $650 million domestic shares allocation. It has redeemed the mandate with its own fundamental long/short fund, following some staff moves, to fund the Alphinity mandate. The AMP Capital Multi-Asset Group, which manages money across…

Amanda Gillespie and Vanessa Stoykov  Several media companies have flirted with trying to use their audience reach to enter funds management. David Koch blew about $30 million in a failed attempt in the dotcom boom and Fairfax bought an online managed funds distribution business only to sell it back to its founder some years later….

Graham Ansell ANZ Wealth has looked in-house to fill two new fixed interest roles created as its Auckland-based team assumes broader responsibility for the bank’s Australasian investments. ANZ has shifted its entire Australasian fixed income unit to Auckland under a revamp of its approach to managing trans-Tasman assets. According to an ANZ spokesperson, the new…