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Private equity fund managers will have to work harder to continue producing the high returns that investors expect from their sector, which has become increasingly competitive and is currently “awash with money”. This was the view of private equity fund managers and institutional investors who spoke at last week’s AVCJ Annual Private Equity & Venture…

CheckRisk, the UK-based risk consultancy with an Australian office run by former super fund CEO Denis Carroll, has published new research on post-retirement modelling that shows just how much retirees are likely to fall short of their goals. Ross Pepperell, director of research at CheckRisk, who led the research team on the project says: “Our…

Institutional investors looking to take advantage of market volatility should consider taking the unusual step of writing index put options, according to US institutional investment manager Neuberger Berman. Super funds and other institutional investors are usually on the other side of options transactions, buying index puts as insurance against their exposures. But Eric Knutzen, multi-asset…

By Greg Bright Warren Chant and Andrea West, founders of the Chant West research and ratings firm, have been appointed joint chief executives of Enzumo Ltd, the listed fintech company which acquired their business in late 2015. In a letter to clients and others last Friday, Chant and West said that the arrangement would have…

The master of ceremonies at Chant West’s fifth annual Awards night, at Sydney’s Ivy Ballroom on May 24, will be Martin Fahy, the new chief executive of ASFA, who said: “We need to send a clear message that super funds are doing a good job”. In a release this week detailing the 12 Awards categories,…

A “good chunk” of the US$1.3 billion currently managed by Florida-based start–up equities shop GQG Partners has come from Australian investors. The firm, launched in June last year and backed by Australia’s Pacific Current Group, is expecting to have more than A$1 billion from Australian clients by the end of March. But GQG is not…

Ausbil Investment Management lost its chief operating officer, Simon Blakers, in its recent management restructure, just as the firm culled the lineup of potential custodians to three, following a lengthy review. The restructure, which saw founder Paul Xiradis step back to an executive chairman role, was unrelated to the custody review. It involved the elevation…

By David Chaplin Emerging markets have long been a troublesome bet for equity investors: the perennial over-promiser and under-deliverer. In the new world order – or disorder – however, they are looking rather more like core investments. According to Kim Catechis, head of global emerging markets for the Edinburgh-based fund manager Martin Currie, emerging markets…

With continued record-low interest rates and fair-to-full equity market valuations investors of all sizes are in a quandary. One way to think of a solution is from a whole portfolio perspective rather than thinking about separate asset classes. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management, the US-based global manager provided some insights on a trip by two…

In almost all markets passive investing has risen exponentially, from a couple of per cent to more than 30 per cent of total equity market shares since 2000. In some cases, such as Australia, regulators have egged investors along the path. But at what cost? Rupal Bhansali joined the debate at a briefing in Sydney…

Active management continues to be a good bet in the New Zealand equities market but the odds narrowed in recent years, a new Mercer report reveals. According to the just-released Mercer study over the five years to the end of 2016 the median NZ shares manager beat the benchmark S&P/NZX50 by 0.5 per cent before…

The Link Group has expanded into the funds management administration market with the purchase of White Outsourcing. And, probably of more interest to super funds, the big administrator is also about to cut its fees paid by former SuperPartners industry funds as it reaps the benefits of scale. Announcing its half-yearly results last Friday, Link…