NEWS
Performance Report: Bennelong Australian Equities Fund
27 Feb 2019 - Australian Fund Monitors
The Bennelong Australian Equities Fund rose +3.75% in January, marking 10 years since inception in 2009. Since then, the Fund has returned +12.84% p.a. versus the ASX200 Accumulation Index's +9.95%.
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27 Feb 2019 - Performance Report: Bennelong Australian Equities Fund
By: Australian Fund Monitors
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| Fund Overview | The Bennelong Australian Equities Fund seeks quality investment opportunities which are under-appreciated and have the potential to deliver positive earnings. The investment process combines bottom-up fundamental analysis with proprietary investment tools that are used to build and maintain high quality portfolios that are risk aware. The investment team manages an extensive company/industry contact program which helps identify and verify various investment opportunities. The companies within the portfolio are primarily selected from, but not limited to, the S&P/ASX 300 Index. The Fund may invest in securities listed on other exchanges where such securities relate to the ASX-listed securities. The Fund typically holds between 25-60 stocks with a maximum net targeted position of an individual stock of 6%. |
| Manager Comments | Bennelong noted that, particularly in these tougher times, sticking to the same tried-and-tested process is paramount. To that end, they remain focused on what they believe ultimately drives investor returns over time: earnings, growth prospects and other business fundamentals. Some stocks held in the portfolio, such as Aristocrat Leisure, have been sold down in recent months, in some cases without any material deterioration in fundamentals. Bennelong noted this has affected the Fund's returns, but in general the lower share prices have set them up with more attractive risk-return dynamics. Moving into reporting season Bennelong say they are mindful of what they perceive to be significant earnings risk prevalent right across the market. Their view is that investors nowadays are brutal when it comes to even minor earnings misses or downgrades. Overall, Bennelong like how the portfolio is currently positioned and are optimistic on its investment prospects. |
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Performance Report: Insync Global Capital Aware Fund
27 Feb 2019 - Australian Fund Monitors
The Insync Global Capital Aware Fund rose +3.28% in January, taking 12-month performance to +4.52% and the Fund's annualised return since inception in October 2009 to +9.42%.
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27 Feb 2019 - Performance Report: Insync Global Capital Aware Fund
By: Australian Fund Monitors
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| Fund Overview | Insync employs four simple screens to narrow the universe of over 40,000 listed companies globally to a focus group of high quality companies that it believes have the potential to consistently grow their profits and dividends. These screens are size of the company, balance sheet performance, valuation and dividend quality. Companies that pass this due diligence process are then valued using dividend discount models, free cash flow yield and proprietary implied growth and expected return models. The end result is a high conviction portfolio of typically 15-30 stocks. The principal investments will be in shares of companies listed on international stock exchanges (including the US, Europe and Asia). The Fund may also hold cash, derivatives (for example futures, options and swaps), currency contracts, American Depository Receipts and Global Depository Receipts. The Fund may also invest in various types of international pooled investment vehicles. At times, Insync may consider holding higher levels of cash if valuations are full and it is difficult to find attractive investment opportunities. When Insync believes markets to be overvalued, it may hold part of its resources in cash, or use derivatives as a way of reducing its equity exposure. Insync may use options, futures and other derivatives to reduce risk or gain exposure to underlying physical investments. The Fund may purchase put options on market indices or specific stocks to hedge against losses caused by declines in the prices of stocks in its portfolio. |
| Manager Comments | Insync noted that in January strong contributions from stock selection were partially offset by a decline in the value of the index 'puts' due to a sharp market recovery and significant fall in volatility. Positive contributors included Facebook, Intuit, Intercontinental Hotel Group, London Stock Exchange and Adidas. Detractors included Twenty-First Century Fox, Heineken, Walt Disney, Visa and Zoetis. No currency hedging continues across both of Insync's funds as Insync consider the main risks to the Australian dollar to be on the downside. |
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Performance Report: Harvest Lane Asset Management Absolute Return Fund
27 Feb 2019 - Australian Fund Monitors
The Harvest Lane Absolute Return Fund rose +0.80% in January, taking 12-month performance to +10.44% versus the ASX200 Accumulation Index's +1.37%. Since inception in July 2013, the Fund has returned +9.11% per annum.
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27 Feb 2019 - Performance Report: Harvest Lane Asset Management Absolute Return Fund
By: Australian Fund Monitors
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| Fund Overview | Harvest Lane Asset Management employs a conservative, highly selective and opportunistic approach. Using their extensive knowledge in the area of corporate actions, the Fund's managers assess each opportunity based on a thoughtful, diligent and disciplined process and invest where they believe an opportunity exists to generate above average investment returns relative to the risk incurred. Investment decisions are made without speculating on market direction, with rigid risk controls enforced to minimise the risk of large losses of investor capital. The Fund invests in securities that are predominantly listed on the ASX and occasionally in those listed in other developed markets. Equity swaps and other derivatives may be used at times to reduce risk. The fund typically holds high levels of cash in the absence of sufficiently attractive opportunities to deploy investor capital in accordance with its objectives. |
| Manager Comments | Harvest Lane noted the month was fairly active as they continued to see steady deal flow and positive catalysts in some of the Fund's existing positions which proved to be a key driver of the month's performance. The current portfolio composition consists of a larger number of deals in their early stages than Harvest Lane have typically observed in recent months. They noted they tend to allocate more capital to transactions as they firm up and exercise restraint so as not to over commit until doing so is warranted. The portfolio remains appropriately weighted in these new opportunities and holds enough cash to meaningfully scale up should the transactions progress as Harvest Lane anticipates. |
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Fund Review: Insync Global Capital Aware Fund January 2019
26 Feb 2019 - Australian Fund Monitors
Latest Fund Review on Insync Global Capital Aware Fund is now available. The Global Capital Aware Fund invests in a concentrated portfolio of 15-30 stocks, targeting exceptional, large cap global companies with a strong focus on dividend...
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26 Feb 2019 - Fund Review: Insync Global Capital Aware Fund January 2019
By: Australian Fund Monitors
AFM Fund Review - January 2019 (pdf format)
INSYNC GLOBAL CAPITAL AWARE FUND
Attached is our most recently updated Fund Review on the Insync Global Capital Aware Fund.
We would like to highlight the following:
- The Global Capital Aware Fund invests in a concentrated portfolio of 15-30 stocks, targeting exceptional, large cap global companies with a strong focus on dividend growth and downside protection.
- Portfolio selection is driven by a core strategy of investing in companies with sustainable growth in dividends, high returns on capital, positive free cash flows and strong balance sheets.
- Emphasis on limiting downside risk is through extensive company research, the ability to hold cash and long protective index put options.
For further details on the Fund, please do not hesitate to contact us.
AFM Fund Review - January 2019 (pdf format)
Performance Report: Wheelhouse Global Equities Income Fund
26 Feb 2019 - Australian Fund Monitors
The Wheelhouse Global Equity Income Fund returned +0.36% in January, taking 12-month performance to +7.15% and annualised performance since inception in May 2017 to +5.34%.
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26 Feb 2019 - Performance Report: Wheelhouse Global Equities Income Fund
By: Australian Fund Monitors
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| Fund Overview | To pursue this objective, the Investment Manager is responsible for actively managing, monitoring and tailoring the integration of derivative contracts alongside the Morningstar Portfolio, while taking into account changing market and stock specific conditions. The Investment Manager is responsible for maximising the structural benefits of short option positions (lowered Volatility, improved capital preservation, higher income generation), whilst mitigating, minimising and monitoring the structural negatives (variable market exposure, option expiries, collateral management and asymmetric return profiles). In addition, long derivatives positions are also used to enhance the capital preservation characteristics of the Fund in more extreme market movements. As a consequence of the integration of Derivatives, returns of the strategy, intra-cycle, are expected to vary from the underlying Morningstar Portfolio due to these characteristics. For example in weak markets, or in extended sideways markets, the Fund is expected to outperform relative to the Morningstar Portfolio. Conversely in strong positive markets the Fund is expected to underperform. |
| Manager Comments | The Fund's January return comprised +3.93% from the portfolio (in USD) and a negative return of -3.72% from the strengthening of the Australian dollar versus the US dollar. Top contributors included ServiceNow Inc, KLA Tencor, Canadian Pacific Railway, Union Pacific and Jones Lang LaSalle. Key detractors included Kao Corp, Amgen, Medtronic, Pfizer and Unilever. The Fund is designed to deliver equity returns with higher income generation and active downside protection. The strategy's high income generation and active tail risk program are designed to lower risk and deliver equity returns with a smoother, more retiree-friendly return profile. As a result, Wheelhouse intend for returns to add relative value in weak and low-growth markets and to drag in more positive markets. |
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Performance Report: Spectrum Strategic Income Fund
25 Feb 2019 - Australian Fund Monitors
The Spectrum Strategic Income Fund rose +0.27% in January, taking 12-month performance to +3.35% and annualised performance since inception in June 2009 to +8.03%.
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25 Feb 2019 - Performance Report: Spectrum Strategic Income Fund
By: Australian Fund Monitors
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| Manager Comments | Spectrum noted they maintain minimal direct exposure to domestic residential property and maintain an underweight position in the lenders to the sector. They fear that unless home loan growth re-accelerates prices will fall far more than the 6% experienced nationally since late 2017. They say the parallels with other property corrections driven by slowing credit growth are a concern. They believe falling local government bond yields and low corporate default rates could spur a chase for returns. This, they say, may remain supportive of lower credit spreads (capital gains) as Japan experienced when government bond yields collapsed. Spectrum expect 2019 to be an interesting year for A$ corporate bond investors. |
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Performance Report: Bennelong Twenty20 Australian Equities Fund
20 Feb 2019 - Australian Fund Monitors
The Bennelong Twenty20 Australian Equities Fund rose +2.67% in January, taking annualised performance since inception in November 2009 to +9.28% versus the ASX200 Accumulation Index's +7.14% per annum.
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20 Feb 2019 - Performance Report: Bennelong Twenty20 Australian Equities Fund
By: Australian Fund Monitors
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| Fund Overview | The Fund is managed as one portfolio but comprises and combines two separately managed exposures: 1. An investment in the top 20 stocks of the markets, which the Fund achieves by taking an indexed position in the S&P/ASX 20 Index; and 2. An investment in the stocks beyond the S&P/ASX 20 Index. This exposure is managed on an active basis using a fundamental core approach. The Fund may also invest in securities expected to be listed on the ASX, securities listed or expected to be listed on other exchanges where such securities relate to ASX-listed securities.Derivative instruments may be used to replicate underlying positions and hedge market and company specific risks. The companies within the portfolio are primarily selected from, but not limited to, the S&P/ASX 300 Accumulation Index. The Fund typically holds between 40-55 stocks and thus is considered to be highly concentrated. This means that investors should expect to see high short-term volatility. The Fund seeks to achieve growth over the long-term, therefore the minimum suggested investment timeframe is 5 years. |
| Manager Comments | As at the end of January, the Fund had increased its weightings in the Discretionary, REITs, Communication, Industrials, Energy and Materials sectors, and decreased in the Health Care and Financials sectors. The Fund's weighting in the Consumer Staples sector remained unchanged at 7.5% of the portfolio. The Fund combines a passive investment in the ASX20 and an actively managed investment in the ASX ex-20. The passive position is achieved by investing individually in each of the ASX20 stocks with approximately the same weightings they represent in the ASX300. Currently, this weighting is over 50%. The active position in ex-20 stocks aims to allow the Fund to outperform the broader market. |
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Performance Report: Bennelong Kardinia Absolute Return Fund
19 Feb 2019 - Australian Fund Monitors
The Bennelong Kardinia Absolute Return Fund rose +1.66% in January, taking annualised performance since inception May 2006 to +9.15% with an annualised volatility of 7.14%.
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19 Feb 2019 - Performance Report: Bennelong Kardinia Absolute Return Fund
By: Australian Fund Monitors
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| Fund Overview | The Fund's discretionary investment strategy commences with a macro view of the economy and direction to establish the portfolio's desired market exposure. Following this detailed sector and company research is gathered from knowledge of the individual stocks in the Fund's universe, with widespread use of broker research. Company visits, presentations and discussions with management at CEO and CFO level are used wherever possible to assess management quality across a range of criteria. Detailed analysis of company valuations using financial statements and forecasts, particularly focusing on free cash flow, is conducted. Technical analysis is used to validate the Manager's fundamental research and valuations and to manage market timing. A significant portion of the Fund's overall performance can be attributed to the attention and importance given to the macro economic outlook and the ability and willingness to adjust the Fund's market risk. |
| Manager Comments | Top contributors in January included Rio Tinto (+26 basis point contribution), A2 Milk (+21bp), Tabcorp (+19bp), CSL (+17bp), Evolution Mining (+16bp). Key detractors included Netwealth (-13bp), Northern Star (-11bp) and Qantas (-9bp). The individual short book dragged on performance (-27bp), with shorts in the waste management, IT and packaging sectors the key detractors. Net equity market exposure was increased from 30.4% to 40.2% (48.7% long and 8.4% short), with the key changes being increased weightings in Macquarie Group, Woodside Petroleum, A2 Milk, Tabcorp, Cleanaway and CSL, and a new position in Independence Group. |
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Performance Report: NWQ Fiduciary Fund
18 Feb 2019 - Australian Fund Monitors
The NWQ Fiduciary Fund rose +0.44% in January, taking annualised performance since inception in May 2013 to +5.34% with an annualised volatility of only 4.92%.
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18 Feb 2019 - Performance Report: NWQ Fiduciary Fund
By: Australian Fund Monitors
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| Fund Overview | The Fund aims to produce returns, after management fees and expenses of between 8% to 11% p.a. over rolling five-year periods. Furthermore, the Fund aims to achieve these returns with volatility that is a fraction of the Australian equity market, in order to smooth returns for investors. |
| Manager Comments | NWQ noted there was a distinct shift in sentiment from 'risk-off' to 'risk-on' with the US Federal Reserve signalling that it would hold off on further rate rises, reversing a position it took less than two months prior. This shift in sentiment was an indiscriminate tailwind for stocks and this, NWQ say, provided its own set of challenges for the long/short strategies of the Fund's underlying managers. Against this backdrop, the Fund's underlying managers positioned their portfolios to generate modest positive returns and are well positioned for when company fundamentals - as opposed to market sentiment - become the primary driver of stock returns as is most often the case following reporting season. |
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Performance Report: Glenmore Australian Equities Fund
15 Feb 2019 - Australian Fund Monitors
The Glenmore Australian Equities Fund rose +2.84% in January, taking annualised performance since inception in June 2017 to +18.91% per annum versus the ASX200 Accumulation Index's +5.63%.
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15 Feb 2019 - Performance Report: Glenmore Australian Equities Fund
By: Australian Fund Monitors
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| Fund Overview | The main driver of identifying potential investments will be bottom up company analysis, however macro-economic conditions will be considered as part of the investment thesis for each stock. |
| Manager Comments | Top contributors included Worley Parsons (+21.5%), Magellan Financial Group (+21.2%), NRW Holdings (+19.2%), Bravura Solutions (+13.5%), Arena REIT (+11.6%) and Jump Interactive (+10.6%). The only detractor of note was Navigator Global Investments (NGI) which Glenmore decided to exit given NGI's recent earnings update; earnings guidance for FY19 10-15% below the market's expectations. |
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