NEWS
23 Oct 2013 - Pengana Asia Special Events (Onshore) Fund
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| Fund Overview | The Fund seeks to profit from trading securities which are primarily subject to corporate events or from trading-related securities which the Investment Manager believes are mispriced by the market. The Fund invests in securities that are listed on Asian stock markets and other markets where related securities may be listed and in securities which are listed on markets outside of Asia where more than 70% (by assets or earnings) of the underlying business originates from an Asian country. The Fund aims to generate consistently positive returns which have a low correlation to the Asian stock markets. The objective is to generate 10-20% pa with a standard deviation of 6-10% |
| Manager Comments | The Manager noticed a significant pick up in event driven opportunities across most of the Fund's sub-strategies. In term of M&A, September marked the busiest deal count of the year. A recent trend the Manager has observed is an increase in activity in cross border deals involving China based targets, perhaps an indication that the leadership change has catalysed such activity. In addition, the takeover of Tokyo Electron by Applied Materials marked an unusual inbound Japanese transaction signaling a significant shift of Japanese boards being culturally resistant to a foreign takeover in the face of industry consolidation to protect shareholder interest. |
| More Information | » View detailed profile of this fund |
23 Oct 2013 - Fund Review: Insync Global Titans Fund
INSYNC GLOBAL TITANS FUND
Attached is our most recently updated Fund Review on the Insync Global Titans Fund.
We would like to highlight the following:
- The Global Titans Fund invests in a concentrated portfolio of 15-25 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.
- The Fund?s unit price decreased by 0.6% in September. The main detractors for the month were GlaxoSmithKline, General Mills and SAP. The largest positive contributions came from our holdings in Reckitt Benckiser, British Sky Broadcasting, Safran and Nestle. Safran has more than a 75% market share in narrow-body aircraft engines, an industry with very high barriers to entry. There appears to be a long cycle of new engine orders underway, driven by a significant replacement cycle due to an ageing global airline fleet, a sharp increase in low-cost airlines, increased air traffic globally, and a significant improvement in fuel efficiency reducing the payback period for airlines on new aircraft investment.
- 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.
Insync Global Titans Fund (pdf format)
22 Oct 2013 - Auscap Long Short Australian Equities Fund
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| Fund Overview | The Fund focuses on fundamental long and short investments. The Fund may utilise a multi-strategy approach if short term opportunities to increase returns, hedge the portfolio, protect capital or minimise volatility are found. The Fund is a high conviction fund and the combined portfolio will typically have 25-45 positions, investing primarily in stocks in the ASX200. The Fund may be net long, short or neutral depending on the strategies employed at the time. The Fund may hold cash so that it is in a position to take advantage of market volatility and compelling investment opportunities as and when they arise. The Fund may be geared up to 200% gross long or short and up to 150% net long or short. |
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| More Information | » View detailed profile of this fund |
18 Oct 2013 - Fund Review: Bennelong Kardinia Absolute Return Fund
BENNELONG KARDINIA ABSOLUTE RETURN FUND
Attached is our most recently updated Fund Review. You are also able to view the Fund's Profile.
The Fund is long biased, research driven, active equity long/short strategy investing in listed ASX companies with a seven year track record. The Bennelong Kardinia Absolute Return Fund rose 0.93% in September.
Long positions in Bank of Queensland, Seek and JB Hi-Fi were all meaningful positive contributors. The largest detractors from performance were Share Price Index Futures contracts (hedging long positions), CSL and BHP. Net equity market exposure including derivatives was increased slightly to 29.6% (67.7% long and 38.1% short).
The Fund also has a strong focus on capital protection in negative markets. Portfolio Managers Mark Burgess and Kristiaan Rehder have significant market experience, while the Bennelong Group provide infrastructure, operational, compliance and distribution capabilities.
For further details on the Fund, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Bennelong Kardinia Absolute Return Fund (pdf format)
18 Oct 2013 - Hedge Clippings
Wiser heads than mine (and the market) all predicted that the US debt ceiling debacle would be resolved prior to the deadline simply because the option of not finding a resolution was going to be completely unacceptable. I have to admit to not being as confident based on the view that Obama was intent on defining his presidency on Obamacare, and he had to draw a line in the sand somewhere, having compromised previously. I think I got that part right.
What I failed on was the view that the Tea Party hardheads would cave in as they did, making somewhat of a mockery of their previous rhetoric and arguments.
As it came to pass they (the wiser heads) were correct, but there still seems to be the issue that we are likely to have to go through the whole exercise again early in the new year. That's not to say that the Tea Party minority might not wake up to themselves in the meantime, who knows. What does seem certain is that Obama scored a major victory, and will be encouraged to continue to stand his ground next time around.
What is interesting is that in spite of the world's largest economy going to the brink of defaulting, the S&P500 was still within a whisker of all-time highs even if volatility did increase over the previous few weeks. That presumably is a reflection on the market's view that QE3 is unlikely to be tapered any time soon under new Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
On a different note there was an article in last Friday's Financial Times entitled "Population growth and the labour market" from 1950 through to 2100 which, if you are a student of demographics as an indicator for economic growth and activity, made for interesting reading. In total the global working age population has grown from 1.53 bn in 1950 to 4.54 bn today, and is forecast to reach 6.53 bn by the end of this century.
The breakdown by various countries however is of greater interest and significance with China (currently with a working age population of 1 bn, up from 332m in 1950) and India (800m, up from 223m) and to a lesser degree the US (210m up from 102m) dominating the numbers at present. Looking forward to 2100 however China's working age population is forecast to decline to 614 million, while India's will increase to 1.1 bn by 2050 before declining to 930 million. The US will steadily increase to 261 million by 2100 with the real game changer being Nigeria, which having had a working age population of only 20 million in 1950, and has less than 100 million now, but is predicted to reach 600 million by 2100.
Indonesia is currently in fourth place at somewhere north of 150 million, reinforcing the point made to me during the week by Wayne Peters of Allard Partners that 43% of the world's population currently live in China, India and Indonesia, and hence their focus on investing in those three countries. The interesting question of course is not only the growth of each country and region, but as the FT article points out how to find jobs for those of working age, and how to support their variously expanding aging populations.
Specific results received this week include the following PERFORMANCE and NEWS UPDATES:
The Optimal Australia Absolute Trust recorded 0.43% in September bringing it's since inception (Sept 2008) return to 10.85% vs 5.00% for the ASX 200 Accum. The Fund's risk controls are indicated by the very low annualised volatility of 3.62% vs 15.37% for the Index over the same time frame.
Despite very rich valuations, defensive yield and financials still seem to attract the majority of fresh money flows in our market, and the Fed's recent actions may continue to limit the perceived utility of valuation for a while longer, dangerous as that is. In this environment, hedging risk has been a frustrating and expensive exercise, although in the Manager's view, an increasingly essential one. Risk still strikes the Manager as being asymmetrically priced, with only low single-digit returns on offer from equity and debt securities if things hold together, and the prospect of much more substantial losses if they do not.
Insync Global Titans Fund has just completed its fourth year with a return of 9.26% (ASX 200 Accumulation 7.03%) and annualised volatility of 8.34% (Index 12.35%) since inception. The main detractors for the month were GlaxoSmithKline, General Mills and SAP. The largest positive contributions came from our holdings in Reckitt Benckiser, British Sky Broadcasting, Safran and Nestle. Safran has more than a 75% market share in narrow-body aircraft engines, an industry with very high barriers to entry.
The Morphic Global Opportunities Fund returned 0.26% during September and 29.91% for the last 12 months achieved with a notable Sharpe ratio of 2.91. The Fund had a net exposure of 98% and gross exposure of 139% at month-end. The Fund ended the month underweight the US and overweight Japan, Europe and Emerging Markets; reflecting the view that a trend that began in April of industrial and cyclical stocks outperforming more defensive equities is set to continue.
BlackRock Australian Equity Market Neutral Fund has a low overall risk profile with an annualised volatility of 5.69% (13.19% for the Index) since inception in Sept 2001. The Fund returned -0.64% during September.
The Fund had little net exposure to the global risk sentiment effects, with offsetting long mining and short mining services positions. Stock picking within the domestic sectors added value, especially during the lead up to the August reporting season, when many companies made pre-emptive announcements to foreshadow poor results.
FUND REVIEWS that have been updated this week include:
The Bennelong Kardinia Absolute Return Fund The Bennelong Kardinia Absolute Return Fund rose 0.93% in September. Long positions in Bank of Queensland, Seek and JB Hi-Fi were all meaningful positive contributors. The largest detractors from performance were Share Price Index Futures contracts (hedging long positions), CSL and BHP. Net equity market exposure including derivatives was increased slightly to 29.6% (67.7% long and 38.1% short).
An upcoming event that may be of interest for Superannuation member administration and investment operation service providers is the Superannuation Fund Back Office conference coming up on 21-22 October. Visit the International Business Review Conferences website for more details.
A free event being held for Fund Managers next Friday 25 October at KPMG Sydney offices that may be of interest is the HFA Australia Charter Symposium. Register here.
The Asset Allocation Conference is also coming up from 30th October to 1 November 2013 at the Grace Hotel in Sydney. Details are here.
Hedgeopolis New York is being held on 4 November at the Metropolitan Club. Use AFM's discount code "fundmo" to obtain a discount, or contact Adriana Costov for additional information.
Back in Hong Kong, the 26th Annual AVCJ Private Equity and Venture Form is at the Four Seasons Hotel from 12-14 November 2013.
IPARM Australia 2013 is being held in Sydney on 18-19 November on Investment Performance Measurement Attribution and Risk. Speakers include Dr Thomas Gillespie from Aurora Funds Management.
Also on 19 November, at the Renaissance Hotel in Hong Kong - the Art of Asset Management - free for senior asset management professionals from both global and local asset management firms. View the agenda here.
And now for something completely different, a good example of why you should not stop to assist stranded vehicles.
On that note, enjoy the week-end!
Regards,
Chris
CEO, AUSTRALIAN FUND MONITORS
18 Oct 2013 - BlackRock Australian Equity Market Neutral Fund
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| Fund Overview | The Fund's portfolio primarily consists of long and short Australian equity positions. The Fund may also invest in other funds managed by BlackRock. Derivative securities, such as futures, forwards, swaps and options, can be used to manage risk and return Key insights into the investment process include: Analyst Expectations, Relative Valuation, Earnings Quality, Market Signals and Timing. Short-Term return enhancing opportunities including: Dividend reinvestment plans, Manging index changes, Managing cash flows and Arbitrage, Initial public offerings and Seasoned Equity Offerings and Off Market Buybacks. |
| Manager Comments | The Fund had little net exposure to the global risk sentiment effects, with offsetting long mining and short mining services positions. Stock picking within the domestic sectors added value, especially during the lead up to the August reporting season, when many companies made pre-emptive announcements to foreshadow poor results. Themes of new media versus old media, and online retail versus department stores, added value here. The out-performance of domestic cyclicals post the results season was a net negative for the Fund, with the primary detractors being building materials. |
| More Information | » View detailed profile of this fund |
17 Oct 2013 - Morphic Global Opportunities Fund
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| Manager Comments | The Fund ended the month underweight the US and overweight Japan, Europe and Emerging Markets; reflecting the view that a trend that began in April of industrial and cyclical stocks outperforming more defensive equities is set to continue. Accelerating global demand and ample liquidity should be a potent mix for shares and the Fund is therefore fully invested. Forward indicators for growth across many countries are accelerating at rates not seen for more than two years and Chinese 'hard landing' fears have receded. The biggest single risk is the US budgetary battle. While the Manager's core view is that this will be resolved, the implications of protracted negotiations could be material. The Manager has therefore established a number of hedges to protect from short term volatility and the tail risks associated with a US technical default on its obligations. |
| More Information | » View detailed profile of this fund |
16 Oct 2013 - Insync Global Titans Fund
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| Manager Comments | The main detractors for the month were GlaxoSmithKline, General Mills and SAP. The largest positive contributions came from our holdings in Reckitt Benckiser, British Sky Broadcasting, Safran and Nestle. Safran has more than a 75% market share in narrow-body aircraft engines, an industry with very high barriers to entry. |
| More Information | » View detailed profile of this fund |
15 Oct 2013 - Optimal Australia Absolute Trust
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| Fund Overview | The Fund's bias is likely to be net long under normal market conditions, with the core strategy being to construct a portfolio of listed equity securities priced at levels that do not adequately reflect their underlying value. The Fund will seek to boost returns and limit potential market downside by selective short selling of individual stocks which are priced at levels that are viewed as materially above their underlying value. The Fund will also use certain trading strategies both within its core portfolio (through rebalancing stock weights and overall market exposure in response to price movements) and in certain other situations (typically of a shorter-duration and/or opportunistic nature) with the objective of further increasing returns. |
| Manager Comments | The Manager notes that at a market level, there has still been little change in the pattern of leadership. Despite very rich valuations, defensive yield and financials still seem to attract the majority of fresh money flows in our market, and the Fed's recent actions may continue to limit the perceived utility of valuation for a while longer, dangerous as that is. In this environment, hedging risk has been a frustrating and expensive exercise, although in the Manager's view, an increasingly essential one. Risk still strikes the Manager as being asymmetrically priced, with only low single-digit returns on offer from equity and debt securities if things hold together, and the prospect of much more substantial losses if they do not. |
| More Information | » View detailed profile of this fund |
11 Oct 2013 - Fund Review: BlackRock Australian Equity Market Neutral Fund
BLACKROCK AUSTRALIAN EQUITY MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
Attached is our most recently updated Fund Review on the BlackRock Australian Equity Market Neutral Fund.
We would highlight the following:
- The Fund's portfolio generally consists of approx. 180 stocks in equally weighted long and short portfolios to maximise potential returns while minimising market volatility.
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The strategy has recorded a return of 12.14% since inception (Sept 2001) as compared to the ASX 200 Accumulation Index return of 8.37% and with a volatility less than one-half that of the Index at 5.7% pa as compared to 13.23% pa.
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The Fund has also recorded a maximum drawdown of 12.41% as compared to 47.19% for the Index and has had 78% positive months since inception.
- BlackRock is the world's largest fund management group. Since being established in 1988 it has grown organically and by acquisition to manage US$3.93 trillion as of March 2013.
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Operations cover 27 countries including Australia (where BlackRock has A$48.6 billion in FUM - March 2013) managing a broad range of strategies across a variety of asset classes.
Research and Database Manager
Australian Fund Monitors
