Money Marketing
Amanda Smith Editorial

Amanda Smith joined Money Marketing in June 2000 to cover new products. She was previously a reporter at a sports website and was part of the launch team for local Canary Wharf newspaper The Wharf. She started her career in local newspapers and has written features for the Daily and Sunday Express.

  • Blacksquare increases volatility on defensive fund

    17 May 2012

    Blacksquare has made several changes to its Acumen defensive portfolio, formerly the IFSL Blacksquare multi-manager absolute return fund, to produce higher returns with volatility closer to its maximum target of 4 per cent a year.

  • Midas balanced adds two EM funds

    10 May 2012

    Two emerging market funds have been added to MAM Funds’ Midas balanced growth fund, reflecting the managers’ focus on real returns above inflation.

  • Thames River survey finds top performers

    10 May 2012

    Thames River Multi-Capital says the most consistent two sectors for top-quartile returns over the last three years are the IMA global emerging markets and the IMA Europe ex-UK sectors.

  • Altin Fohf first to declare dividend

    3 May 2012

    SYZ Asset Management believes its Altin fund is one of the first listed funds of hedge funds to declare a dividend for shareholders.

  • T Bailey builds on Asia and Pacific theme

    3 May 2012

    T Bailey is building on the theme of dividends in Asia and the Pacific by adding the Somerset emerging dividend growth fund to the T Bailey growth fund and increasing its existing holding in the Newton Asian income fund.

  • Flying start for Premier multi-asset funds

    26 April 2012

    Premier Asset Management’s multi-asset growth and multi-asset income and growth funds have had a good start to the year, ranking first and second out of 158 funds in the mixed investment 40-85 per cent shares sector during the first quarter.

  • T Bailey adopts global thematic strategy

    26 April 2012

    T Bailey has added a global thematic class to the strategic asset allocation for its growth fund.

  • Apollo favours China in face of slowdown

    19 April 2012

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management is optimistic about China despite the possibility of a slowdown.

  • Hawksmoor launches distribution fund

    19 April 2012

    Hawksmoor Investment Management launched its distribution fund this week, with around 60 per cent of the portfolio invested in the same holdings as the existing Vanbrugh fund.

  • A taste of investment trusts from JPM

    11 April 2012

    JP Morgan Asset Management sees its elect managed growth multi-manager investment trust as offering an introduction to the sector for IFAs in the run-up to the retail distribution review.

  • Midas balanced fund turns to wealthy nations

    11 April 2012

    MAM Funds is diversifying bond exposure within its Midas balanced growth fund through an institutional fund that invests in countries and companies that have the greatest ability to repay their debts.

  • L&C launches cautious income fund

    05 April 2012

    Discretionary fund manager London & Capital has launched an income portfolio that has a cautious risk profile.

  • OPM adds US high yield to fixed-interest range

    05 April 2012

    OPM Fund Management has introduced a US high-yield und and a gilt futures short into the OPM fixed interest fund.

  • Blacksquare absolute fund recovers ground

    29 March 2012

    Blacksquare Capital’s diversified absolute return fund is recovering lost ground following a difficult period last year which started with the extreme market volatility in August.

  • Witan wins back global trust losses

    29 March 2012

    Multi-manager investment trust Witan has returned more in the first few months of this year than it lost in 2011.

  • MAM scraps Midas core holding hunt

    22 March 2012

    MAM Funds has abandoned its search for a multi-strategy hedge fund to act as a core holding for the hedge fund allocation of its Midas balanced growth fund.

  • True Potential adds L&C portfolios to platform

    22 March 2012

    True Potential has recently added two types of discretionary funds to its platform, enabling it to cater for advisers who want varying degrees of involvement when they outsource their clients’ investment portfolios.

  • Blacksquare nears volatility target

    15 March 2012

    Blacksquare Capital is looking to increase risk in its multi-manager absolute return fund to bring annualised volatility closer to its 4 per cent target.

  • Hawksmoor reduces equities in Vanbrugh fund

    15 March 2012

    Hawksmoor Investment Management has slightly reduced the equity weighting in its Vanbrugh fund as a consequence of its contrarian investment style, where it sold holdings that performed well in the recent market rallies.

  • Distinction portfolio adds value through diversity

    8 March 2012

    Armstrong Investment Management, manager of the Distinction cautious absolute return fixed income fund, is looking at absolute return fixed income and strategic bond funds to provide uncorrelated sources of return.

  • Highest inflows for L&C portfolios

    8 March 2012

    Discretionary fund manager London & Capital experienced the highest monthly inflow of assets in to its managed portfolios last month.

  • Multi-manager View

    8 March 2012

    It has been a remarkable start to the year. Markets are behaving as though there is little to worry about. The rally has been driven by the €489bn liquidity offered by the European Central Bank, the LTRO facility, to European banks, mitigating the risk of a fresh round of bank defaults. The LTRO, launched in December, led to a scramble to buy risk, whether in equities, credit or commodities. More financial support for Greece also helped.

  • CAM funds aid investments under £100k

    1 March 2012

    Discretionary fund manager City Asset Management says its discretionary portfolio funds and model portfolios address the needs of clients with investments below £100,000 after the RDR.

  • Vanbrugh returns 60% in three years

    1 March 2012

    Hawksmoor Investment Management’s Vanbrugh fund has reached its third anniversary having produced a total return of over 60 per cent since launch on February 18, 2009.

  • Close offers discretionary deal to HNWs

    23 February 2012

    Close Brothers has introduced a discretionary fund management service for high-net-worth cli-ents that builds bespoke multi-asset portfolios for income, conservative, balanced and growth risk profiles.

  • Hawksmoor patience pays off with Vanbrugh boost

    23 February 2012

    Hawksmoor Investment Management says some of the strongest performers in its Vanbrugh fund in recent weeks have been holdings that caused the most frustration at the end of last year.

  • Europe still showing solid consistency

    16 February 2012

    Thames River Multi-Capital’s latest Fundwatch survey highlights Europe excluding UK as one of the most consistently performing IMA sectors over the last three years.

  • Hawksmoor set for distribution fund

    16 February 2012

    Hawksmoor Investment Management is preparing to launch a distribution fund, an income version of its Vanbrugh fund of funds.

  • Insch sets up performance analysis tool

    9 February 2012

    Insch Capital Management has launched a performance analysis tool for institutional investors, including IFAs and multi-managers, which highlights the need for improved returns or reduced fees among asset managers.

  • Thames wants absolute record on shorting

    9 February 2012

    Thames River Multi-Capital attributes the recent disappointing returns from the IMA absolute return sector to the transition of hedge fund techniques to the retail world and market volatility.

  • Miton funds continue low-risk approach

    2 February 2012

    MAM Funds is continuing to favour low-risk assets for its CF Miton strategic portfolio and CF Miton special situations funds due to the current market uncertainty.

  • Numis sees drive for closed funds

    2 February 2012

    Numis Securities believes interest from multi-managers will drive demand for specialist closed-ended funds investing in areas that cannot easily be accessed through Oeics and unit trusts.

  • L&C adds portfolios to platform

    26 January 2012

    Discretionary fund manager London & Capital has made its managed portfolios available through the Nucleus platform and is negotiating with two additional platforms.

  • Listed Fohfs face battle for survival

    26 January 2012

    Numis Securities believes the listed multi-strategy fund of hedge funds sector is under pressure to survive following another year of disappointing returns in 2011.

  • Aviva goes for tactical ETF trades during volatility

    19 January 2012

    The multi-manager team at Aviva Investors has invested in exchange traded funds three times since taking over the reins of the firm’s multi-manager funds last August.

  • Europe crisis sees Apollo look to Asia

    19 January 2012

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management is more optimistic about the global economy this year but warns of the potential for market corrections due to the uncertain outlook.

  • Thames River backing equities

    19 January 2012

    Thames River Multi-Capital is wary of last year’s best-performing sectors.

  • Apollo Fofs outperform

    12 January 2012

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management’s cautious and balanced funds of funds have outperformed their respective benchmarks at their third anniversary despite a difficult 2011.

  • Hawksmoor sees opportunities in badly performing sectors

    12 January 2012

    Hawksmoor Investment Management is spotting opportunities in sectors that are currently performing badly such as emerging market debt and corporate bonds.

  • Premier looks to secondary structured product market

    4 Jan 2012

    Premier Asset Management is finding opportunities on the secondary market among structured products that are trading below their face value.

  • Hawksmoor targets reinsurance with global fund

    15 December 2011

    Hawksmoor Investment Management has introduced the Polar Capital global insurance fund to its Vanbrugh fund of funds.

  • Premier sees long-term value in Euro equities

    15 December 2011

    Premier Asset Management’s multi-asset team has no intention of reducing its multi-asset growth fund’s exposure to European equities as the region’s political crisis trundles on.

  • Premier builds on John Laing infrastructure fund

    8 Decemeber 2011

    Premier has topped up its holding in the John Laing infrastructure fund in its multi-asset distribution and brought this closed-ended fund in to its conservative growth fund of funds.

  • Thames thinks small for better performance

    8 Decemeber 2011

    Thames River Multi-Capital says smaller funds tend to consistently outperform because they take sufficient risk, unlike many of their bigger counterparts.

  • OPM adds emerging markets and Europe

    1 December 2011

    Multi-manager OPM has increased its worldwide fund’s exposure to emerging market equities and brought European equities into the portfolio.

  • Vanburgh switching to value theme for investment trusts

    1 December 2011

    Hawksmoor Investment Management is positioning its Vanbrugh fund to benefit from an improvement in the economic environment and to withstand further turmoil.

  • Blacksquare puts absolute return fund in recovery

    24 November 2011

    The performance of Blacksquare Capital’s diversified absolute return fund has improved after changes made by the multi-manager to lessen the portfolio’s dependency on market direction to generate returns.

  • December launch for Syz's nextgeneration platform with UBS

    24 November 2011

    Fund of hedge funds manager Syz Asset Management will unveil a defensive multi-manager product on December 1 for the managed accounts platform it has developed with UBS.

  • L&C Novia funds make a splash in managed sector

    24 November 2011

    Discretionary fund manager London & Capital says the popularity of its managed portfolios on the Novia platform was an influential factor in the funds being made available through Ascentic.

  • Europe is hot topic for US managers

    10 November 2011

    Europe was the main talking point for the US-based fund managers that Rathbone Unit Trust Managers head of multi-asset investment David Coombs met on a recent trip to the US West Coast.

  • SYZ thinks small and nimble for Altin fund

    10 November 2011

    SYZ Asset Management has increased the allocation to managed futures in its Altin fund of hedge funds by adding a small fund that it says is more nimble than bigger funds.

  • M&G seeks diversification through bricks and mortar

    3 November 2011

    M&G’s income multi-asset fund is holding the M&G property portfolio to gain exposure to bricks and mortar.

  • MAM makes first global equity move

    3 November 2011

    MAM Funds’ CF Midas balanced income fund is investing in global equity income for the first time.

  • Blacksquare looks to cash to reduce risk

    27 Oct 2011

    Blacksquare Capital has increased the cash weighting in its diversified absolute return fund from 5 per cent to 20 per cent and trimmed two of its holdings by half to reduce risk and preserve capital.

  • Fundquest in neutral on equities

    27 October 2011

    Fundquest is neutrally positioned in equities as it is taking a more cautious stance after the extreme market volatility in August.

  • Sanlam uses Accel tool to track index benchmark

    27 October 2011

    Sanlam UK says it uses index benchmarks for the risk-graded asset allocation models in its Accel discretionary fund management service because indices provide a defined risk and reward framework to clients.

  • Fundquest looks for combination

    20 October 2011

    Multi-manager firm Fundquest says running its select range is not about picking the best manager for a particular sector but finding a combination of managers that can provide a balance between risk and return.

  • Apollo favours bespoke structured products

    13 October 2011

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management says it invests only in bespoke structured products created for its own requirements as these exceed the returns of retail products that cater for the mass market.

  • Hawksmoor warns of safe haven costs

    13 October 2011

    Hawksmoor Investment Management says assets seen traditionally as safe havens can be prohibitively expensive when they are most needed.

  • IAM says hedge funds surpass equities

    13 October 2011

    Fund of hedge funds manager International Asset Management says hedge funds have outperformed equities during the recent market volatility.

  • F&C lifestyle Fof tilts into gilts

    6 October 2011

    Changes to the asset-allocation models used for F&C’s lifestyle funds of funds have seen gilts and global bonds included in the lifestyle defensive fund for the first time.

  • Unicorn switches from cash to 3i and Herald

    6 October 2011

    Unicorn Asset Management has reduced the cash weighting in its mastertrust fund of investment trusts by re-establishing holdings in 3i Group and strategic equity capital while adding to its existing position in the Herald investment trust.

  • Apollo adopts absolute return strategy

    29 September 2011

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management is focusing on investments that are capable of producing above-average growth in a low-growth environment because it expects growth in developed markets to be anaemic.

  • 'IFAs will not embrace trusts after RDR'

    29 September 2011

    Fund of investment trusts manager Unicorn Asset Management says it does not think investment trusts will increase their market share following the retail distribution review.

  • Numis backs hedges as cushion

    22 September 2011

    Numis Securities expects listed multi-strategy funds of hedge funds to provide a cushion against equity market falls rather than full capital protection, as exposure to equity long/short managers means some correlation to equity markets is inevitable.

  • SYZ opts for style over strategy

    22 September 2011

    SYZ Asset Management, manager of the Altin-listed fund of hedge funds, believes that the management style of a hedge fund is more important this year than selecting funds based on which strategies are doing well.

  • Blacksquare follows model-based trends

    15 September 2011

    Blacksquare Capital says impressive returns from model-based trend-following strategies helped the recent performance of its multi-manager fund.

  • MAM's Callow views currency plays for Midas

    15 September 2011

    MAM Funds fund manager Simon Callow is exploring currency plays in his CF Midas balanced growth fund after sharing ideas with MAM CF Miton special situations and strategic funds manager Martin Gray.Gray has been influential in Callow’s thinking about currency during the monthly conference calls between the two brands that fall under the MAM umbrella.Rather than invest automatically in sterling-denominated funds and share classes, Callow looks at whether exposure ...

  • OPM raises investment-grade bond exposure

    15 September 2011

    OPM Fund Management has been reducing exposure to high-yield bonds in its fixedinterest fund of funds and increasing its exposure to investment-grade bonds.The firm is holding just under 3.5 per cent of the OPM fixed-interest fund in the JP Morgan sterling corporate bond fund as it believes this fund reflects its own views.The fund’s manager, John Anderson, was previously head of credit at Gartmore. OPM says it knows Anderson and his investment process extremely ...

  • Blacksquare looks more to social media

    8 September 2011

    Fund of funds manager Blacksquare Capital has recently revamped its IFA website to embrace the growing popularity of social media.Blacksquare says its website is the second version it has built in a year and contains more features such as blogs, links to Twitter and Facebook and videos.Monthly portfolio reviews and economic reviews are included as videos on the new-look site, providing information to IFAs and investors alongside traditional methods of communication ...

  • OPM moving back into Far East/emerging sector

    8 September 2011

    OPM Fund Management has started to increase Far East/emerging market exposure after reducing it earlier this year when developing regions were expected to underperform.The firm has increased emerging markets exposure in its worldwide opportunities fund by 2.5 per cent through the Allianz RCM Bric stars fund, managed by Michael Konstantinov.OPM says the Bric fund has had a torrid time this year but the firm’s outlook and holdings reflect OPM’s own views on those ...

  • WDB buys Doric Nimrod aircraft fund

    8 September 2011

    Williams de Broe’s Assetmaster team has added Doric Nimrod air two to its cautious fund of funds to diversify the portfolio away from equity market volatility.Doric Nimrod air two is an investment company providing income to investors by buying and leasing three A380-800 aircraft to airline Emirates. Capital gains will be provided when the aircraft are sold at the end of the 12-year lease.WDB says the holding will generate an attractive annual income of 9 per ...

  • Active Witan added to Numis core

    1 September 2011

    Multi-manager investment trust Witan’s move towards more active fund managers has led research firm Numis Securities to include it as a core recommendation on its investment company recommendations list.

  • MAM looks to income to shield worst of inflation

    1 September 2011

    MAM Funds has added the M&G global dividend fund to its CF Midas balanced income fund and has topped up an existing holding in Veritas global equity income fund.

  • Octopus funds revert to target equity levels

    1 September 2011

    Multi-manager Octopus Investments has rebalanced the risk-graded portfolios in its Octopus Portfolio Manager discretionary fund management service back to their target equity weightings.

  • Hawksmoor sees discount opportunities

    25 August 2011

    Hawksmoor Investment Management has taken advantage of widening discounts that have opened up in the investment trust market amid recent volatility.The firm says market volatility is throwing up opportunities to invest in closed-ended funds at an attractive entry point. It has topped up its holding in Impax environmental markets and brought the golden prospect precious metals investment trust back in to the Vanbrugh fund of funds after a 10-month absence.The ...

  • IAM favours event-driven strategies

    25 August 2011

    Fund of hedge funds manager International Asset Management expects positive returns from event-driven and long/short equity strategies, which are both classified by the firm as medium risk.The company says Asian and emerging markets still provide the highest long-term growth opportunities for long/short equ-ity managers but those focused on the US have the potential to provide high returns due to factors such as a reasonably priced market, strong earnings growth and monetary ...

  • Thames River maintains distribution fund yield

    25 August 2011

    Thames River Multi-Capital believes the ability to maintain the income yield on its distribution fund of funds should make it more attractive to investors in the face of sharply falling yields across the main IMA sectors.Each year, the firm reviews most of the IMA yielding sectors to identify trends in distribution yields. This year’s analysis shows all sectors have had consistent and significant falls over the last two years.The average yield on equity income ...

  • Berry says diversity has protected its portfolios

    18 August 2011

    Discretionary fund manager Berry Asset Management says its multi-asset multi-manager approach has protected its risk-gra-ded portfolios from the worst of the recent equity market falls.When equity markets were falling, Berry’s holdings in index-linked gilts, gold and absolute return funds were performing well, with some valuations reaching all-time highs. It believes diversification across asset class and manager has helped its portfolios hold up well relative to equity ...

  • Hawksmoor to stand by off-form managers

    18 August 2011

    Hawksmoor Investment Management says it is standing by managers with good longterm track records who are struggling to find their form.Some funds held by Hawksmoor in its vanbrugh fund of funds are run by managers with solid track records but have produced poor returns this year.Hawksmoor believes it is dangerous to sell out of these funds on the basis of short-term performance as this may coincide with the manager getting back on track.Rather than ...

  • London & Capital cuts cash weightings to protect against more market falls

    18 August 2011

    London & Capital is hedging its bets by reducing some of the cash allocation in its managed portfolios to provide protection from any further market falls and allow them to benefit from a bounceback when markets turn.The portfolios have been defensively positioned in recent months but the firm reduced its cash weightings by half across the portfolio at the start of August.The cautious return to riskier assets paid off as the portfolios did not experience ...

  • MAM manager plays defensive strategy

    4 August 2011

    MAM Funds CF Miton strategic portfolio manager Martin Gray is focusing on sustainable yield across equities, bonds and property.

  • L&C switches from cash back to risk assets

    4 August 2011

    Discretionary fund manager London & Capital is reducing some, but not all, of the allocation to cash in its managed portfolio range as part of a tactical asset allocation change.

  • Premier eyes reinsurance profit boost

    4 August 2011

    Premier Asset Management’s multi-asset team aims to benefit from profits in the reinsurance sector through a holding in the CATCo reinsurance opportunities investment trust.

  • SYZ to boost futures exposure with addition to Altin

    28 July 2011

    Fund of hedge funds manager SYZ Asset Management has added a managed futures fund to its Altin portfolio and is looking to increase its managed futures exposure further.

  • Apollo calls for volatility-based system

    21 July 2011

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management says it would prefer the Investment Management Association managed sectors to be based on volatility and how much fund prices decline from their last peak, or drawdown, rather than how much is held in equities and bonds.

  • Hawksmoor backs specialists

    21 July 2011

    Hawksmoor Investment Management is responding to market conditions by increasing exposure to specialist funds and those focusing on high quality companies with strong cashflow and dividend yields.

  • Octopus is expecting second-half rally

    21 July 2011

    The multi-manager team at Octopus Investments is maintaining an overweight position in equities in anticipation of a rally in the second half of the year.

  • Thames River goes against the tide on equities

    14 July 2011

    Thames River Capital is slightly more optimistic about equities than some of its peers, based on an analysis of various macroeconomic factors.

  • CAM provides access to infrastructure with First State global fund

    7 July 2011

    Discretionary fund manager City Asset Management is holding the First State global listed infrastructure fund in its Elite CAM balanced discretionary portfolio to benefit from its blend of infrastructure and global equities.

  • OPM sees potential in Asian bonds

    7 July 2011

    OPM Fund Management is exploring the theme of Asian bonds within its £41m fixedincome fund of funds.

  • 'The majority of investors prefer a smooth ride'

    7 July 2011

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management believes volatility should be managed to specific targets rather than viewed as an inevitable consequence of fund managers’ decisions.

  • BAM favours managers with sound convictions

    30 June 2011

    Berry Asset Management is filling the five risk-graded portfolios in its discretionary fund management service with managers who have high conviction of their specific holdings and their investment processes.

  • Midas fund adopts cautious attitude

    30 June 2011

    MAM Funds is taking a fairly cautious stance in its Midas balanced income fund, favouring bigger blue chip companies with strong balance sheets and dividend growth.

  • BAM bases new DFM on five risk-graded portfolios

    23 June 2011

    Berry Asset Management says its new discretionary fund management service is a more concentrated version of the bespoke multi-asset portfolios it has been running for wealthy clients for 30 years.

  • Smith & Williamson corporate bond is its most popular fund

    23 June 2011

    Smith & Williamson Investment Management says its short-dated corporate bond fund is its most popular fund among multi-managers and discretionary fund managers.

  • Hawksmoor turns to bonds

    16 June 2011

    Hawksmoor Investment Management is holding almost a quarter of its Vanbrugh fund of funds in a range of bonds that aim to produce real returns after inflation at a relatively low risk.

  • Japan still holds out promise for Fidelity

    16 June 2011

    Manager of the Fidelity balanced multi-manager fund is looking at Japan and emerging Europe to achieve diversification across the equity part of the portfolio.

  • Fidelity puts balanced fund on the defensive

    9 June 2011

    Fidelity International has taken a more defensive stance in its multi-manager balanced portfolio, with manager Steve Gibson reducing exposure to risky assets such as equities, commodities and property.

  • Rathbones to bank on senior secured loans

    9 June 2011

    Rathbones multi-asset manager David Coombs says he is holding senior secured loans funds in Rathbone strategic growth because interest rates can only go up.

  • Thames River extends lifestyle range with Brown Advisory American fund

    9 June 2011

    Thames River has added the Brown Advisory American fund across its lifestyle range.

  • Hedge Fofs in small switch

    2 June 2011

    Standard & Poor’s Fund Services says fund of hedge fund managers are targeting smaller investors because disappointing returns, redemption difficulties during the financial crisis and additional fee layers have put off big institutional investors.

  • Rathbone's Coombs diversifies with CTAs

    2 June 2011

    Rathbone Unit Trust Management head of multi-asset investments David Coombs is diversifying his portfolios through commodity trading advisers as it is difficult to find asset classes that are not correlated to equities.

  • Apollo sets up DFM to meet IFA demand

    26 May 2011

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management is launching a discretionary fund management service that will comprise six risk-graded portfolios containing a mix of Apollo multimanager funds.

  • Generation AM vows full transparency

    26 May 2011

    New multi-manager firm Generation Asset Management says it will offer full transparency around its charges and the underlying positions in its funds.

  • IAM says event-driven strategies will be among best performers

    26 May 2011

    Fund of hedge funds manager International Asset Management says event-driven strategies will be one of the best-performers for the rest of this year.

  • Preservation is Swip's capital idea

    19 May 2011

    Scottish Widows Investment Partnership’s multi-manager team focuses on capital preservation as the key to long-term performance, even though this approach may seem unexciting.

  • UK listing takes Atlantis Asia fund out of the ordinary

    19 May 2011

    Asian specialist Atlantis Investment Management believes that adding UK and euro share cla-sses to its Asian fund will allow multi-managers and discretionary fund managers access to a different kind of offering.

  • Hawksmoor takes a hard line on gilts

    12 May 2011

    Hawksmoor Investment Management is limiting exposure to government bonds in its Vanbrugh fund of funds due to concern about sovereign debt in Japan, some parts of Europe and the US.

  • Premier outsources to SEI platform

    12 May 2011

    Premier Asset Management has outsourced the back-office support for its private client portfolio discretionary fund management service to the SEI global wealth services platform.

  • Swip to hike equity and commodity weightings

    12 May 2011

    Swip multi-managers Mark Harries and Simon Wood are overweighting equities and commodities across the diversity, select boutiques and optimal multi-asset funds.

  • Apollo cuts hedges to benefit from weaker sterling

    5 May 2011

    Apollo Multi Asset Management has removed the currency hedge in its funds because it expects sterling to weaken.

  • L&G prospects for gold in equities

    5 May 2011

    Legal & General’s multi-manager team is investing in gold and energy through equities because it is cheaper than direct exposure to the underlying assets.

  • Cavendish opps is Apollo’s first active buy

    28 April 2011

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management has bought into its first actively managed UK fund since the firm launched in 2008.

  • Fresh strategy puts SYZ's Altin fund in sweet spot

    28 April 2011

    Fund of hedge funds manager SYZ Asset anagement has introduced two new investment strategies to its Altin fund through two more holdings.

  • L&G sees active allocation as key to returns

    28 April 2011

    Legal & General’s multi-managers say one of the biggest risks investors face is overpaying for an asset. The team highlights the outperformance of its funds in 2008 as an example of its approach paying off.

  • Hawksmoor waits for graphite enterprises re-rating

    21 April 2011

    Hawksmoor Investment Management’s Vanbrugh fund is holding the graphite enterp-rises private equity investment trust to benefit from the re-rating of private equity companies.

  • Apollo gives Inside Out on holdings

    21 April 2011

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management is highlighting the diversity of its multi-asset approach by offering clients and advisers a full list of holdings in the Apollo balanced and Apollo cautious funds and the reasons for holding the underlying funds.

  • Hawksmoor picking companies with an edge

    14 April 2011

    Hawksmoor’s multi-manager team is looking to add stockpicking funds to its Vanbrugh fund because it expects global stockmarkets to be stuck in a trading range.The firm says the resilience that followed initial market setbacks after recent events in Japan and the Middle East suggests stockmarket levels will not change considerably.

  • L&C adds 10 IFAs for managed portfolios

    14 April 2011

    Discretionary fund manager London & Capital signed up 10 more IFA firms to its managed portfolios in the first week of its distribution link with Transact.

  • Architas brings in the stockpickers

    7 April 2011

    Architas says boutique firms TT International and Majedie Asset Management are attractive additions to its multi-manager funds because they are driven by performance, not asset-gathering.

  • Days of smaller funds of hedge funds are numbered

    7 April 2011

    Numis Securities says smaller listed funds of hedge funds are struggling to survive continu- ation votes triggered by discounts to net asset value averaging more than 5 per cent over the last year.

  • Fixed-interest cash tops up OPM high-yield exposure

    31 March 2011

    OPM Fund Management has used new money coming into its fixed-interest fund to top up its exposure to high-yield and investment-grade corporate bonds.

  • L&C cuts equity risk in volatility fear

    31 March 2011

    Discretionary fund manager London & Capital has reduced exposure to equities and commodities in its managed port-folios because it expects volatility to rise.

  • Budget 2011: Tories may not go far enough on Reits

    25 Mar 2011

    Property consultants question whether the Government will do anything more than remove the 2 per cent conversion charge on Reits.

  • Apollo fund raises exposure to Japan

    24 March 2011

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management has topped up its only direct Japanese holding.

  • Funds of hedge funds in decline

    24 March 2011

    Standard & Poor’s latest fund of hedge funds sector update shows funds of hedge funds have lost a 10 per cent market share of the total investment in hedge funds since the latter half of 2008.

  • RDR is driving high volumes of activity in multi sector

    24 March 2011

    Defaqto says that recent mergers, manager moves and new fund launches in the multi-manager industry are due to investment teams making their final preparations for the retail distribution review.

  • Funds steer between negative and positive

    17 March 2011

    Hawksmoor Investment Management has found that equity and corporate bond managers are mainly bullish on markets but those who take a top-down approach expect there will be hard times ahead.

  • Gemini MOSt India fund mines local knowledge

    17 March 2011

    Gemini Investment Management’s MOSt India fund is attracting interest from multi-managers looking to diversify their funds with an Indian holding managed by a local expert rather than a global generalist.

  • Greenwood picks through rubble from the bubble

    10 March 2011

    Determining the true net asset value of smaller specialist investment trusts trading at wide discounts is becoming more difficult, according to MAM Funds fund manager Nick Greenwood.

  • Premier claims DFM advantage

    10 March 2011

    Premier Asset Management says its fund management capability gives its discretionary fund management service some advantages over traditional DFM servicesThe private client portfolio service comprises 10 risk-graded portfolios, each with a minimum investment of £50,000. They invest entirely in a selection of seven Premier funds of funds, which comprise a portfolio of third-party funds to provide exposure to a range of asset clas- ses such as cash, corporate bonds, equities and ...

  • Gibson opts for domestic growth in developed markets

    3 March 2011

    Fidelity portfolio manager Steve Gibson favours developed over emerging markets in his multi-manager balanced fund.

  • Premier pulls back from high yield

    3 March 2011

    Premier Asset Management’s multi-asset team has taken money out of equities and high-yield bonds despite broadly positive views on the asset classes.

  • Fidelity income favours high yield

    24 February 2011

    The Fidelity multi-manager income fund is investing in areas of the bond market that are less sensitive to interest rates due to concerns that rates will rise to curb inflation.

  • L&C solves tax dilemma for US investors

    24 February 2011

    London & Capital has created a discretionary fund management service for advisers with US clients as it believes the impact of US tax gathering should not be underestimated.

  • Discount value draws Unicorn towards trusts

    17 February 2011

    Unicorn Asset Management sees the investment trust sector as attractive because discounts to net asset value provide a “self-regulating mechanism” that open-ended funds do not have.

  • Hawksmoor switches from bond fund

    17 February 2011

    Hawksmoor Investment Management’s Vanbrugh fund has sold the Henderson strategic bond fund in favour of another Henderson fund that provides exposure to secured loans.

  • Apollo looks forward rather than back for fixed allocation

    10 February 2011

    pollo Multi-Asset Management has highlighted the need for a forward-looking approach to asset allocation rather than “navigating by the rear-view mirror”.

  • BlackSquare to offer high-risk absolute return

    3 February 2011

    BlackSquare Capital plans to follow its new diversified absolute return fund of funds with a third multi-manager absolute return fund to sit at the higher end of the risk and reward spectrum.

  • Contrary view on discounts

    3 February 2011

    Unicorn Asset Management says the discount volatility that may deter some investors and advisers from investing in investment trusts is creating good opportunities for its Mastertrust fund of investment trusts.

  • L&C cuts TER for graded funds

    3 February 2011

    Discretionary fund manager London & Capital has reduced the total expense ratio across its 10 risk-graded managed portfolios by an average of 0.5 per cent.

  • Absolute funds can hold on to talent

    27 January 2011

    Thames River Multi-Capital says launching Ucits III compliant absolute return funds can be a way for firms to retain talented fund managers.

  • Swip is aiming for opportunities in currency markets

    27 January 2011

    Swip is aiming its new currency alpha fund at fund of fund managers and discretionary fund managers looking to diversify multi-asset portfolios.

  • Apollo raises equity weight to half for balanced Fof

    20 January 2011

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management has raised the risk profile of its balanced fund of funds by taking the equity weighting close to its self-imposed maximum of 50 per cent.

  • Follow where the money's not going

    20 January 2011

    Thames River Multi-Capital says the IMA sectors where investors are not putting their money are often better indicators of positive future performance than areas that are popular among investors.

  • Listed outlook improves

    20 January 2011

    Numis Securities expects share buybacks, tender offers and potential wind-ups to produce a better outcome for listed fund of hedge fund investors in 2011.

  • Hawksmoor scales down EM exposure

    13 January 2011

    The multi-manager team at Hawksmoor is diversifying its Vanbrugh fund away from mainstream emerging market debt and equity funds because it expects returns to be muted compared to the past two years.

  • Premier is playing patience on Japan

    13 January 2011

    Premier Asset Management’s multi-asset team is prepared to be patient in waiting for Japan to see sustained and significant growth.

  • Truestone ethical fund has Fof factor

    13 January 2011

    Truestone Investment Management has taken a fund of funds’ approach with its IM Truestone global impact fund because diversity is important in the higher-risk areas in which it invests.

  • Hawksmoor sees value of equities

    16 December 2010

    Multi-manager Hawksmoor sees equities as the most attractive asset class and says many of its underlying equity fund managers are more enthusiastic than normal about the prospects for their funds.

  • OPM video aid to IFA client meetings

    16 December 2010

    Multi-manager OPM Fund Management says the short, jargon-free video interviews it is putting on its new web-based OPMfm TV service are an easy way to help advisers with client meetings and reviews.

  • SEI says absolute return too risky for defensive portfolio

    16 December 2010

    Manager of manager specialist SEI believes that absolute return strategies are too risky for its defensive strategic portfolio and are unable to provide sufficiently high returns for its growth and aggressive strategic portfolios.

  • Apollo puts positive spin on QE2

    2 December 2010

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management is taking an optimistic view of further quantitative easing in the US.

  • Keep it simple, IFAs warned

    2 December 2010

    Discretionary fund manager London & Capital says outsourcing to one wrap and one DFM may be the easier option for confused IFAs in the run-up to the RDR.

  • 'Managed portfolios do not suit all clients'

    2 December 2010

    Multi-manager OPM says putting all clients into managed portfolios following the RDR will not work for IFAs because the approach does not suit everyone.

  • Apollo balances fund with multi-asset exposure

    Online - November 2010

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management’s balanced fund was up by 1.75 per cent at the end of October, 0.9 per cent behind the IMA balanced sector average with half the equ-ity exposure of the sector.

  • CF Miton assets fund looks to smaller specialist trusts

    Online - November 2010

    The CF Miton select assets fund is holding some smaller specialist investment trusts which are trading on wide discounts due to investors’ fear of illiquid assets.

  • Hawksmoor aims to steer clear of the QE junkies

    18 November 2010

    Scott: ’Long-term value’

  • IAM backing Asia for growth

    18 November 2010

    Fund of hedge funds manager International Asset Management says Asian and emerging markets are providing the best growth opportunities for long and short equity managers.

  • Gartmore absolute looks to multi-asset

    11 November 2010

    Gartmore says its multi-manager absolute return fund would not have been able to deliver consistent return with low volatility if it invested only in funds within the IMA absolute return sector.

  • MAM sees tech and mining growth

    11 November 2010

    MAM Funds is seeing growth opportunities in technology and mining stocks within its CF Miton global growth portfolio.

  • Merchant adds colour to risk

    11 November 2010

    Merchant Investors has introduced a “colour wheel” risk-profiling tool for its Accel discretionary fund management service that considers a client’s financial goals and capacity for risk in addition to their risk tolerance.

  • Armstrong aims to hedge against inflation with precious metals and commodities

    4 November 2010

    Armstrong Investment Management is looking at precious metals and commodities as a way to hedge the risk of rising inflation.

  • ETFs could cause high correlation

    4 November 2010

    Fund managers have highlighted the growth in exchange traded funds as the possible cause of a high correlation between stocks that make it difficult for long/short equity strategies to perform.

  • 3A increases macro strategy

    28 October 2010

    Fund of hedge funds manager 3A has increased exposure to macro and long/ short equity strategies in its Altin portfolio, which returned 3.87 per cent this year.

  • Against the grain

    28 October 2010

    The axing of the Electica fund from the Wealth 150 list has put the focus on agricultural funds. John Kenchington reports

  • MAM looks to emerging market firms

    28 October 2010

    MAM Funds is tapping into the growth potential of emerging markets in its CF Miton global growth portfolio through companies listed in the West.

  • 'Conditions are right for tactical trading'

    21 October 2010

    Fund of hedge funds manager Man believes that current market conditions are suited to tactical trading, where hedge fund managers can quickly adjust long and short positions in their portfolios.

  • Gilliat kickout plan for precious metals

    21 October 2010

    Gilliat Financial Solutions has designed a structured product linked to the price of three precious metals as an alternative to FTSE 100 products.

  • Hawksmoor says active approach critical

    21 October 2010

    The investment team at Hawksmoor believes that active management, both by fund of funds managers and by the underlying fund managers, is critical for current market conditions.

  • SEI strategic link-up with Ascentric

    21 October 2010

    SEI Investments has made its strategic manager of managers portfolios available through the Ascentric platform.

  • Blacksquare absolute fund triples assets

    14 October 2010

    The IFSL Blacksquare multi-manager absol-ute return fund has tripled its assets under management to £15m following a £10m investment from a UK life and pension fund.

  • Fidelity goes neutral on emerging growth

    14 October 2010

    Fidelity is increasing its emerging market exposure in its multi-manager growth fund, moving from the underweight it had towards the middle of the year into a more neutral position.

  • New breed of DFMs to oust multi funds

    14 October 2010

    London & Capital believes the new breed of discretionary fund management services could eventually replace multi-manager funds.The firm says its range of risk-graded managed portfolios, available on the Novia platform, have been popular because they do not affect the relationship between clients and advisers.

  • 7IM cuts costs on AAP range

    7 October 2010

    7IM is reducing the costs of its AAP passive multi-manager funds by replacing some of the exchanged-traded funds and tracker fund holdings with direct exposure to the underlying shares.

  • Active plan works for Fidelity growth

    7 October 2010

    The manager of Fidelity’s multi-manager growth fund prefers actively managed funds to passive funds as most of the fund’s returns are generated by manager selection rather than asset allocation.

  • Managers deliver on Witan Pacific

    7 October 2010

    An underweight position in Japan contributed to the Witan Pacific investment trust’s positive performance over the six-month period to July 31.

  • Advisers find L&C middle ground

    30 September 2010

    London & Capital says the managed portfolios in the middle of its range, with risk profiles three to seven, have been the most popular among advisers.

  • Cazenove points to risk success of its diversity strategy

    30 September 2010

    Cazenove says the risk-adjusted returns of its multi-manager diversity fund over the past five years prove that its multi-asset strategy performs throughout an economic cycle.

  • OPM reduces risk for fixed-interest fund

    30 September 2010

    OPM Fund Management has been reducing risk in its fixed-interest fund and increasing the fund’s exposure to non-sterling assets.

  • Miton and Midas names stay under MAM umbrella

    23 September 2010

    The Miton and Midas fund names will be retained under the umbrella of their rebranded parent company MAM Funds, formerly Midas Capital.The MAM umbrella unifies both multi-manager brands through a play on the first letter of their names and highlights its focus on UK fund management. It was felt that although the Midas and Miton management styles are similar, the differences are sufficient to retain the fund names.

  • Mixed economic message sees Cazenove take cover

    23 September 2010

    The multi-manager team at Cazenove is in capital preservation mode across its fund range because equity markets and bond markets are sending out conflicting signals about the economy.

  • Hawksmoor takes bearish stance on gilts

    16 September 2010

    Multi-manager Hawksmoor believes that gilts and other developed market government bonds represent poor long-term value, even though the asset class has recently outperformed.

  • Midshires services agent faces jail for £100k password scam

    16 September 2010

    An employee at Birmingham Midshires has been found guilty of unauthorised activity resulting in the theft of £100,000 from customer accounts.

  • Rathbone's alpha strategy

    16 September 2010

    The multi-asset team at Rathbone Unit Trust Managers is focusing on actively managed funds rather than passive strategies that follow the direction of the market.

  • S&P follows fund firms' example

    16 September 2010

    S&P Fund Services says it rates multi-manager funds by putting them through the same process that multi-managers use for their underlying managers.

  • Bloxham says the focus is on Midas absolute

    9 September 2010

    Irish equity specialist Bloxham says that multi-managers are showing interest in its Midas global absolute return fund due to the underperformance of other funds in the sector.

  • Hawksmoor counters cautious claims

    9 September 2010

    Multi-manager Hawksmoor believes it is difficult, if not impossible, to legislate that a fund is being managed cautiously.

  • Rathbone takes its highest weightings in alternatives

    9 September 2010

    Rathbone Unit Trust Management’s multi-asset portfolios have their highest weightings in alternative investment strategies since launch in 2007.

  • Evercore says ETFs are safe and liquid

    2 September 2010

    Passive multi-manager Evercore Pan Asset Capital Management says people worry about exchange traded funds but they are “straightforward, safe and liquid”.

  • Hawksmoor's 'would I buy it today' test

    2 September 2010

    Multi-manager Hawksmoor says monthby-month performance has its place in the management of its Vanbrugh fund of funds even though more weight is placed on longer-term performance.

  • Check on DFMs' use of alternatives

    19 August 2010

    Advisers need to do thorough due diligence on discretionary fund managers and their use of alternative investments, warns Defaqto.

  • Ethical Partnership balances SRI Fof

    19 August 2010

    The Ethical Partnership has established a balanced unit-linked socially responsible fund of funds for Merchant Investors’ product range and will add an adventurous portfolio later in the year.

  • Hawksmoor opts for gold shares over direct holdings

    19 August 2010

    Hawksmoor Investment management’s multi-manager team has chosen funds investing in gold shares over those with direct exposure to the asset class.

  • IFAs offered DFM control

    12 August 2010

    Merchant Investors has introduced a discretionary fund management service that enables IFAs to appoint a DFM for their client rather than the client signing an agreement with the DFM.

  • OPM cuts duplicate risk

    12 August 2010

    OPM Fund Management says one of the advantages of its multi-manager approach to equity income funds is there is little “unintentional risk” in its equity high-income fund.

  • Way hails next generation of absolute Fofs

    12 August 2010

    Way Fund Managers sees its new absolute return funds of funds as part of the “next generation of funds with next-generation costs”.

  • 3A buyback aims to cut discount

    5 August 2010

    Fund of hedge funds manager 3A is buying back up to 10 per cent of shares in its Altin fund as part of its discount management programme.

  • Baring turns to US bonds as gold loses its allure

    5 August 2010

    The Baring multi-asset fund is holding long-dated US government bonds because it is one of few areas to buck the trend of an increasing correlation between asset classes now that gold no longer works as a diversifier.

  • OPM sells L&G fund to top up bank holdings

    5 August 2010

    The OPM fixed-interest fund has sold out of the Legal & General dynamic bond fund to increase its investment-grade corporate bond exposure through top-ups to three existing holdings.

  • Apollo builds cash in wait for easing

    29 July 2010

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management is allowing cash to build in its funds while it waits to see if quantitative easing will be reintroduced in the US, Europe and the UK.

  • Gilliat adds three funds to structured fund range

    29 July 2010

    Gilliat Financial Solutions has added three new plans to its structured product range.

  • Merchant Capital plan links to emerging markets

    29 July 2010

    Merchant Capital has linked its latest structured product to emerging markets through the S&P Bric 40 index.

  • Numis sees three tiers of listed hedge funds

    29 July 2010

    Numis Securities has identified a three-tiered market in listed hedge funds, comprising strongly performing single-manager funds at the top, big liquid fund of hedge fund survivors in the middle and small or illiquid funds that are struggling at the bottom.

  • Rathbone reviews M&G recovery holding

    29 July 2010

    The multi-asset team at Rathbone unit trust management is reviewing its holding in the M&G recovery fund due to concerns about its size.

  • 3A adds two funds to Altin portfolio

    22 July 2010

    Fund of hedge fund manager 3A has added two new event-driven funds to its Altin portfolio, increasing the weighting to 18.58 per cent as at June 30.

  • Rathbone rates risk over place

    22 July 2010

    The multi-asset team at Rathbone Unit Trust Management is differentiating its funds from the competition by basing asset allocation on risk rather than geography.

  • S&P gives Thames River absolute fund AA rating

    22 July 2010

    The Thames River absolute return fund has been given an AA rating from Standard & Poor’s six months after launch because it has met its objective of low volatility.

  • Find absolute comfort in derivatives'

    15 July 2010

    Defaqto says the multi-manager approach can provide another level of diversification and comfort to advisers who are sceptical about the use of derivatives in absolute return funds.

  • Liquid focus has paid off for Fohfs

    15 July 2010

    Fund of hedge funds that restrict investment to more liquid strategies such as long/short equity and global macro to improve liquidity have not suffered in performance terms, according to S&P Fund Services.

  • T Bailey goes on defensive with second cautious fund

    15 July 2010

    Fund of funds manager T Bailey is launching a multi-asset cautious managed fund at the end of the month, with half the equity exposure of its existing cautious managed fund.

  • Havens are not so safe any more

    8 July 2010

    Multi-manager Hawksmoor says it would be wrong to react to recent market events by becoming more cautious than it already is, as so-called safe havens are becoming unsafe for new investment.

  • LV= adds Majedie UK fund to range

    8 July 2010

    LV= Asset Management’s multi-manager team has added the Majedie UK equity fund to all its multi-manager funds except the diversified income fund.

  • Premier rethinks property as the sector starts to slow

    8 July 2010

    The multi-asset team at Premier Asset Management has taken profits from its property holdings because the sector is starting to slow.

  • Agricultural commodities in demand

    1 July 2010

    M&G Investments head of multi-asset David Jane has increased exposure to agricultural commodities in the M&G cautious multi-asset fund as a diversifier because many other commodities have been behaving like equities and falling in tandem with other assets such as high-yield bonds.

  • Gartmore shuns gilts in favour of strategic bonds

    1 July 2010

    Gartmore’s multi-manager team says it prefers strategic and pure corporate bond funds to Government bonds, even though gilts are seen as a safe haven.

  • Premier treads carefully with defensive equity play

    1 July 2010

    The multi-asset multi-manager team at Premier Asset Management has invested in a six-year FTSE 100-linked kick-out product from Barclays to generate returns when the market is volatile but not going anywhere.

  • Caution is key for multi-asset mix

    24 June 2010

    LV= Asset Management has launched its most cautious risk-graded multi-manager portfolio due to investor demand.

  • Gartmore buys to be in on bounce

    24 June 2010

    Gartmore’s multi-manager team has increased its US and Japan weighting as it warns there are still plenty to worry about in the global economy.

  • Ignis picks Japan over China

    24 June 2010

    The Ignis multi-manager team favours Japan over emerging markets such as China as it believes the risks to equity markets in emerging regions have been underestimated.

  • Apollo cuts equity exposure

    17 June 2010

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management has reduced the equity exposure in its balanced fund to 41 per cent, having sailed close to its 50 per cent limit at the end of March.

  • Currency concerns see Armstrong add ETFs to pick up gold

    17 June 2010

    Armstrong Investment Management has bought two exchange traded funds on the back of recent falls in gold prices and Asian stocks.

  • Armstrong sees future in Euro futures

    10 June 2010

    Armstrong Investment Management has identified European dividend futures as a new opportunity for its IM Armstrong diversified real return fund.

  • Apollo assets hit £100m mark

    3 June 2010

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management says it is about to reach £100m in assets under management and has added its second-bestever structured product to its balanced managed and cautious managed funds.

  • IAM plans best strategy to play on market anomalies

    3 June 2010

    Fund of hedge funds manager International Asset Management expects credit and long/short equity strategies to perform well and sees opportunities for macro-strategies due to movements in fixed income and currency markets.

  • OPM identifies value in Russia and Brazil

    3 June 2010

    OPM Fund Management is selectively increasing emerging market exposure in its balanced managed fund with new positions in Russia and Brazil.

  • Backing for Legg Mason bond fund

    27 May 2010

    Legg Mason has had a verbal commitment from five funds of funds managers to invest in its new absolute return bond fund.

  • Defaqto guide helps advisers choose DFM

    27 May 2010

    Defaqto has published Letting Go, a guide to help advisers select a discretionary fund manager.

  • Liberum sees Ucits III threat to listed funds

    27 May 2010

    Investment bank Liberum Capital sees Ucits III funds of hedge funds as a threat to listed funds of hedge funds but believes the listed sector provides the only viable way to access illiquid investment strategies.

  • Hawksmoor puts faith in quality funds

    20 May 2010

    Hawksmoor’s multi-manager team believes its focus on good quality funds and fund managers will see it through the harsher low-growth and low-returns market environment it expects.

  • LV= stays neutral on equities but says long-term view is positive

    20 May 2010

    The multi-manager team at LV= Asset Management says it is mindful of the potential setbacks to equity markets but is positive in the long term.

  • SEI currently sees no value in alternatives for new Moms

    20 May 2010

    The strategic manager of managers portfolios that SEI Investments recently launched on the Cofunds platform do not invest in alternative assets as the multi-manager feels they do not add value above the existing assets it holds

  • Gold and sleepers boost Vanbrugh

    13 May 2010

    Multi-manager Hawksmoor Investment Management says the performance of two gold funds and some sleeping investment trust holdings were behind the Vanbrugh fund’s positive performance in April.

  • Hilltop favours Gibraltar for all weather fund

    13 May 2010

    Hilltop Fund Management says the group opted for its all weather fund to be Gibraltar-domiciled, claiming that Luxemburg has become a “victim of its own success” and Dublin is too expensive.

  • Analysis could pick new over old

    6 May 2010

    The multi-manager team at LV= Asset Management says its analysis of the investment team and process behind a fund could lead to a new launch being preferred in its portfolios over an established fund that has had several managers.

  • Hilltop calls for clarity on hedged or absolute return

    6 May 2010

    Fund of hedge funds firm Hilltop Fund Management says it is important for fund of hedge fund managers to tell investors whether they are producing hedged or absolute returns.

  • Monument being used to cut credit risk and volatility

    6 May 2010

    The distributor of Twenty Four Asset Management’s monument bond fund says multi-managers have been using the fund to reduce volatility and credit risk in their portfolios.

  • All weather takes longer outlook for hedge returns

    29 April 2010

    New fund of hedge funds manager Hilltop Fund Management has pitched itself as an alternative to the funds of hedge funds it criticises as over-diversified and disappointing in performance terms.

  • DFM is an answer to rebalancing client portfolios

    29 April 2010

    The Ethical Partnership director Jeremy Newbegin says the key benefit of discretionary fund management services is the ability to rebalance all client portfolios at the same time.

  • Vanburgh fund looking to global equity income

    29 April 2010

    Hawksmoor Investment Management says global equity income is the single biggest theme in its multi-manager Vanbrugh fund. The firm backs funds that focus on strong and dependable companies with aboveaverage yields, particularly as investors become less enthusiastic about chasing higher-risk areas.

  • F&C use vol edge to smooth market spikes

    15 April 2010

    Multi-manager View

  • Premier funds are sticking with sterling

    15 April 2010

    Multi-manager View

  • Apollo sails close to fund equity limit

    8 April 2010

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management has increased the equity weighting in its balanced fund to 46 per cent, close to the 50 per cent limit it has for the fund.

  • Hawksmoor looks to the new frontier for growth

    8 April 2010

    Hawksmoor Investment Management is holding the Advance frontier emerging markets fund in its cautiously managed Vanbrugh fund of funds.

  • Skandia dynamic outpaces sector

    8 April 2010

    Skandia Investment Group’s global dynamic equity fund has outperformed the IMA global growth sector by 14 per cent in its first year.

  • Schroders joins Japan backers

    1 April 2010

    Schroders has joined the growing number of multi-managers who have a positive view of Japan, but it is hedging its Japanese exposure back into sterling to reduce currency risk.

  • Trinity says Ucits III hedge move could see lower returns

    1 April 2010

    Trinity Fund Administration expects the number of Ucits III hedge funds and funds of hedge funds to grow but is concerned that investors could pay the price in terms of lower returns.

  • Hawksmoor advances Vanbrugh with frontier fund

    29 Mar 2010

    Hawksmoor Investment Management is holding the Advance frontier emerging markets fund in its cautiously managed Vanbrugh fund of funds.

  • Schroders cautious fund has benefited from consistent approach

    25 March 2010

    Schroders says a consistent approach and a stable team has helped its multi-manager cautious managed fund outperform the IMA cautious managed sector average in four out of the last five years.

  • Value managers pay off as Witan beats benchmark

    25 March 2010

    Recent outperformance of the Witan investment trust relative to its benchmark has been attributed to a combination of a multi-managerapproach, the reintroduction of gearing and a commitment to share buybacks.

  • Jane cuts back emerging markets with M&G cautious switch to Japan

    18 March 2010

    M&G Investments head of multi-asset David Jane has reduced exposure to emerging markets in favour of Japan in the M&G cautious multi-asset fund.

  • Vanbrugh fund off to flying start with deft choices

    18 March 2010

    Hawksmoor Investment Management’s Richard Scott and Daniel Lockyer have attributed the first year’s performance of their Vanbrugh fund to asset allocation decisions.

  • M&G's Jane favours outcome-based definition of cautious fund

    11 Mar 2010

    Cautious funds should be defined in terms of the outcome for investors rather than IMA sector limits and risk profile, according to M&G Investments head of multi-asset David Jane.

  • London & Capital says DFMs better for multiple RIs

    11 March 2010

    London & Capital believes discretionary fund management could be more suitable than funds of funds for adviser firms with several registered individuals.

  • Trinity warns that non-Ucits Euro edict would mean back to the future

    11 March 2010

    Fund of hedge fund managers will have fewer funds to choose from if the current version of the European Union directive on alternative investment fund managers is implemented, according to Trinity Fund Administration.

  • F&C ups active US exposure to reflect upbeat outlook

    4 Mar 2010

    F&C’s multi-manager team has trimmed its passive exposure to the US through S&P 500 exchange-traded funds in favour of the actively managed Robeco US premium equities offering.

  • Apollo rollout meets growing demand for DFM

    4 Mar 2010

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management believes the growing popularity of discretionary fund management among IFAs as due to perceptions that a DFM is better than a fund of funds.

  • DFM popularity down to perceptions says Apollo

    4 Mar 2010

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management believes the increasing popularity of discretionary fund management among IFAs is driven by perceptions that a DFM is better than a fund of funds.

  • Henderson funds deliver best returns for five years

    4 March 2010

    The Henderson multi-manager funds reported their best sales figures for five years in 2009, with gross sales of more than £175m - up from £11m in 2008.

  • 3A expects hedge fund managers to travel lite

    1 Mar 2010

    Fund of hedge funds manager 3A believes the introduction of hedge funds lite will force hedge fund managers who can operate in a more regulated environment to do so.

  • LGT favours discretionary macro over computer based trading

    25 Feb 2010

    LGT Capital Partners is favouring discretionary macro, where investment managers select investments, over computer-based systematic trading in its Castle alternative invest fund of hedge funds.

  • Henderson looks to barbell

    25 Feb 2010

    Henderson New Star is taking a barbell approach to equities in its Henderson multi-manager portfolios, with exposure split between funds with defensive and more cyclical qualities.

  • Russell eases asset allocation confusion

    25 Feb 2010

    Russell Investments is pitching its new multi-manager funds as a solution to the potential problems that asset allocation tools can throw up for advisers who use more than one platform or provider.

  • Way gets green fingers

    18 Feb 2010

    Way Fund Managers says its green portfolio fund of funds will invest only in specialist funds with proven track records in sectors such as forestry, clean water and alternative energy.

  • Heartwood to use passive funds in three ways

    18 Feb 2010

     Heartwood Wealth Management will use exchange traded funds and tracker funds in three different ways within its new multi-asset funds.

  • T.Bailey reduced EM exposure

    18 Feb 2010

    T. Bailey has reduced its exposure to emerging markets in its growth fund and growth fund lite due to concerns over a potential market correction.

  • AMG buys private equity FoF firm Pantheon

    10 Feb 2010

    US-based Affiliated Managers Group is to buy private equity find of funds manager Pantheon from Russell Investments in a $775m deal.

  • Midas looks to private equity

    4 Feb 2010

    Midas Capital has added two private equity funds to its balanced growth fund as it aims to build on last year’s turnaround in performance.

  • Russell unveils four funds

    4 Feb 2010

    Multi-manager group Russell Investments is offering four new funds to help advisers in the run-up the Retail Distribution Review.

  • Ucits III absolute return funds could double in a year says Blacksquare

    4 Feb 2010

    Fund of funds manager Blacksquare Capital says the number of Ucits III compliant absolute return funds available for selection in its multi-manager absolute return fund could double in a year.

  • Thames River focuses on hedge fund experience

    28 Jan 2010

    Thames River Capital’s new Ucits III absolute return fund of funds will focus on managers drawn mainly from the hedge fund world due to their experience in techniques such as investing short.

  • F&C predicts growth in Sicavs

    28 Jan 2010

    F&C’s multi-manager team thinks that the growing popularity of sterling priced Sicavs with distributor status could lead fund management groups to reduce the number of funds they offer.

  • F&C expresses concern about lite understanding

    21 Jan 2010

    F&C’s multi-manager team says it is excited about hedge funds lite coming into the market this year but it is concerned that some investors will not understand these strategies.

  • Apollo gives green light to Asian environmental fund

    14 January 2010

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management is holding around 4 per cent in the Impax Asian environmental markets investment trust as it believes the environment theme in Asia is set to grow.

  • New Star technology play marks a first for Premier

    14 January 2010

    Premier Asset Management’s multi-asset team is investing in technology for the first time through a holding in the Henderson New Star technology fund.

  • T Bailey growth fund moves to IMA benchmark

    14 January 2010

    T Bailey’s proposal to change the benchmark of its growth fund from a composite benchmark to the IMA global growth sector average has been approved by 94 per cent of unitholders.

  • Octopus expands multi-manager team

    8 Jan 2010

    Octopus Investments has expanded its multi-manager team with the appointments of Oliver Wallin from North Investment Partners and Fiona McRobie from Aviva Investors.

  • Marketing easier for Apollo funds with one year record

    18 Dec 2009

    Multi-asset multi-manager confident now funds have track record.

  • HSBC Openfunds reach top quartile at three-year anniversary

    17 Dec 2009

    HSBC Global Asset Management’s open global return and open global distribution funds have achieved top quartile performance at their third year anniversaries and have also been awarded A ratings from Standard & Poor’s Fund Services.

  • Cautious return to commercial sector

    3 December 2009

    Multi-managers T Bailey and Midas Capital are reintroducing UK commercial property back in to their portfolios but both remain cautious in their outlook for the sector.

  • Discretionary firms pose threat to multi-manager

    3 December 2009

    Defaqto says discretionary fund managers are creeping into the market as potential competitors to multi-manager products.

  • Moonraker is backing India to outperform China

    3 December 2009

    Moonraker Fund Management expects India to perform better than China over the next 10 years.

  • Absolute fund avoids the volatility

    26 November 2009

    Gartmore believes the first-year performance figures of its multi-manager absolute return fund show how stress-tested the portfolio has been.

  • Assets soar at Man

    26 November 2009

    Hedge fund manager Man Group saw assets held by its multi-manager business in managed accounts leap by 50 per cent in the six months to September 30.

  • T Bailey's flexible emerging market approach pays off

    26 November 2009

    T Bailey says one of the reasons that few global emerging market funds do consistently well is because many have a built-in bias to one of the bigger countries.

  • 3A reveals full Altin hedge fund holdings

    19 November 2009

    Fund of hedge fund manager 3A has again disclosed the entire holdings in its Altin portfolio, which was up by 11.16 per cent this year as at October 28.

  • Emotional in Fof approach on artworks

    19 November 2009

  • EAMR wants 10% average return from underlying funds

    13 Nov 2009

    Emotional Assets Management & Research sets fund targets.

  • Cazenove diversity rated superior by Morningstar

    11 Nov 2009

    The Cazenove multi-manager diversity fund has received a superior rating from Morningstar for providing good management and broad market exposure at a reasonable price.

  • BP Marsh fund overlooked, says SVM

    5 November 2009

    The SVM balanced managed fund is holding BP Marsh & Partners because multi-manager SVM believes the private equity fund’s 50 per cent discount to net asset value is unjustified.

  • Insight plays it safe with derivatives

    5 November 2009

    Insight Investment’s multi-asset team believes its strategy of using derivatives to hedge risk and isolate investment exposure to particular parts of the market will be useful if markets decline because it can see no obvious safe havens.

  • Reit rebound sees OPM outperform

    5 November 2009

    The OPM property fund outperformed the IMA property sector average by more than 20 per cent in the six months to October 1, after benefiting from its investment in real estate investment trusts.

  • Apollo keeps faith with lagging Japan

    29 October 2009

    Apollo Multi Asset Management is maintaining its exposure to Japan despite the region lagging during the recent rally in equity markets.

  • OPM returns to bricks and mortar funds

    29 October 2009

    OPM Fund Management has reintroduced bricks and mortar commercial property funds into the OPM property fund for the first time since launch in 2007.

  • 'Ucits III will complement hedge funds'

    29 October 2009

    Fund of hedge funds manager 3A believes Ucits III will complement traditional hedge funds, not replace them.

  • 3A says Ucits III is answer to transparency

    22 october 2009

    Fund of hedge funds manager 3A is meeting demand for greater liquidity and transparency with a Ucits III fund of hedge fund.

  • Apollo looks to new frontiers with Silk funds

    22 october 2009

    Apollo Multi-Asset Management is adding two frontier markets funds from boutique fund manager Silk Invest to its Apollo balanced fund.

  • Fohfs see moves to managed accounts

    22 october 2009

    Fund of hedge fund managers say the industry is moving towards managed accounts because investors who were locked into funds that restricted redemptions now want greater transparency and liquidity.

  • Insight using call options to control exposure risks

    15 October 2009

    Insight’s multi-asset team is using long and short investment strategies and derivatives to generate returns from specific parts of the market and reduce risk in its multi-manager portfolios.

  • Moonraker fears fallout if banks have to sell stocks to pay back cash

    15 October 2009

    Fund of hedge funds manager Moonraker is taking a cautious view on equities in its global opportunities fund.

  • T1ps smaller companies gold worth a punt

    9 Oct 2009

    T1ps Investment Management - SF T1ps Smaller Companies Gold Fund

  • Abbey unveils four year fix

    8 Oct 2009

    Abbey for Intermediaries - Four Year Fixed Rate Mortgage

  • OPM property doubles sector average returns with alternative strategy

    21 Aug 2009

    OPM Fund Management is using fixed income and property-related structured products as an alternative to bricks and mortar funds in reducing volatility in its property fund, which has produced double the returns of the sector average since March.

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