News
Meme Australian Share Fund
4 Dec 2015 - Australian Fund Monitors
For the month of November, the Meme Australian Share Fund gained 3.11% compared to the ASX200 Accumulation Index's loss of 0.68%, an outperformance of 3.80%.
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4 Dec 2015 - Meme Australian Share Fund
By: Australian Fund Monitors
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Fund Overview | The Fund's investment strategy seeks to identify low-risk entry opportunities and then build positions in these stocks. Once established in the portfolio, individual stock holdings are maintained for as long as their long-term upward trend remains intact and while they continue to make positive contributions to portfolio growth. Positions are reduced and ultimately closed out as their trends become exhausted or as their relative long-term performance against the broad market weakens. The Fund believes that longer time frame investments also provide a number of advantages. The effect of false signals and 'noise' which attend shorter term time frames is mitigated by only attending to signals which are confirmed by our longer term assessments. Also, the Fund gains exposure to the more expansive price trends which can last for months and years, allowing dividends and distributions received during this time to further enhance portfolio returns. |
Manager Comments | The most significant positive contributors to the fund's performance were Netcomm Wireless (NTC, +1.81%), Norwood Systems (NOR, +1.09%), Lynas Corporation (LYC, +0.44%) and Hub24 (HUB, +0.43%). The month's the largest negative contributions were St. Barbara (SBM, -0.43%), SMS Management (SMX, -0.32%) and Pilbara Minerals (PLS, -0.28%). The total number of portfolio stocks increased from the previous month's 79 to 101, due to strong investor inflows allowing a number of new positions to be secured. During the month, the Fund's exposure to the Materials, Energy and Information Technology sectors decreased and to the Industrials, Property and Health sectors increased, with exposure to other sectors remained relatively stable. Click below to read the latest Fund Manager's commentary on the Fund. |
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Fund Review: Supervised High Yield Fund October 2015
2 Dec 2015 - Australian Fund Monitors
Fund review on Supervised High Yield Fund, a fixed income fund, is now available.
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2 Dec 2015 - Fund Review: Supervised High Yield Fund October 2015
By: Australian Fund Monitors
SUPERVISED HIGH YIELD FUND
Attached is AFM's updated Fund Review on the Supervised High Yield Fund.
We would like to highlight the following aspects of the Fund:
- The Supervised High Yield Fund (SHYF) has a 6 year track record investing in fixed interest investments. The Investment strategy aims to deliver returns with zero correlation to equity markets by investing in debt securities with minimal default probability and offering a premium return above the risk free rate.
- The Fund is managed by Philip Carden whose experience in debt and capital markets spans over 32years, including time with JB Were's Capel Court Securities and Macquarie Bank, where he was the Executive Director responsible for the Debt Markets Division.
- SHYF is an Alternative Income fund which invests in Global and Australian debt markets, with all foreign currency receivables hedged back to Australian dollars.
- The Fund utilises a top down analysis of the economic environment and market to screen and identify debt market opportunities which it believes offer low risk with high yield. The next stage is the development of a risk matrix and investment strategy, following which detailed research is undertaken on specific investment opportunities which meet the pre-defined criteria established in the investment strategy.
- Prior to approving an investment for the Fund each potential investment is subject to two stress tests. The first of these is for credit and default risk, in which the investment is stress-tested to ensure that in a worst case economic environment it can repay 100% of its principal and interest obligations case scenario for the asset by examining the highest margin over the risk rate that the investment has previously experienced in a crisis situation. Any decline in value under the stress test that exceeds 10% of the Fund's value is avoided The second test examines market risk. In this case Carden looks at the worst case scenario for the asset by examining the highest margin over the risk rate that the investment has previously experienced in a crisis situation. Any decline in value under the stress test that exceeds 10% of the Fund's value is avoided.
Supervised High Yield Fund AFM Review October 2015 (pdf format)
Fund Review: Insync Global Titans Fund October 2015
1 Dec 2015 - Australian Fund Monitors
Latest Fund Review on Insync Global Titans Fund is now available.
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1 Dec 2015 - Fund Review: Insync Global Titans Fund October 2015
By: Australian Fund Monitors
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 Fund returned 3.5% for the month of October. The performance was driven by positive contributions from our holdings in Microsoft, Medtronic, McDonald's and Zimmer. The Fund continues to have no foreign currency hedging in place as Insync consider that the risk to the Australian dollar continues to be on the downside.
- The Global Titans Fund invests in a concentrated portfolio of 15-30 stocks, targeting exceptional, large cap global companies with a strong focus on dividend growth and downside protection.
- Portfolio selection is driven by a core strategy of investing in companies with sustainable growth in dividends, high returns on capital, positive free cash flows and strong balance sheets.
- Emphasis on limiting downside risk is through extensive company research, the ability to hold cash and long protective index put options.
For further details on the Fund, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Fund Review: Aurora Fortitude Absolute Return Fund October 2015
30 Nov 2015 - Australian Fund Monitors
Latest fund review now available on the Aurora Fortitude Absolute Return Fund, which has one of the most risk averse Key Performance Statistics of any fund in AFM's database.
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30 Nov 2015 - Fund Review: Aurora Fortitude Absolute Return Fund October 2015
By: Australian Fund Monitors
AURORA FORTITUDE ABSOLUTE RETURN FUND
Attached is our most recently updated Fund Review on the Aurora Fortitude Absolute Return Fund.
We would like to highlight the following aspects of the Fund;
- The Aurora Fortitude Absolute Return Fund (AFARF) has a 10 year track record investing in ASX listed equities. A Market Neutral overlay is used across a multi strategy approach which allows for flexible asset allocation to maximise returns and minimise risk under a variety of market conditions and cycles.CIO John Corr has over 20 years financial market experience with a strong focus on risk.
- Significant use of low risk "long" derivatives and option overlays has provided positive returns with low volatility during periods of market dislocation. Risk statistics are impressive and shows the Funds risk philosophy; 85% of monthly performances have been positive with no losing months in 2008, the Fund's largest drawdown is -2.09% and the Sharpe ratio 1.09.
- ASX listed Aurora Funds Limited was established on the merger of three existing fund management businesses, managing approx. $230m on behalf of more than 2,500 retail and wholesale investors.
Supervised High Yield Fund
27 Nov 2015 - Australian Fund Monitors
Supervised High Yield Fund produced a return of +0.54% for the month of October, to bring annualised performance since inception to 9.87% p.a.
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27 Nov 2015 - Supervised High Yield Fund
By: Australian Fund Monitors
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Fund Overview | The fund may also invest in interest rate swaps, options over authorized investments and exchange traded futures contracts. All these will be either listed or traded in a market where they can be independently valued. Fundamental to the investment procedure is the tenet that no debt security will qualify for investment unless it can repay 100% of its principal and interest in a worst case economic scenario. |
Manager Comments | In the current environment debt security income levels have been squeezed across the globe and the global investment community progressively chases yield, thus compressing returns to the historically low levels we see today. However, the Fund Manager has adopted the approach to benefit from the increasing levels of market volatility in a rising interest rates environment to deliver stable returns over the latest 12 months of 5.83%. More than half of the portfolio's composition (as a percentage of NAV) was invested in Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS) 62.89%. The rest of the portfolio composition was in USD Corporate Loans at 22.30%, Cash at 10.64% and AUD Corporate Loans at 4.17%. Click below to view the latest Fund Manager Report. |
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Fund Review: APN Asian REIT Fund October 2015
26 Nov 2015 - Australian Fund Monitors
October Fund Review is now available on APN Asian REIT Fund, a property securities fund, investing primarily in the Asian REITS.
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26 Nov 2015 - Fund Review: APN Asian REIT Fund October 2015
By: Australian Fund Monitors
APN Asian REIT Fund
We would like to highlight the following aspects of the Fund;
- APN is an ASX-listed fund manager specialising in property investment, with an investment team of six. Established in 1996, APN now has FUM of $A2.1bn including four REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) funds.
- The APN Asian REIT Fund (Fund) is a property securities fund that invests in a quality portfolio of Asian REITs, listed on the securities exchanges of the Asian Region, with the ability to hold some cash and fixed interest investments.
- The Fund aims to deliver a competitive yield with lower risk than the market. The underlying stocks are selected based on a highly disciplined investment approach that focuses on the fundamentals and number of valuation approaches. The universe can include new IPO's, other corporate actions take place and / or corporate governance improvements at country or REIT level bring new stocks into focus.
- The Fund provides access to a wide spread of property-based revenue streams that are specifically analysed, selected and weighted with the aim of delivering strong and sustainable income returns. The Fund is an unhedged product.
- APN's Asian REIT Fund invests in a portfolio of 25-40 listed Asian REITs with a core philosophy of investing in properties with a sustainable rental income streams.
- The Fund has delivered an annalised return of 17.96% p.a., since inception in July 2011 with standard deviation of 9.11% p.a. The Sharpe and Sortino ratios are 1.54 and 2.96 respectively.
APN Asian REIT Fund AFM Fund Review September 2015 (pdf format)
Freehold Absolute Return Fund
26 Nov 2015 - Australian Fund Monitors
Freehold Absolute Return Fund delivered a positive 1.29% for the month of October.
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26 Nov 2015 - Freehold Absolute Return Fund
By: Australian Fund Monitors
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Fund Overview | The Fund's research use detailed analysis of the underlying assets integrated with financial analysis to determine a sustainable yield and fundamental DCF valuation for the security. Also the Fund believes in having a strong risk control framework. The Fund will also use trading strategies via rebalancing of core portfolio positions as well as taking advantage of shorter duration inefficiencies in markets caused by an imbalance in demand and supply for global REIT and Infrastructure securities. The Fund focuses on generating absolute returns after fees of 12 to 15% pa over the medium to long term. The long-short nature of the Fund combined with Freehold's rigorous investment process ensures returns generated by the Fund are largely independent of rising or falling markets. Freehold is focused on providing investment opportunities primarily within core, value-add, opportunistic and development sectors of direct property and across listed and unlisted real estate and infrastructure securities. |
Manager Comments | The Fund maintained a modest net long market exposure during the month which contributed to the positive performance this month. The Fund plans to increase the net long exposure in Mirvac, Westfield and Goodman Group, as opportunities present themselves. Positive contributors to the portfolio were Folkestone Education, Mirvac and APN Property. Negative contributors were Sydney Airport, Transurban and GPT Group. Click Manager's Report to read more. |
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Insync Global Titans Fund
25 Nov 2015 - Australian Fund Monitors
The Insync Global Titans Fund rose 3.5% in October, compared to its benchmark MSCI All Country World ex-Australia Net Total Return Index ($A) which returned 6.2%.
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25 Nov 2015 - Insync Global Titans Fund
By: Australian Fund Monitors
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Fund Overview | Insync employs four simple screens to narrow the universe of over 40,000 listed companies globally to a focus group of high quality companies that it believes have the potential to consistently grow their profits and dividends. These screens are size of the company, balance sheet performance, valuation and dividend quality. Companies that pass this due diligence process are then valued using dividend discount models, free cash flow yield and proprietary implied growth and expected return models. The end result is a high conviction portfolio of typically 15-30 stocks. The principal investments will be in shares of companies listed on international stock exchanges (including the US, Europe and Asia). The Fund may also hold cash, derivatives (for example futures, options and swaps), currency contracts, American Depository Receipts and Global Depository Receipts. The Fund may also invest in various types of international pooled investment vehicles. At times, Insync may consider holding higher levels of cash if valuations are full and it is difficult to find attractive investment opportunities. When Insync believes markets to be overvalued, it may hold part of its resources in cash, or use derivatives as a way of reducing its equity exposure. Insync may use options, futures and other derivatives to reduce risk or gain exposure to underlying physical investments. The Fund may purchase put options on market indices or specific stocks to hedge against losses caused by declines in the prices of stocks in its portfolio. |
Manager Comments | The performance was driven by positive contributions from our holdings in Microsoft, Medtronic, McDonald's and Zimmer. The Fund continues to have no foreign currency hedging in place as Insync consider that the risk to the Australian dollar continues to be on the downside. Click below to read the latest Fund Manager Report. |
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KIS Asia Long Short Fund
25 Nov 2015 - Australian Fund Monitors
KIS Asia Long Short Fund rose 2.50% for the month of October.
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25 Nov 2015 - KIS Asia Long Short Fund
By: Australian Fund Monitors
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Fund Overview | Whilst the Fund's primary strategy is focused on long/short equities, the ability to retain discretionary powers to allocate across a number of other investment strategies is reserved. These strategies may include, but not be limited to: convertible bond investments, portfolio hedging, equity related arbitrage, special situations (e.g. merger arbitrage, rights offerings, participation in international public offerings and placements, etc.). The Fund's geographic focus is Asia excluding Japan, but including Australia). The Fund may invest outside of this region to the extent that: 1. The investment decision is driven from the Asian region or; 2. The exposure is intended to mitigate risk or enhance return from factors external to the Asian region. |
Manager Comments | Majority of the Fund's return came from the Long Short strategy, which contributed 227bp. In total, longs contributed 307bp with short positions costing 80bp. On average the long exposures rose by 6%, whilst the short exposure rose 2%. On a specific stock name basis, the Paladin Exergy (PDN.AX) contributed 68bp to the portfolio The Fund also benefited from their long time holding in Freelanver (FLN.AX), which contributed 42bp. Other strategies Special Situations returned 24bp, while Portfolio Hedge did not make a significant contribution. To read more, cLick below for Fund's Monthly performance report. |
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Fund Review: Totus Alpha Fund October 2015
24 Nov 2015 - Australian Fund Monitors
October Fund Review with key statistics for Totus Alpha Fund is now available.
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24 Nov 2015 - Fund Review: Totus Alpha Fund October 2015
By: Australian Fund Monitors
TOTUS ALPHA FUND
We would like to highlight the following aspects of the Fund;
- Totus Capital is a Sydney based long short fund manager established in 2012 by Ben McGarry which aims to place equal emphasis on performance and capital preservation. The Fund invests mainly in Australia, but also in other developed economies, with a primary exposure to equity markets.
- The Totus Alpha Fund's investment strategy is to identify structural themes, and then seek to drive performance by investing in securities that have concentrated exposure to those themes. Single stock short positions are used to generate alpha, frequently in under researched parts of the market such as the small and mid-cap space. Index derivatives are used to hedge the portfolio's market risk.
- McGarry qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PWC in 1999 and has 14 years market experience, commencing his career covering European building materials and construction sectors at Morgan Stanley in London. Previous experience included analytical roles at Ausbil, a Sydney based $10bn+ long-only manager, and sell side emerging companies experience at UBS. McGarry's emerging company research with UBS included exposure to a range of sectors including energy, materials, industrials, tech, financials, retail and telecommunications.
- The Fund has delivered an annalised return of 30.14% since inception in March 2012 as compared to 10.18% for the ASX 200 Accumulation Index. The standard deviation has been higher than the Index at 14.04% as compared to 12.31% and the Sharpe ratio is 1.77.
Totus Alpha Fund AFM Fund Review October 2015 (pdf format)