News
CPD Points are now available for all AFM Fund Reviews. Read the review and answer 5 questions to earn half a point toward your continuing professional development.
6 Oct 2014 - Fund Review: Supervised High Yield Fund August 2014
We would like to highlight the following aspects of the Fund:
- The Supervised High Yield Fund (SHYF) has a 5 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 32 years, 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.
Research and Database Manager
Australian Fund Monitors
6 Oct 2014 - Bennelong Long Short Equity Fund
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Fund Overview | In a typical environment the Fund will hold around 70 stocks comprising 35 pairs. Each pair contains one long and one short position each of which will have been thoroughly researched and are selected from the same market sector. Whilst in an ideal environment each stock's position will make a positive return, it is the relative performance of the pair that is important. As a result the Fund can make positive returns when each stock moves in the same direction provided the long position outperforms the short one in relative terms. However, if neither side of the trade is profitable, strict controls are required to ensure losses are limited. The Fund uses no derivatives and has no currency exposure. The Fund has no hard stop loss limits, instead relying on the small average position size per stock (1.5%) and per pair (3%) to limit exposure. Where practical pairs are always held within the same sector to limit cross sector risk, and positions can be held for months or years. |
Manager Comments | Overall our long book contribution to return was outweighed by a negative contribution from our short book. The fund experienced a strong contribution from healthcare but this was overshadowed by a larger negative contribution from financials. Other sector exposure returns largely balanced each other. Within financials, the trend to increase payout ratios and dividends with reported results was a major negative factor in two of our short positions (Suncorp +8.0% and AMP +7.1%) which re-rated substantially more than their respective paired longs (QBE +4.7% and Henderson -9.2%). Fund activity was limited for the month; we participated in two placements in existing long positions and adjusted weightings in some pairs but did not add new positions or close any existing holdings. |
More Information | » View detailed profile of this fund |
0.56% in August. Net equity market exposure (including derivatives) averaged around 55% during the month, but was reduced to 36% at month end. CPD Points are now available
3 Oct 2014 - Fund Review: Bennelong Kardinia Absolute Return Fund August 2014
2 Oct 2014 - Fund Review: Insync Global Titans Fund August 2014
INSYNC GLOBAL TITANS FUND
Attached is our most recently updated Fund Review on the Insync Global Titans Fund.
CPD Points are now available for all AFM Fund Reviews. Read the review and answer 5 questions to earn half a point toward your continuing professional development.
We would like to highlight the following:
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The Fund?s unit price increased by 0.8% in August. Key positive contributors for the month came from our holdings in Express Scripts, Sanofi, Gilead Sciences, Nestle and Disney. The main negative contributors were Reckitt Benckiser, Zimmer, Deutsche Boerse, Rolls-Royce and BSkyB. The Fund continues to have no foreign currency hedging in place as Insync consider the main risks to the Australian dollar 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.
Sean Webster
Research Manager
Australian Fund Monitors
2 Oct 2014 - Morphic Global Opportunities Fund
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Manager Comments | The fund's top active positions were Japanese Drug Stores, US banks and UK water utilities. The Fund's best contributor was one of our longest-term holdings, US chip design services firm Mentor Graphics, which rose almost 10% as the company reported a solid quarterly earnings beat on exceptional sales to its automotive design clients. On a PE of 12 Mentor remains too cheap for a business with such a robust oligopoly industry structure and compared to its peers. The Fund continues to position itself for a bull market. Europe appears to be joining the liquidity party and trends in many emerging markets are showing signs of having bottomed. The Fund is fully invested with some option positions to profit from any further surge. The fund has hedged some of its euro exposure into sterling and USD, and some of its yen back into Australian dollars. |
More Information | » View detailed profile of this fund |
1 Oct 2014 - Allard Investment Fund
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Manager Comments | Since inception in July 2003 the Fund has delivered a return of 8.8% pa as compared to teh MSCI Asia Pacific (ex Japan) Index of 10.6% with around 60% of the Index volatility with Fund volatility of 7.9% as compared to 13.5%. The Fund geographical exposure was HK/China 42.9%, Singapore 12.6%, Korea 8.1% and Cash and Fixed Income holdings of 22.5%. In terms of industry breakdown the three largest sectors were Financial Services 19.3%, Conglomerates 12.6% and Telcos 8.8%. |
More Information | » View detailed profile of this fund |
29 Sep 2014 - Fund Review: Alpha Beta Asian Fund AFM Fund Review August 2014
ALPHA BETA ASIAN FUND
AFM has updated the Fund Review on the Alpha Beta Asian Fund.
CPD Points are now available for all AFM Fund Reviews. Read the review and answer 5 questions to earn half a point toward your continuing professional development.
Key points include:
- The Fund The Alpha Beta Asian Fund invests in Asian listed equity markets with a focus on liquid companies in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand. The Fund uses a systematic approach to evaluate macroeconomic, company fundamental and price data, all of which are evaluated through a series of quantitative models.
- Sydney based Alpha Beta Capital was established by Andrew Barry and Ken Lewis in May 2012. Both Barry and Lewis have significant qualifications and international experience in funds management, including working together at Coronation International, a global multi-strategy hedge fund group in London.
- The Strategy relies on a number of core beliefs: Firstly that a well designed systematic investment process, operating within a multi-strategy framework will be able to extract consistent returns, on average, with low volatility. Secondly, by utilising holding periods substantially shorter than the industry-norm, profit opportunities consistently arise. Finally, a strategy that holds a large number of small positions versus a small number of concentrated positions, will remove much of the emotional angst of trading, and the investment process becomes repeatable.
- In keeping with the Manager's overall systematic approach the Risk Management includes real time monitoring of positions and market exposure, and is combined into a proprietary and automated system called PARMS (Portfolio and Risk Management System). PARMS is a centralised and integrated system which provides full functionality including stress testing.
For further details on the Fund, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sean Webster
Research Manager
26 Sep 2014 - Fund Review: Optimal Australia Absolute Trust August 2014
OPTIMAL AUSTRALIA ABSOLUTE TRUST
AFM have released the most recently updated Fund Review on the Optimal Australia Absolute Trust.
CPD Points are now available for all AFM Fund Reviews. Read the review and answer 5 questions to earn half a point toward your continuing professional development.
We would like to highlight the following:
- Optimal Australia is a specialist Australian equity investment manager and the Fund has a long/short equity strategy typically with a low but variable net market exposure comprising 40 to 65 stocks broadly selected from within the ASX200.
- The investment team comprising George Colman, Peter Whiting supported by Stephen Nicholls and Justin Hay have over 100 years combined experience in equity markets.
For further details on the Fund, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sean Webster
Research and Database Manager
Australian Fund Monitors
26 Sep 2014 - Totus Alpha Fund
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Fund Overview | The Fund is a long/short investment fund principally investing in listed entities, commodities, futures and options in Australia and internationally. The Fund is not a market neutral fund and accordingly may switch between net long positions and net short positions. The Fund may use short sales and derivatives. Gearing may be used to enhance returns and the Fund may be geared in excess of 100% of the Fund's Net Asset Value. There is a limit to net exposure of 150%. |
Manager Comments | The Up and Down Capture ratios are notable at 1.6 and -0.50 respectively. The current market setup is potentially favourable for a nimble long short manager. We have the possibility of QE ending in the USA next month, volatility is so low at present that the risk from here is more than likely to the upside and corporate activity (such as IPO's, placements) is still very strong. with events such as the IPO of Medibank (due to list before xmas) capable of moving the performance needle for a small fund like ours. Top contributors to performance in August were our long positions in McMillan Shakespeare +1.13% & Intueri Education +0.94% (scarce growth). Index Futures positions also contributed +1.00%. Biggest detractors from performance were our long positions in Fortescue Metals -0.76% (deleveraging), Mint Wireless -0.69% (cashless society) & Henderson Group -0.34% (financial services). |
More Information | » View detailed profile of this fund |
25 Sep 2014 - Fund Review: Microequities Deep Value Microcap Fund August 2014
MICROEQUITIES DEEP VALUE FUND
Attached is our most recently updated Fund Review on the Microequities Deep Value Fund.
- The Microequities Deep Value Fund has a 5 year track record investing in ASX listed equities. The Fund is a fundamental, research-driven Fund investing in equities with a market cap below $250m. The Fund uses a value philosophy based on the view that microcaps are often under-researched and under-valued.CIO Carlos Gil has over 15 years financial market experience across a broad range of equities.
- The Fund does not short, use derivatives or borrow i.e., it is long only and is concentrated; usually with 15 to 20 companies across industrial sectors.
- Resource stocks are avoided.
If you have any questions in relation to the Fund Review or the CPD points, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sean Webster
Research and Database Manager
Australian Fund Monitors