OC Funds Management and PAN-Tribal Asset Management have launched new equity funds, investing in Australian mid-caps and global equities, respectively.
The OC Mid-Cap Fund seeks to complement the fund manager’s existing suite of small and micro-cap strategies, investing in 25–50 high-quality Australian companies, or about to list, on the ASX.
It is a long-only Australian equity strategy focused on high-quality, well-managed mid-cap stocks, and has been managed by the OC team as a wholesale trust for the past 12 months.
Over this period, it has returned 21.3 per cent compared to the benchmark S&P/ASX Mid-Cap Index return of 18.9 per cent.
Nga Lucas joined OC as a portfolio manager on the strategy earlier this year, where she is responsible for the construction, stock selection and performance of the mid-cap portfolio. She brings over two decades of experience in Australian equities to the fund, including 11 years on the buy side at listed investment firm Australian Foundation Investment Company (AFIC).
“We are pleased to bring this strategy to the market to meet the evolving needs of our investors,” Lucas said.
“The OC Mid-Cap Fund aims to capitalise on the growth potential of mid-sized companies, offering investors a diversified portfolio tailored to capture opportunities in this dynamic segment of the market.”
Robert Frost, head of investments at OC Funds Management, described the mid-cap strategy as a “natural extension” of the fund manager’s investment universe, adding it has been garnering significant interest from the broader client base.
“The ASX Mid-Cap Index has performed strongly over the past two decades, and we believe this presents a compelling opportunity to leverage our relevant experience and excellent long-term investment track record to deliver superior returns for investors,” Frost said.
MLC Asset Management recently appointed OC Funds Management to manage over $500 million in the OC Mid-Cap, which included holdings like CAR Group, REA Group, and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare that were long-term holdings in OC’s small-cap strategies and have since graduated to the mid-cap investment universe.
Meanwhile, PAN-Tribal Asset Management has also unveiled a new equity fund as it distributes the Jennison Global Equity Opportunities Fund in the Australian market.
The fund is a high-conviction, alpha concentrated global growth strategy that is sector- and region-agnostic. It will invest primarily into the AUD unhedged share class of a UCITS fund managed by New York-based Jennison Associates in its global growth equity strategy.
Jennison specialises in a select range of active equity and fixed income investment strategies, with more than $US200 billion under management at 30 September 2024.
Commenting on the launch, Mark Baribeau, Jennison’s managing director and head of global equity, said: “PAN-Tribal Asset Management has a well-established brand, with a quality team and a strong track record in distribution in Australia.
“We look forward to a successful partnership with them.”
PAN-Tribal chief executive, Colin Woods, said the firm is delighted to work with Jennison and distribute this fund in the Australian market.
“For more than 50 years, Jennison has consistently applied its investment principles to build insights and judgement that help them identify opportunities and construct portfolios,” Woods said.
“Jennison’s investment approach is differentiated from other global equity growth funds available in the Australian market and, importantly, complements our existing suite of funds.”
Since the PAN-Tribal Global Equity Fund was launched in 2015, PAN-Tribal’s line-up has been expanded to include the Ashmore Emerging Markets Equity Fund, the ATLAS Infrastructure Australian Feeder Fund, the Barwon Global Listed Private Equity Fund, and now the Jennison Global Equity Opportunities Fund.
