There’s no question that Australian equity funds had an uphill battle in Q4 last year, and though it was a battle that many lost, data from FE Analytics shows many have sine rallied in the three months to last week’s end.
Though it fell to the bottom quartile in December last year with returns of -4.98 per cent, 2019 is already looking brighter for the DDH Selector Australian Equities fund, which is the top performing fund for the three months to last week’s end, returning 18.21 per cent.
It wasn’t the only fund to rally either, with CBG Australian Equities similarly hitting the bottom quartile in December last year, only to rally as the third-best performing fund for the three months to last week’s end, returning 16.68 per cent.
Clime Australian Value also found its way up from the bottom quartile last year to top in the three months to last week’s end, returning 12.59 per cent.
While these funds managed to hike their way back up, in what highlights just how tough it’s been to generate returns in the Australian equity market lately, others weren’t so fortunate.
The Ganes Value Growth fund for example, which was the worst-performing Australian equity fund in December last year returning -6.90 per cent, has remained in the bottom quartile despite making back its losses and then some.
BlackRock’s Australian Share similarly remained in the bottom quartile for both periods, while its Equity, Growth and Australian Share funds managed to climb one quartile to third.
Sandon Capital Activist, which was a top performer for the majority of last year, dropped to bottom quartile in December, and is also yet to recorder, returning 3.54 per cent for the three months to last month’s end.
The chart below shows the performance of the aforementioned funds as compared to the S&P ASX 300 for the three months to last week’s end.
