Macquarie and SG Hiscock upgraded: S&P
Standard & Poor’s Fund Services (S&P) has upgraded the Macquarie High Conviction Fund and the SGH20 fund from three to four stars as part of its Australian equities large-cap sector review.
S&P analyst James Gunn said the review affirmed ratings on eight funds, upgraded two and assigned three new ratings.
Gunn sighted Macquarie’s increased team stability and the team’s strong buy-in to the process as key reasons for the upgrade, while SG Hiscock & Company’s SGH20 fund was upgraded due to team additions which have added breadth to its stock picking.
The BT Focus Australian Share Wholesale Fund remained the only strategy in the peer group with five stars, due to S&P’s high regard for the stock-picking ability of Crispin Murray.
“While we’re still building conviction in a number of strategies, which may lead to a higher number of five-star ratings in the future, the funds in this peer group provide access to the best ideas of some of the strongest portfolio managers in the sector,” Gunn said.
Recommended for you
As the end of the year approaches, two listed advice licensees have seen significant year-on-year improvement in their share price with only one firm reporting a loss since the start of 2025.
Having departed Magellan after more than 18 years, its former head of investment Gerald Stack has been appointed as chief executive of MFF Group.
With scalability becoming increasingly important for advice firms, a specialist consultant says organisational structure and strategic planning can be the biggest hurdles for those chasing growth.
Praemium is to acquire an advanced technology firm for $7.5 million, helping to boost its strategy to be a leader in AI-powered wealth management.
