Macquarie Wrap adds AB fund
Macquarie Wrap has added AllianceBernstein's (AB) Managed Volatility Equities Fund, becoming the fourth platform to add the fund in recent months.
The fund has been listed on BT Wrap, HUB24 and netwealth, with AB chief executive - Australia, Jen Driscoll, stating the group was pleased to be added to the highly regarded Macquarie Wrap platform.
AB, chief investment officer — Australian equities, Roy Maslen, said the fund aimed to reduced volatility by investing in high-quality listed equity securities which have reasonable valuations, high-quality cash flows and relatively stable share prices.
Maslen said the 15-month-old fund had achieved an annualised relative (net of fees) fund return of 10.5 per cent but with 26 per cent less volatility than the FTSE ASFA Australia 300 Index to 30 June this year.
AB said while the fund was likely to lag a risking market, it exploited the low-volatility paradox where low-volatility stocks tend to outperform higher-volatility stocks on a risk-adjusted basis over time.
"Australian investors, particularly those in or near retirement, are increasingly demanding investment products that provide more certainty, while still participating in growth. Being added to platforms like Macquarie Wrap is further evidence that there is growing demand in Australia for better solutions to this retirement conundrum," Maslen said.
Recommended for you
In the latest Meet the Manager profile, Money Management speaks with Michael Skinner, founder and managing director at Blackwattle Investment Partners.
Perpetual has seen AUM rise 6 per cent in the last quarter but the departure of a longstanding JOHCM fund manager led to outflows of $2.2 billion from his strategy.
Global fixed income fund Bentham Global Opportunities has been added to several major platforms, enabling it to be accessed more easily by financial advisers.
Following yesterday’s news about First Sentier Investors closing four investment teams, a second global asset manager has announced it is closing its only dedicated Australian fund.