Goldman Sachs Asset Management has been awarded van Eyk Research’s top rating for its Equities Wholesale Fund.
The company announced this week that it had been awarded the rating as part of van Eyk’s 2012 Australian Equities Review.
Commenting on the achievement, Goldman Sachs Asset Management Australia managing director Philip Gardner paid tribute to the company’s Australian equities team and its focus on a fundamental, style-neutral approach.
The Goldman Sachs Australian Equities Wholesale Fund has underlying investments in Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)-listed companies that have strong capital-growth potential over the medium- to -long term.
Gardner said the fund had been managed since 2007 by a team of 10 experienced investment professionals, led by Dion Hershan.
Hershan said that while the consensus view was that 2012 would be another difficult year for Australian equities, his team believed a number of significant themes would emerge in the year ahead.
"The first is that with expectations having been largely reset in the Australian market, and with valuations continuing to look depressed, an opportunity is emerging in Australian equities," he said.
"Clearly the local economy has weakened but we would suggest it is temporary; the companies we invest in have strong balance sheets and can withstand short-term pressure.
"We believe it is critical to be selective and focused in the current environment. As a fundamental investor we spend a lot of time identifying companies that we feel can prosper irrespective of the macro environment, and this continues to be a major focus for us," Hershan said.
