Westscheme backs only itself in buy-outs

The $2.1 billion Westscheme multi-industry fund has acted on concerns around a ‘bubble’ in domestic private equity, avoiding later-stage deals unless it can invest directly.

Westscheme chief executive, Howard Rosario, said the fund was currently avoiding funds of later-stage deals like management buy-outs, in preference for funds focussing on early-stage and venture capital investments. Rosario said 3.3 per cent of Westscheme portfolios were now invested in private equity managed funds. A 3.6 per cent exposure to later stage holdings is mostly comprised of direct opportunities brought to the fund by asset consultant Access Economics. Recent examples of deals on which Westscheme and Access have negotiated terms directly are the fund’s $42 million exposure to Moto Hospitality, and $28 million investment in Icon Parking Systems.

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Robeco CIO says AI winners and losers will be decided within a year

Asset managers that underestimate the importance of artificial intelligence to their businesses do so at their own peril, according to Anton Eser, global chief investment officer of Robeco, who thinks that many have less than a year to get across the “most important transformation” the industry has seen since the beginning of the index business more than 25 years ago.

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