Swiss-based funds manager Vontobel Asset Management has exceeded $1 billion in Australian assets under management, driven by local institutions’ increasing need for diversification strategies.

Vontobel offers one of its six boutiques, the actively managed Quality Growth Fund, to Australian investors.

The fund currently has just under $29 billion under management across all countries, with investments focused on developed as well as emerging markets.

Bottom-up long-term approach

Established in 1924 in Zurich, the firm has a longstanding presence in the US and Europe, and has ben active in the Asia-Pacific region for about four years.

The fund pursues a strategy of being benchmark-agnostic, and focuses on a concentrated portfolio of companies that it considers to be high quality.

“Following a bottom-up long-term approach to investment in global stocks means our portfolio owns interests in well-run businesses with consistent and visible growth,” said Juerg Fritschi, executive director of Vontobel Asia Pacific.

Fritschi believes that some large global stocks, such as British American Tobacco, should be considered an emerging-market stock as most of its growth is in emerging markets, while KOSPI-listed Samsung should be considered developed market because that is where most of its sales are sourced.

Vontobel’s regional base is in Hong Kong, but Fritschi will be in Australia next week to meet with existing clients and to speak with potential new investors in Vontobel funds.