Microequities pitches to institutions

Melbourne-based AFM Investment Partners has taken Microequities chief executive Carlos Gil’s funds boutique under its wing and is making institutional introductions, hoping to tap into funds’ momentum towards diversification. Microequities has two funds, the oldest of which, the Deep Value Microcap Fund, was launched in March 2009. Seeded with only $500,000, the fund is now … Read more

Castlereagh on the rocky road

Castlereagh has a very wide circle of friends, but this week he’s been mixing with those he jokingly refers to as his “boganaire” mates. It all started a few years ago when I had a few mining shares in some penny-dreadful denuding the outback. All they found was a bit of space junk, but we … Read more

Meet the movers this week

Alternative execution platform Chi-X Australia has announced that inaugural Australian chief executive, Peter Fowler, will step down in early 2013. He will, however, continue in his role as a director on the board of Chi-X Australia. Chi-X Global is currently undertaking a global search and evaluation process for a successor, who is expected to be … Read more

Conflict of interestcarries the day

The president of Fidelity Worldwide Investments, Thomas Balk, says regulators’ moves to address perceived conflicts of interest between product manufacturers and distributors is good news for independent asset managers. Balk, a 14-year Fidelity veteran, started with the company’s German office, before running its European operations for five years. A six-year stint running Fidelity in Japan … Read more

Research Navigator now online in Australia

US investment advisor Cambridge Associates has launched its online Research Navigator tool in the Australian market, targeting superannuation funds, family offices and philanthropic funds. The Research Navigator delivers current Cambridge research and historical data on private fund and asset managers throughout the world, from hard assets, hedge funds, private equity and long/short global equity managers. … Read more

Lower everything next year, forecasts Russell

Russell Investments has forecast lower growth, lower interest rates, a lower Australian dollar but improved investment returns for 2013 in what it says will be a “bumpy ride” for the local and international economies. In the firm’s November Market Commentary, Russell’s global head of investment strategy, Andrew Pease, forecasts that tighter domestic fiscal policy will … Read more

Gerard Noonan: minding the media

For as long as there has been the Superannuation Guarantee, Gerard Noonan has been involved with guiding the superannuation returns of his fellow journalists and media workers. The former editor of the Australian Financial Review traces his involvement in superannuation back to the beginnings of the old JUST scheme – the Journalists Union Superannuation Scheme … Read more

Where standard risk
approaches fail

Towers Watson is recommending better, broader ways of measuring and monitoring risk, and uses the concept of the “irreversibility of time” to illustrate where standard approaches to risk and return can fall down. Martin Goss, senior investment consultant with Towers Watson and a member of the Thinking Ahead Group, said that investment is “about an … Read more

Does growth mean volatility
or just growth?

When Mercer released its global pension index in October, there was a vigorous discussion about the fact that Australia was “marked down” as a result of having a higher percentage of its superannuation assets allocated to growth. In fact, the nation’s growth assets were rated at between 71 and 80 per cent – the highest … Read more

Reynolds named managing director of UNPRI

After 17 years with CMSF, the last five as chief executive of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees, Fiona Reynolds will leave the organisation in January. She is moving to London to take up a new position as managing director of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment in February. James Gifford will remain executive … Read more

Reynolds named managing director of UNPRI

After 17 years with CMSF, the last five as chief executive of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees, Fiona Reynolds will leave the organisation in January. She is moving to London to take up a new position as managing director of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment in February. James Gifford will remain executive … Read more

Castlereagh and Son

Just when the play money was starting to run low, Castlereagh has cottoned on to one of the most brilliant investment managers he has ever known. The timing is perfect. My useless son has just finished his year-12 exams and after forking out hundreds of thousands for that Old School Tie over the years, I … Read more