passive management

Policy and Regulation

Unisuper considers passive benchmark as Murray review response

Unisuper would consider benchmarking its returns after fees with a diversified passively run portfolio to justify the use of active management. The proposal was made by John Pearce, the fund’s chief investment officer, in response to criticism of the impact active management has on fees in the Financial System Inquiry’s interim report. Unisuper’s balanced fund […]

David RowleyJuly 21, 2014

Hedge Funds

Smart beta: is it worth it?

Most smart-beta offerings fall into the same trap as index strategies: blindly following a set of criteria even when the strategy is underperforming. Instead, beta harvesters should be more thoughtful, according to Tim Gardener, head of institutional client strategy at AXA Investment Managers, who also believes smart-beta strategies are overpriced. “In beta strategies, market cap […]

Amanda WhiteSeptember 2, 2013

Investment Strategy

Vanguard attracts individual investors

Vanguard is seeking to bolster its funds under management to capitalise on widespread disillusionment with active managers. “Institutional investors have embraced and understood our approach for many years,” says Joseph Brennan, chief investment officer, Vanguard, Asia Pacific. “The adviser and retail community are now more interested in index options” because regulatory pressure is seeking to […]

I & T NewsMarch 7, 2012

Investment Strategy

The zero sum game of active asset management

Active asset managers are hired by the $1.3 trillion superannuation fund industry so they can differentiate themselves from each other, says Wilson Sy, a visiting fellow at the University of Western Australia who was a senior advisor to the Super System Review. Sy says the debate on whether active or passive asset management is a […]

I & T NewsFebruary 27, 2012