Architas readies launch of Conservative Europe fund

Architas is preparing to launch a low-risk European fund for the group’s multi-manager team, headed up by Caspar Rock.

The Architas Conservative Europe fund will invest in collective investment schemes which invest in fixed income, including floating rate government bonds and investment grade bonds. The fund will be structured as a UCITS III offering and domiciled in Dublin.

The group has filed plans for the fund with the regulator and is awaiting approval.
Last August Architas rolled out an offshore Conservative Global fund, which has gathered £68m of assets since launch.

Rock is chief investment officer at Architas Multi Manager, overseeing six active multi-manager funds and six passive multi-manager funds at the group.

Speaking recently to Investment Week, Rock said he believes the excessive market volatility over the past two months has resulted in a shift in investment behaviour.

“There is a clear behavioural bias – earlier in the year we were selling more of the higher risk profile funds, but when markets got a bit scary, the funds at the lower end of the risk profile started becoming more popular,” he said.

“To me, this is where investor education is needed. Should your attitude to risk change in changing market conditions? It should not, but it is a natural behavioural response in a volatile environment.”