Inconsistencies around AR fund objectives need ironing out

The financial markets in May provided a reminder macro events, economic data and political decisions continue to create a recipe for market volatility.

Indeed, for long-only investors, the road remains one with many twists and turns. The upshot of this was May saw the Absolute Return sector, as defined by the IMA, fall. The sector fell by 1.5% in comparison to a fall of 4.79% in the MSCI All Country World Total Return index during the month of May. Drilling down into the sector it can be seen that, while a vast majority of the 40-plus funds cushioned the downside, a few fell by more than the overall index. Although this is disappointing, May has confirmed the sector, taken as a whole, held up well, acquitting itself and providing the...