The quest for absolute returns...

Despite what some providers would like you to believe, there is nothing mystical or even that new about the concept of 'absolute' return funds - they have been around in one form or another since the advent of pooled funds

In recent years, absolute return funds have been presented as some kind of new concept in the fund management industry, but in essence, the idea behind such funds lies at the core of what all managers should be attempting to do for their clients: to strive to deliver a positive real (inflation-adjusted) total return over a reasonable timescale. If a return is not an absolute one, it is of little use. Investment managers ultimately exist to make the nation's savings grow in real terms. That said, this decade has seen a rash of absolute return funds launched and this is, in the short term a...