ASI launches range of 'focused' equity funds
'High active share products'
Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI) has announced the launch of a new 'Focused' range of regional equity funds.
ASI said it would open the range with Global Emerging Market, North American and Global Equity SICAVs and a Global OEIC, with the intention to add European and Asian funds in future.
The funds will emulate ASI's US-domiciled North American Equity Focused portfolio, which it launched in 2017, as highly concentrated portfolios of between 20 and 35 stocks. They will combine deep fundamental research with a fully integrated analysis of ESG issues, the firm said.
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The portfolios will be managed by a 'POD', which ASI said was "a group of experienced fundamental portfolio managers that draw on the support of specialist quant, risk and ESG teams".
Devan Kaloo, ASI's global head of equities, said the portfolios would "offer high active share products that complement investors' asset allocation requirements".
"With low-cost passive strategies making up a growing portion of portfolios, investors are increasingly turning to focused strategies or concentrated funds in search of alpha for their portfolio," Kaloo added.
Global head of distribution Campbell Fleming continued: "A concentrated portfolio constructed by undertaking fundamental company research offers those searching for an active management approach with a more desirable investment option."
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The ASI Global Focused Equity fund, which will have Luxembourg and UK-domiciled versions, will be led by Donal Reynolds, Blair Couper and Adam Kjörling, and draw on the ideas of ASI's 140 investors globally, including its 17-strong global equity team based in Edinburgh, Boston, New York and Singapore, the firm said.
The GEM fund would be led by Matt Williams, Xin-Yao Ng, William Scholes and Osamu Yamagata; and the North American fund by Ralph Bassett, Samantha Brownlee, Virgilio Aquino and Mike Cronin.
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