Standard
& Poor’s Fund Services, in association with Professional Planner magazine, has named BlackRock Investment
Management (Australia) its 2009 Fund Manager of the Year. H3 Global
Advisors was named Emerging Manager of the Year, while Macquarie Professional
Series picked up the other group award, for Product Distributor of the Year.
The
2009 S&P Fund Awards were announced at a business luncheon in Sydney today.
Standard
& Poor’s managing director, John Bailey, says the S&P Fund Awards are
one way of acknowledging the quality of investment management capabilities
available in Australia.
“At
a time of challenging market conditions, it is important that we celebrate our
successes,” Bailey says.
“The
managers recognised today are those that, in S&P’s opinion, are more likely
to outperform as markets turn around.”
Leanne
Milton, director of fund research, says: “The majority of funds management
firms tend to specialise in one or two asset classes and it is often hard to
find a fund manager that has strong capabilities across a range of asset
classes.”
“S&P
considers BlackRock to be an innovative manager with high quality,
differentiated products across equities, alternative strategies, multi-sector,
and fixed interest asset classes,” Milton says.
A
number of these capabilities reviewed by S&P are rated four and five stars.
“BlackRock
continually evolves its investment teams and processes. This progressive
culture is complemented by proprietary risk management systems that S&P
considers exceptional within the industry,” Milton says.
Of
Emerging Manager of the Year, H3 Global Advisors, Milton says: “S&P has
been rating the firm since early 2007 and has seen it grow in stature and
profile in that time.”
“Although
we have seen more elaborate models, there is no doubt of its effectiveness for
its purpose, as the funds have outperformed their objectives by wide margins,
particularly in down markets,” she says.
Winners
were announced in eight sectors and three group categories, as follows:
SECTOR WINNERS
Australian Fixed Interest
UBS Global Asset Management (Aust)
International Fixed Interest (including Diversified)
PIMCO (Equity Trustees)
Property
ING Clarion Real Estate Securities
Alternative Strategies
BlackRock Investment Management (Australia)
Australian Equities – Large Cap
Ausbil Dexia Limited
Australian Equities – Small Cap
Eley Griffiths Group
International Equities – Developed Markets
Walter Scott & Partners Limited (Macquarie Professional Series)
International Equities – Emerging Markets
Schroder Investment Management Australia Limited
GROUP FINALISTS
Emerging Manager of the Year
H3 Global Advisors
Product Distributor of the Year
Macquarie Professional Series
Fund Manager of the Year
BlackRock Investment Management (Australia)
The
methodology for the 2009 S&P Australian Fund Awards is based on a
qualitative assessment of specific investment management capabilities within a
sector, rather than being based on past performance of individual funds.
For more details on the award winners
and award methodology, see the December – January edition of Professional Planner, due out in late
November.
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