More to winning than just performance

Five years since the collapse of Lehman Brothers, which for some marked the official start of the global financial crisis, and returns from Australian equity funds are rapidly returning to good health.

A survey of Australian super fund performance by consulting firm Mercer found the median return for Australian share funds was 26.4 per cent for the 12 months to the end of August, or 2.8 percentage points better than the return of 23.6 per cent from the S&P/ASX 300 Index.

The performance of a fund manager is one indication of whether its processes, people and business structure are sound, but it is by no means the only – nor even the most reliable – indicator.

Picking the best fund manager requires a more indepth review of how a manager is structured and how it operates. The Professional Planner|Zenith Fund Awards 2013 are based on a robust assessment by leading research firm, Zenith Investment Partners, of what makes a fund manager tick.

Although performance plays a part in the ultimate analysis, it is outweighed by a range of other factors, including organisational strength, investment philosophy, investment process and risk management.

The winners of the Professional Planner|Zenith Fund Awards 2013 will be announced on October 11 at Ivy Ballroom in Sydney. All finalists are invited to attend the event and only a handful of places remain.

The Professional Planner|Zenith Fund Awards 2013 are proudly sponsored by Thompson Reuters.

Further details on how to book tickets can be found at www.fundawards.com.au.

Finalists in the Australian equities categories

Large cap

Bennelong Australian Equity Partners, Fidelity Worldwide Investments, Perpetual Investment Management

Alternative strategies (Including market-neutral, long/short and income overlay)

Kardinia Capital, Perpetual Investment Management, Zurich (Denning Pryce)

Small cap

Celeste Funds Management, Fairview Equity Partners, Ironbark Asset Management (Ironbark Karara)