Zenith Awards: three new categories announced

Three new categories in this year’s Professional Planner | Zenith Fund Awards put the spotlight on direct property, infrastructure and exchange-traded funds. The inclusion of these categories reflects the growing importance of each sector and the increased interest among financial planners in using property and infrastructure in diversified portfolios; and in using exchange-traded funds to achieve efficient, low-cost market exposures.

The fund awards are based on Zenith Investment Partners’ tried-and-tested research methodology, which focuses on nine aspects of how fund management businesses are organised and operate:

• Organisational strength

• Investment philosophy

• Investment process

• Investment team

• Security selection

• Security valuation

• Portfolio construction

• Risk management

• Performance

The results of Zenith’s analysis of these factors feeds into its final assessment of the manager, and decides those who are shortlisted as finalists and who ultimately wins each category award.

The category winners and the overall Fund Manager of the Year will be announced at an event in Sydney, sponsored by Thompson Reuters, at Ivy Ballroom on October 11.

More than 200 of the Australian fund management industry’s best and brightest have already registered to attend. To book tickets visit the awards website: www.fundawards.com.au

CATEGORY FINALISTS

Direct property: Australian Unity Investments, Folkestone, GDI Property Group

Infrastructure: Lazard Asset Management, Magellan Asset Management, RARE infrastructure

Exchange-traded funds: Russell Investment Management, State Street Global Advisors, Vanguard Investments

Source: Zenith Investment Partners