Research houses and platforms follow strong investor interest in QV Equities Limited

Investors Mutual’s listed investment company QV Equities (ASX: QVE) has gained strong interest from advisers and investors since its offer period opened on Monday 14 July. Some of Australia’s leading platforms including BT, Colonial First State, MLC and Macquarie have all announced QVE’s inclusion in their platform offerings.

The platform inclusions in many leading dealer groups’ approved product lists is quite unique for a listed investment company. It will improve access and allow SMSFs, HNW individuals and their advisers to incorporate QVE into their portfolios. Investors Mutual’s founder and Investment Director Anton Tagliaferro said QVE had been designed to help investors achieve a diversified portfolio outside of top 20.

“QVE provides investors with a prudent vehicle to diversify their portfolios, and there has been strong uptake since the offer period opened. It is a well known fact investors are over concentrated in top 20 blue chip stocks. They are now realising the breadth of opportunities and diverse entities the ex20 segment offers in terms of industry sectors,” Mr Tagliaferro said.

Research ratings reflect investor appeal – QVE ‘Highly Recommended’ by Lonsec, and ‘Recommended’ by Zenith

QVE has also been awarded a ‘Highly Recommended’ rating by Lonsec and ‘Recommended’ by Zenith, with both research houses commending Investors Mutual’s investment approach and experienced team.

Lonsec’s ‘Highly Recommended’ research report stated “QVE offers investors access to a high quality Board of Directors and investment team with a ‘true to label’ value style and strong track record of performance across market cycles.”

Lonsec also noted its high conviction “in the calibre of Anton Tagliaferro and Simon Conn as value investors across the market capitalisation spectrum” with the “highly accountable performance driven investment culture and boutique structure” also being of note.

Zenith echoed the sentiments that “IML’s philosophy is ideally suited to a LIC, given the sector is strongly supported by the SMSF market, which seeks preservation of capital and income.

“Zenith sees QVE as a LIC with solid potential as part of a diversified equities portfolio, believing an ex20 exposure should complement an investors direct stock holdings or an exposure to the traditional LICs which focus on the top 20 stocks which are predominately financials and resource companies.”

QVE’s offer period is open from now to 8 August, 2014 with a raising target of between $100 to $200 million. The issue has been arranged through CBA Equities who are also one of the joint lead managers to the issue along with BBY, Patterson and Taylor Collison and co manager Lonsec Securities.