Manager Research
We provide detailed institutional-quality global investment manager research and fund ratings. Based in South Africa and the UK,
all members of our manager research team have over ten years of investment experience.
all members of our manager research team have over ten years of investment experience.
Research Comments
Rating changes to Ninety One Diversified Income, Cautious Managed and Equity
12 May 2020
12 May 2020
We concluded on Ninety One's full range of funds last week. The fund manager, manco and platform officially rebranded to Ninety One from Investec Asset Management at the end of March, the final step in its demerger from the bank. The business listed separately in Johannesburg and London on the 16th ...
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Associated local fund ratings
Associated offshore fund ratings
Fairtree Flexible Income Plus & BCI Income downgraded to Tier 3
24 Apr 2020
24 Apr 2020
We have resolved to downgrade the Fairtree Flexible Income Plus and BCI Income Plus funds to Tier 3. Our primary concern is around the execution of this process in the narrow and illiquid SA-credit market. Their risk management process is quantitatively driven where diversification is the primary ri...
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Associated local fund ratings
Update on our concerns around the local credit risks within Income funds
24 Apr 2020
24 Apr 2020
Over the past two years we have raised various concerns around risks within the credit sector (ie corporate debt) which forms a significant part of many local income and multi-asset funds. These concerns related to a few specific risks:
Credit markets generally have a low level of liquidity outsi...
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Electus Fund Managers to close
31 Mar 2020
31 Mar 2020
Electus sent out a formal communication today that the shareholders have decided to close the business, effective the 30th of June 2020. Electus is one of Nedgroup’s “best of breed” managers, responsible for the management of the Nedgroup Investments Growth Fund.
Electus w...
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Associated local fund ratings
Investec Asset Management Name Change
9 Mar 2020
9 Mar 2020
Following regulatory and shareholder approval to demerge from the Investec Group, Investec Asset Management will list independently on the Johannesburg and London stock exchanges on the 16th of March. You can read more about this in our prior commentary on the demerger here. Part of this arrangement...
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Change to the Fundsmith Equity rating
18 Feb 2020
18 Feb 2020
We have decided to downgrade this fund’s rating to Tier 2. Our concerns are centred around a set of behaviours which seem to be symptomatic of overconfidence, and a business culture that appears to suppress criticism and constructive feedback. Although we will continue to recommend this fund, ...
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Associated offshore fund ratings
Prescient Investment Management Rating Updates
12 Feb 2020
12 Feb 2020
Following our recent review of Prescient's investment capability, we have retained the majority of the ratings on the funds as before. However, there are two funds which have been upgraded to Tier 2 following the review.
Prescient have displayed concerted effort to simplify, organise and al...
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Associated local fund ratings
Associated offshore fund ratings
Changes to Prudential Ratings
10 Feb 2020
10 Feb 2020
We have completed a review of Prudential’s funds and have updated several of the ratings across their fund range:
Fund
Old Rating
New Rating
Prudential Enhanced Income Fund
Tier 1
Tier 2
Prudential Inflation Plus Fund
Tier 1
Tier 2
Prudential Balanced ...
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Associated local fund ratings
Nedgroup Property Fund Review
10 Feb 2020
10 Feb 2020
The Nedgroup Investments Property fund was initially rated as a Tier 1 offering in June 2014. This positive rating was predicated upon an experienced portfolio manager implementing a differentiated strategy in a simple and largely homogenous sector. This strategy was supported by a business for whic...
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Associated local fund ratings
23 Jun 2020