This month we feature two new Investment Insights, covering the Greek debt crisis, and also on emerging markets. Our video features Raguram Rajan, Professor of Finance at the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, previously Chief Economist at the IMF, and the first person to question sub-prime lending in 2007 and predict a financial collapse.
As usual, you can download our latest Monthly Market Roundup (March) and our latest investment strategy views featuring Invesco Perpetual's Chief Investment Officer, Nick Mustoe. We also feature our latest Invesco Fund monthly reports.
Best wishes,
Sam Sorace National Retail Sales Manager
Investment features
NEW: ‘The Greek Debt Crisis’ by Karen Dunn Kelly, Invesco Senior Managing Director – Investments...read
NEW: ‘Emerging Markets – a 2012 Outlook’ by Ingrid Baker, Portfolio Manager, Invesco Global Equity...read
Proper utilisation of resources key to growth: Raghuram Rajan
Raghuram Rajan, professor at Booth School of Business, University of Chicago says growth can only take place only after India utilises its resources properly...view
Fund news
Invesco Protected Growth Fund
Following a structural review, the Invesco Protected Growth Fund will be closed, effective early April...read the letter to unitholders
David Ray
Manager Retail Sales
(NSW, ACT & WA)
0437 404 445
This document has been prepared by Invesco Australia Ltd (Invesco) ABN 48 001 693 232, Australian Financial Services Licence number 239916, RSE Licence number L0002530, who can be contacted on freecall 1800 813 500, by email to info@au.invesco.com, or by writing to GPO Box 231, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001. You can also visit our website at www.invesco.com.au This document contains general information only and does not take into account your individual objectives, taxation position, financial situation or needs. You should assess whether the information is appropriate for you and consider obtaining independent taxation, legal, financial or other professional advice before making an investment decision. A Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for any Invesco fund referred to in this document is available from Invesco. You should read the PDS and consider whether a fund is appropriate for you before making a decision to invest. Invesco is authorised under its licence to provide financial product advice, deal in financial products and operate registered managed investment schemes. If you invest in an Invesco Fund, Invesco may receive fees in relation to that investment. Details are in the PDS. Invesco’s employees and directors do not receive commissions but are remunerated on a salary basis. Neither Invesco nor any related corporation has any relationship with other product issuers that could influence us in providing the information contained in this document.
Investments in the Invesco funds are subject to investment risks including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and principal invested. Neither Invesco nor any other member of the Invesco Ltd Group guarantee the return of capital, distribution of income, or the performance of any of the Funds. Any investments in the Funds do not represent deposits in, or other liabilities of, any other member of the Invesco Ltd Group. Invesco has taken all due care in the preparation of this document. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Invesco, its related bodies corporate, directors or employees are not liable and take no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of this document and disclaim all liability for any loss or damage of any kind (whether foreseeable or not) that may arise from any person acting on any statements contained in this document. This document has been prepared only for those persons to whom Invesco has provided it. It should not be relied upon by anyone else. Copyright of this document is owned by Invesco. You may only reproduce, circulate and use this document (or any part of it) with the consent of Invesco.
Concord Australian broad market equity team
Richard Douglas Head of Australian Equities
Chris Haynes Senior Analyst/Portfolio Manager
Katrina Onishi Senior Analyst/Portfolio Manager
Martin Hickling Senior Analyst/Portfolio Manager
Will Culbert Senior Analyst/Portfolio Manager
Garry Duncan Senior Analyst/Portfolio Manager
Anne Percent Quantitative Analyst
Chris van Rijswijk Analyst
Toby Bellingham Implementation Manager
Click here for a full list of Concord Australian Equities team bios.
Concord's Australian equity team focuses on managing concentrated portfolios of
larger capitalisation stocks. The team has a strong depth of research and investment management experience, which it has applied with discipline and rigour to generate consistently strong returns since Concord was founded in 2000.
Australian broad market equities
In managing Australian broad market equity portfolios, the Concord team uses a fundamental, bottom-up stock selection process that is likely to produce portfolios that are biased to quality businesses with a competitive advantage in industries which themselves have a reasonable competitive outlook.
Our broad market portfolios are managed by a well resourced team of analysts. This team finds the very best broad market stock ideas, and after a rigorous peer review process, selects around 50 – 60 stocks to form an Approved List, from which five sub-portfolios are constructed (four manager sub-portfolios and one ‘best ideas’ portfolio). The final broad market portfolio is a result of a ‘straight through’ investment process and is a weighted combination of 28-40 ‘high conviction’ stocks.
Key aspects of the Australian broad market equity capability:
A bias to investing in high quality Australian companies
Cynthia Jenkins Head of Australian Smaller Company Equities
Cynthia Jenkins leads the Australian smaller companies team. In this capacity, she is ultimately responsible for Invesco’s Australian small cap performance and investment decisions.
Cynthia is supported by Andrew Perks and Silvo Barac.
Combined the team have more than 26 years experience in managing small cap portfolios.
Invesco Australian smaller companies
Invesco’s Australian small cap team’s bottom-up ‘contrarian’ and value-based approach has delivered strong outperformance throughout its history, which stretches back to 1988. The team has earned an array of top research ratings and awards.
The team looks to buy stocks in which change is taking place, and which can enable the company to achieve earnings growth that is not yet reflected in the current market price.
The team’s somewhat contrarian approach to managing small cap assets has seen our smaller companies portfolios add value for clients through market cycles. Moreover, its patience in investing and discipline has rewarded investors over the long term.
Key aspects of our Australian smaller companies capability:
The longest continuously managed small cap track record in Australia
Top researcher ratings – click here for more details
A highly experienced and well established team
A tax-effective, disciplined investment process
Invesco Wholesale Australian Smaller Companies Fund
Click here for a full list of Concord Smaller companies team bios.
Concord's small cap team focuses on managing concentrated portfolios of
smaller capitalisation stocks. The team is structured so that the best possible
stock ideas are distilled from the overall research effort, which via team
discussion and critical review, go into the final portfolio. The team is
well seasoned in researching and managing small cap portfolios, evidence
of which is Concord's outstanding performance track record in small caps.
Concord Australian smaller companies
Concord Capital, which joined Invesco in August 2010, also manages smaller companies equity portfolios utilising a proven, fundamental, bottom-up investment approach. The investment approach is likely to produce portfolios biased to quality businesses with a competitive advantage in industries which themselves have a reasonable competitive outlook.
Our smaller companies portfolios are managed by a team of four: one Director and three Portfolio Managers/Analysts. The team finds the best small cap investment ideas through intensive stock research and a rigorous peer review process. From a Recommended List, each Portfolio Manager/Analyst recommends their best 10-15 stock ideas which form three separate sub-portfolios. The final smaller companies portfolio is a combination of the three sub-portfolios and comprises 30-45 stocks.
Key aspects of the Concord smaller companies capability:
A bias to investing in high quality Australian small companies
A high conviction portfolio with 30-45 small cap stocks
Active, smaller companies management offering a concentrated portfolio
Concord’s small cap equity team is highly experienced with a combined experience of more than 47 years
The team has a culture of collaboration while allowing for intense scrutiny of each other’s stock ideas
Concord Discovery Fund - Class A
Overview
Report
Performance
PDS
Unit price
Distribution
APIR code
GTU0063AU
Articles:
Why now is a good time to invest in Concord smallcaps...read
Jackson Leung Senior Portfolio Manager, Head of Australian Fixed Income
Jackson Leung is responsible for portfolio management of all Australian cash and fixed income portfolios as well as multi-asset class products and currency hedging. Previous positions held at Invesco include Investment Manager of the International Equities team, responsible for market research in Japan, Asia, and emerging markets, and Performance Analyst. Prior to joining Invesco, Jackson worked for Watson Wyatt in Hong Kong and for The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club. Jackson holds Masters and Bachelors degrees in Economics, and holds a CPA and F.Fin accreditations.
Diversified growth
Invesco’s Multi Asset Class Group, led by Jackson Leung, oversees our Diversified Growth portfolios. Active security selection is undertaken in various Invesco centres while asset allocation decisions are done by the Multi Asset Class Team, as well as supervising and monitoring the investment management of the portfolio.
The investment approach is active and incorporates both top-down asset allocation as well as bottom-up security selection. The team also undertakes currency hedging on a passive basis for some of our international portfolios.
Key aspects of our balanced management capability:
A highly experienced and well established team
A disciplined, risk-aware investment process
Choice of diversified and protected portfolios
Currency management of other Invesco global portfolios.
Invesco Wholesale Diversified Growth Fund
Report
Performance
PDS
Unit price
Distribution
APIR code
CNA0806AU
Protected Growth
Our other balanced portfolio is our Protected Growth Funds. The Funds aim to achieve medium to long term capital growth and to avoid a negative total return over a 12 month period ending 30 June. The Funds are managed on a total return basis and hence are not managed against a benchmark. ‘Dynamic hedging’ is employed whereby the team ensures the Funds can withstand a serious market crisis but still protect gains from previous years.
Michael Fraikin Head of Client Portfolio Management – GQE (Frankfurt)
As Head of Client Portfolio Management, Michael is responsible for overseeing the management of IQS’ Australian-based global equity portfolios, including the Invesco Global Matrix Funds.
Michael joined Invesco in 1997 as Portfolio Manager European Equities, then becoming Head of Equities in 2000. Michael has an M.S. in Accounting & Finance from the London School of Economics, as well as a BA (Hons).
Global equities - hedged
The Invesco Global Quantitative Equities (GQE) team manages Invesco’s quantitative global equity portfolios. This team has a strong track record in managing quantitative global equity portfolios for clients worldwide, with more than 40 investment professionals in teams located in investment centres in New York, Boston, Frankfurt, Melbourne and Tokyo. The team manages more than A$20 billion globally.
The GQE team aims to add value in client portfolios via stock selection with fundamental insights, within a quantitative framework. The team’s philosophy - that market inefficiencies can be exploited to add value – underpins all stages of the investment process.
The key to the team’s strong long term performance track record is a proprietary quantitative investment process which enables coverage of a 3000 stock universe, considering a stock’s prospects across a range of earnings, valuation, management and price factors.
Key aspects of our global equity management capability:
An investment strategy which provides opportunities from a broad universe of stocks (3000)
Portfolio management by a large and highly experienced team
Portfolios which are highly risk-controlled and which use leading-edge trading and information systems, helping to lower trading costs.
Invesco Wholesale Global Matrix Fund - hedged
Overview
Report
Performance
PDS
Ratings
Unit price
Distribution
APIR code
GTU0008AU
Invesco Wholesale Global Matrix Fund - unhedged
Overview
Report
Performance
PDS
Ratings
Unit price
Distribution
APIR code
GTU0102AU
Articles:
Fund Manager in Focus: Q&A with Nicole Schnuderl...read
William Yuen Associate Director, Asian investment team
William Yuen is the lead manager of Invesco's Asian Consumer Demand strategy, and is the specialist covering ASEAN markets. William joined Invesco in 2004 and has a total of 12 years' investment experience covering Asian equities.
William holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation, as well as Masters and Bachelor's degrees in Commerce from the University of Sydney.
Asian equities
Invesco first started investing in Asian equity markets in 1962 and is one of the largest fund managers in the Asia-Pacific region, managing approximately A$32 billion.
The Asian Consumer Demand portfolio is one of a range of equity products managed by our Asian investment team. This product provides investors with exposure to Asian (ex Japan) companies whose business is likely to benefit from, or is related to growth in domestic consumption (i.e. a Consumer demand thematic approach to Asian investment).
The strategy seeks to exploit opportunities in Asian demand by:
Positive demographics
Rising per-capita incomes
High current savings
Increasing acceptance of consumer credit
A cultural shift in spending patterns from necessities to discretionary goods (trading up).
In managing the Asian Consumer Demand portfolio, the team seeks to invest in attractively priced, quality stocks that will benefit from an upturn in the earnings cycle. The investment universe of the Fund consists of over 6,000 consumer demand-related securities across a range of demand-driven sectors. The investment process combines a top-down and bottom-up approach, which aims to invest in growth stocks at a reasonable price or value stocks that have a catalyst to be re-rated.
Key aspects of our Asian equities management capability:
Exposure to the strongly-growing consumer demand theme in a high growth region of the world
Diversification across different sub-sectors and regions
Domestic growth-focused
Western economies such as the US & Europe, consumer-driven growth focussed rather than slowing developed economies
Management by a large, highly experienced, stable investment team
Proven results, driven by a bottom up/top-down approach that is tailored to the Asian Consumer Demand theme.
Invesco Wholesale Asian Consumer Demand Fund*
Overview
Report
Performance
PDS
Unit price
Distribution
APIR code
GTU0009AU
Articles:
The Invesco Asian Consumer Demand Strategy - investing in growing Asian consumption...read
* Note: on 1 October 2011 the Invesco Wholesale Asian Share Fund changed to the Invesco Wholesale Asian Consumer Demand Fund. Click here for more information on this change.
Joe Rodriguez Head of Invesco Real Estate Securities
Joe Rodriguez is an Invesco Managing Director and is the Head of Real Estate Securities for Invesco. He has 25 years of investment experience, having joined Invesco in 1990. In addition to portfolio management, Joe oversees all phases of the unit including securities research and administration. Joe has also served as adjunct professor of economics at the University of Texas, Dallas, and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Economics and Finance, and a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from Baylor University.
Global property securities
Invesco’s Real Estate team, led by Joe Rodriguez, is highly experienced and stable, with strong depth, an efficient, team oriented execution process, and a well developed ability to harness the global research resources at its disposal. The team’s bottom-up, research-driven process has been tested over time and is highly risk-controlled at every step of portfolio stock selection and portfolio construction. Our global REIT capability is also well rated by independent researchers.
The team aims to build well-diversified portfolios with exposure to the major sectors and countries of the global listed property market. In building global REIT portfolios, the team draws on 15 years’ average investment experience in property investment, as well as on Invesco’s worldwide research network of listed and direct property professionals.
The team’s proprietary approach allows the generation of fresh, value-adding investment insights. Disciplined stock selection and risk control methods enable the team to select around 70 stocks for the portfolio from a universe of around 650 stocks.
One of the keys to the Real Estate team’s success in managing property portfolios is in its ability to leverage the experience and resources to consistently find new investment opportunities, as well as to efficiently construct portfolios and execute trades.
Key aspects of our global property securities management capability:
Active, research-driven approach with bottom-up securities research
Underlying investments managed by Invesco’s team headquartered in Dallas, US, utilising research resources around the world
Underlying portfolio typically holds between 60-100 securities
A highly experienced and stable team
A highly risk-controlled process at every step of portfolio stock selection and portfolio construction
Well rated by independent researchers
Choice of unhedged or hedged portfolios.
Invesco Wholesale Global Property Securities Fund - hedged - Class A
Overview
Report
Performance
PDS
Ratings
Unit price
Distribution
APIR code
GTU0041AU
Invesco Wholesale Global Property Securities Fund - unhedged - Class A
Invesco has been managing fixed income assets since 1985. Our fixed income investment locations are in Chicago, Houston, London, Louisville, Melbourne, New York, Palm Harbor, and San Diego.
Our key capabilities in fixed income are as follows:
Sovereign debt – developed and emerging
Credit
core and high yield
secured and unsecured
developed and emerging
asset-backed securities
mortgage-backed securities
Our fixed income approach has the following characteristics:
Active management combining top-down analysis with bottom-up security selection
Our process is engineered to be transparent and consistent, with investment professionals closest to the information making investment decisions, where they can actively exploit opportunities that exist in financial markets
As fixed income markets become increasingly complex and specialised, investment decisions are best made and managed by specialist individual decision makers
Risk-adjusted performance is maximized over the long term by diversifying risk across as many sources of alpha as possible.
The objective of our cash management strategy is to provide investors with distributions in line with the prevailing bank bill rate, while managing liquidity and security of capital by investing in short term money market securities.
We manage against the UBS Australian Bank Bill Index
The Invesco Wholesale Cash Management Fund invests in prime quality short-term money market securities issued or guaranteed by the Commonwealth Government or rated AAA, A-1+, or A-1 by a recognised ratings agency
The Fund does not currently use financial derivatives. However, it may invest in financial futures contracts, excluding options.