Adrian Stewart
Zenith Investment Partners has upgraded the PIMCO Global Bond Fund, PIMCO Global Credit Fund and PIMCO Diversified Fixed Interest Fund, from “Recommended” to “Highly Recommended,” the highest possible rating.
Four funds were awarded Zenith’s premier rating of “Highly Recommend’ with PIMCO the beneficiary of three of these, and follows the two upgrades PIMCO received in July 2015 from “Recommended” to “Highly Recommended” for the PIMCO Australian Bond Fund and PIMCO Australian Focus Fund. PIMCO now has a total of five funds rated “Highly Recommended” by Zenith.
The recently launched PIMCO Capital Securities Fund, which invests in securities issued by banks specifically to raise regulatory capital, received an introductory rating of “Recommended.”
In its product assessment Zenith said it holds the PIMCO investment team in “high regard” and that the funds are well-managed recognising that “PIMCO is well-positioned to expand on the Funds’ strong track record of outperformance.”
Adrian Stewart, Head of PIMCO Australia and New Zealand, said, “These ratings are a strong endorsement of the quality of our offering and our capability in helping investors meets their long-term investment goals.”
Mr. Stewart added, “With volatility likely to remain high, an allocation to fixed income strategies that seek out opportunities for attractive income with significantly lower volatility than equities can be helpful for investors constructing a truly diversified portfolio. We see clients using our strategies in portfolios for specific purposes and we are glad to have been able to deliver to these expectations consistently over time.”
All PIMCO “Highly Recommended” funds rated by Zenith with a 10 year track record are actively managed and have outperformed their respective benchmarks over 10 year net of fees (as at 29 February 2016). According to Morningstar data, these funds have also outperformed 100% of peers in each of their respective peer categories (Morningstar data as of 29 February 2016). The PIMCO Australian Focus Fund was launched in 2009 and has outperformed its benchmark since inception net of fees (as at 29 February 2016). The funds add value through duration, sector positioning and security selection.
- The PIMCO Global Credit Fund provides exposure to a diversified portfolio largely comprising investment grade corporate debt securities. The Fund has delivered a net of fee return of 8.19% p.a. over the past 10 years (as at 29 February 2016), beating 100% of competitors (Morningstar data as of 29 February 2016, “Australia OE Diversified Credit” category).
- The PIMCO Diversified Fixed Interest Fund provides a broadly diversified exposure to both global and Australian bond markets and predominantly invests in government, corporate, mortgage and other fixed interest securities. The Fund has delivered a net of fee return of 7.23% p.a. over the past 10 years (as at 29 February 2016), beating 100% of competitors (Morningstar data as of 29 February 2016, “Australia OE Bonds – Global / Australia” category).
- The PIMCO Global Bond Fund, provides diverse exposure to multiple economies, interest rates and yield curves, and predominantly invests in government, corporate, mortgage and other global fixed interest securities. The Fund has delivered a net of fee return of 7.79% p.a. over the past 10 years (as at 29 February 2016), beating 100% of competitors (Morningstar data as of 29 February 2016, “Australia OE Bonds – Global” category).
- The PIMCO Australian Bond Fund predominantly provides exposure to the Australian fixed interest market. The Fund has delivered a net of fee return of 6.81% p.a. over the past 10 years (as at 29 February 2016), beating 100% of competitors (Morningstar data as of 29 February 2016, “Australia OE Bonds – Australia” category).