Rod Bristow
Clime Asset Management’s three funds – International, Income and Smaller Companies – have turned in stellar performances for the 12 months to 31 May 2019.
The latest Morningstar data shows that the Smaller Companies Fund ($30 million) returned 16.3% for this period ; the Income Fund ($24 million) returned 7.4% ; and the International Fund ($98 million) returned 8.7%.
Under the new leadership of CEO Rod Bristow and Head of Investments Adrian Ezquerro, Clime is refining and enhancing its long-established credentials in funds management, with its quality focus and strong valuation discipline investment style.
Bristow says: “Managing money in the current investment environment is difficult. There are many challenges, characterized by slow growth, increased volatility and ultra-low interest rates, but we believe Clime has the right processes in place to be able to deliver value to our investors.
“It’s our emphasis on deep research, a strong focus on quality and a bias towards value that allows us to differentiate and find attractive, long-term investment opportunities.”
The Smaller Companies Fund, which had its second birthday in April, has successfully outperformed both its benchmark (a blended ASX Small Ords + ASX Emerging Companies Accum Indices) and its peer group since inception, returning an average 19.3% a year as of May 2019. This outstanding performance is despite holding a healthy cash reserve, typically about 15%.
Commenting on the investment process, Portfolio Manager Jonathan Wilson emphasises quality and value. “We invest in niche leaders that are positioned for long-term success, provided they’re attractively priced. They include Audinate, Macquarie Telecom and Navigator Global Investments.”
The Australian Income Fund is a multi-sector balanced fund designed to deliver regular income and offer low risk of capital loss. It is exposed to domestic fixed interest (45%), domestic equity (18%), listed and unlisted property (22%) and cash (15%). Over the past three years, it has reported average returns of 6.78%.
The International Fund, jointly managed out of London with the large institutional house Sanlam, invests across a range of mostly large cap global stocks. Its largest holdings at the end of April were Microsoft, Roche Holdings and Alphabet, with 40% held in US equities. Its five-year return has been 9.21% a year.
