Mac Dinsmore

Copia Investment Partners (Copia) has announced the appointment of Mac Dinsmore as Distribution Manager, as the firm deepens its engagement with wholesale clients, private wealth firms and family offices.

Mac brings over 15 years’ experience across global asset management and financial services, having held senior roles at Wellington Management in Australia, Europe and the United States. Most recently, he led Wellington’s financial intermediary business for Australia and New Zealand, successfully building distribution partnerships across a wide range of asset classes including private equity, multi-strategy hedge funds, and traditional strategies.

In his new role, Mac will play a key role in advancing Copia’s long-term growth strategy, with a focus on bringing differentiated investment capabilities to the Australian market. This will initially include the Artisan Partners Credit Opportunities Fund and Global Value Fund, both tailored to meet the needs of private wealth firms, family offices, and institutional investors.

John Clothier, General Manager Distribution at Copia said, “Mac brings a complementary skillset that enhances our ability to engage with private wealth firms, family offices, and institutional investors, seeking more sophisticated, differentiated solutions. His understanding of the private wealth and wholesale landscape makes him an outstanding addition to the team”

Mac holds a Master of Science in Finance from Bayes Business School (City St George’s, University of London), and a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology Sydney.

Copia partners with a select group of leading investment managers – OC Funds Management, Chester Asset Management, ECP Asset Management, Mutual Limited, Artisan Partners, TT International and HSBC Asset Management to deliver high-quality investment solutions to Australian advisers and wealth firms.

Adam Tweedale

Copia Investment Partners (Copia) has announced the appointment of Adam Tweedale to its distribution team, boosting support for advisers across Victoria, Western Australia, and Tasmania.

Adam rejoins Copia with over two decades of experience in investment distribution, having held senior roles at Lazard Asset Management and Bennelong Funds Management. Backed by an extensive network across the wholesale advice market, he brings deep expertise in business development and relationship management.

Based in Melbourne, Adam will work alongside Mani Papakonstantinos to service Victoria, while also overseeing relationships in Western Australia and Tasmania.

John Clothier, General Manager Distribution at Copia, said, “Adam brings a wealth of experience in distribution and relationship management. We welcome his strong industry knowledge and track record in adviser engagement as we continue to expand our footprint nationally.”

Adam holds a Bachelor of Business from Swinburne University of Technology and a Diploma of Financial Services from Kaplan Business School.

Copia distributes financial products through partnerships with OC Funds Management, Chester Asset Management, ECP Asset Management, Mutual Limited, Artisan Partners, TT International and HSBC Asset Management.

Justin has over two decades of experience in the wealth management space. He has held senior positions across the industry including Superannuation Consultant at National Australia Bank and most recently, Business Development Manager at Colonial First State. Justin has also held Director roles at independent advice firms JC & Co Financial Solutions and Devon Partners in Melbourne.

Copia General Manager of Distribution, John Clothier said “Justin understands the challenges for advisers and what solutions they need for clients following a tumultuous year in markets and a changing regulatory environment ahead of the Quality of Advice Review response from Government. As advisers continue to seek trusted partnerships and products that cater to the diverse needs of Australians looking to build wealth, we see huge opportunity for trusted businesses to thrive.”

Mr Clothier continued, “Justin has a demonstrated understanding of the mechanics of the advice chain, from platforms to delivering financial advice. His insight will support our strategy to provide premium product solutions to Australian investors.”

Justin holds a Bachelor of Commerce at Deakin University, an Advanced diploma of financial planning, Graduate certificate in applied finance and self-managed super funds from Kaplan Education.

Copia distributes financial products with seven investment partners: OC Funds Management (Australian small companies), Vertium Asset Management (Australian equity income), Chester Asset Management (high conviction Australian equities), ECP Asset Management (high conviction growth Australian equities), Artisan Partners (global small and mid-cap equities, credit opportunities), TT International (global equity environmental impact) and Mutual Limited (cash, credit and fixed income).

The Fund is managed by Sydney-based ECP Asset Management (ECP) and offers investors a concentrated and benchmark-unaware exposure to Australian shares (typically 25 – 30 stocks). ECP is one of five investment managers distributed by Copia in the retail and financial advice channel.

The Fund’s investment approach is based on ECP’s institutional ‘All Cap’ investment strategy, which has returned 14.2% per annum (after fees) since inception in July 2012, 4.9% ahead of the S&P/ASX 300 Accumulation Index.

The All Cap strategy is in turn based on a similar strategy managed by ECP’s founders in a previous investment firm, dating back to 1996.

In its Report, Lonsec concluded that ECP has a “strong performance track record of alpha generation from the underlying strategy against the Benchmark” and “the Manager (ECP) applies a detailed bottom-up fundamental research effort that is considered logical, repeatable and robust.”

John Clothier, Copia General Manager Distribution welcomed the Recommended rating, noting that “it provides a gateway for financial advice practices relying on Lonsec research to access ECP as a highly-active solution to add to their portfolio mix. It is backed by the investment manager’s high investor alignment, strong performance record, large research engine and inclusion of ESG into their stock selection.”

The Fund’s Lonsec rating of Recommended follows a similar rating from Zenith in May 2020. The Fund is currently listed on Praemium, HUB24, Powerwrap and WealthO2 platforms, with Copia seeking further placements over coming months.

The Fund offers investors a concentrated and benchmark-unaware exposure to Australian shares (25 – 40 stocks) and is managed by Chester Asset Management, a boutique Australian equity fund manager distributed by Copia.

The Fund Report dated 27 July 2020 states that Lonsec has “increased its conviction in Portfolio Manager Rob Tucker and the investment team who are well-aligned with investors and have developed a track record of outperformance since inception. The Manager has demonstrated willingness to make full use of its risk management tools and has successfully protected the Fund on the downside. The Fund is also attractive from a capacity standpoint, particularly relative to some larger peers.”

The Fund’s downside protection strategy, which includes investing in gold stocks and other listed assets not correlated with equities, is unique among high conviction managers and is designed to help protect investors’ capital when markets decline.

John Clothier, Copia General Manager Distribution welcomed the Lonsec upgrade noting that, “this upgrade comes at an exciting time for Chester with a recent institutional win and performance results that are bearing fruit for an investment team that has remained committed to their process through the recent market volatility. In this environment we believe a high conviction strategy such as Chester offers, is an ideal vehicle for investors to position their portfolios beyond the COVID cycle and get exposure to stocks that are attractive longer term.”

The Chester High Conviction Fund was launched in April 2017 and is based on a high conviction investment strategy that has been employed by the investment team since 2013. The Fund has returned 8.8% per annum (after fees) since inception to the end of July, 4.5% per annum ahead of the S&P/ASX 300 Accumulation Index.

The Fund is currently listed on the HUB24, Netwealth and Praemium platforms, with further placements being sought by Copia.

The Fund offers investors a concentrated and benchmark-unaware exposure to Australian shares (typically 25 – 30 stocks) and is managed by Sydney-based ECP Asset Management. Copia distributes the Fund through an agreement signed in November 2019.

The Fund was launched in January 2020 and is based on ECP’s institutional ‘All Cap’ investment strategy, which has returned 11.7% per annum (after fees) since inception in July 2012, 4.9% ahead of the S&P/ASX 300 Accumulation Index.

The All Cap strategy is in turn based on a similar strategy managed by ECP’s founders in a previous investment firm, dating back to 1996.

In its Report, Zenith believes “the Fund offers investors a differentiated exposure to the Australian equities sector.”

The investment team’s “collective experience and depth is viewed positively”, while ECP founder Manny Pohl is held “in high regard, noting his history in building a successful funds management business and impressive investment track record.”

John Clothier, Copia General Manager Distribution said “we are excited by the opportunity to offer Australian financial advisers ECP’s compelling investment capability that’s proven itself over 24 years, backed with a Zenith Recommended rating.”

The Fund is currently listed on HUB24 platform, with Copia set to announce several more platform placements over coming months.

The Report also states that Zenith believes “ECP follows a transparent portfolio construction framework, which gives rise to a high level of consistency and repeatability of investment outcomes.”

The Fund – managed by Vertium Asset Management and distributed by Copia was added to the Macquarie Investment Manager/Consolidator, the Macquarie Super Manager/Consolidator and the AMP MyNorth platforms in December 2019. The Fund has also been included on the MLC 360 and Navigator platforms (as well as MLC 360’s Approved Product List).

The Vertium Equity Income Fund is an Australian equity strategy that seeks to deliver an income stream of 6-8%, with a focus on capital preservation over a market cycle. A key hallmark of its defensive strategy is the Fund’s very low level of sensitivity to sharemarket volatility, particularly in comparison to the overall sharemarket and other Australian equity strategies.

The Fund’s low market sensitivity profile sets it apart from many other equity funds. It is designed for retirees and other defensive investors seeking attractive returns in a low interest rate environment, while being concerned about sharemarket volatility in the long term.

John Clothier, Copia General Manager of Distribution said “the inclusion of the Vertium Equity Income Fund in retirement models and platforms reflects a broader shift as advice groups seek ways to reduce sharemarket volatility for retiree clients, without abandoning equities altogether. This has only been enhanced in a highly-valued equity market.”

The Fund has delivered an income return of 6% per annum since inception in April 2017, with approximately half of the risk of the sharemarket in terms of standard deviation and maximum drawdown (largest decline in its value). The Fund holds approximately 30 stocks and some of its key investments include BHP, Lendlease, James Hardie and ANZ.

The Fund is listed on all major platforms such as BT, IOOF, CFS and Netwealth.

]]> Copia Investment Partners is pleased to announce the Vertium Equity Income Fund has been added to five major investment platforms.

The Fund – managed by Vertium Asset Management and distributed by Copia was added to the Macquarie Investment Manager/Consolidator, the Macquarie Super Manager/Consolidator and the AMP MyNorth platforms in December 2019. The Fund has also been included on the MLC 360 and Navigator platforms (as well as MLC 360’s Approved Product List).

The Vertium Equity Income Fund is an Australian equity strategy that seeks to deliver an income stream of 6-8%, with a focus on capital preservation over a market cycle. A key hallmark of its defensive strategy is the Fund’s very low level of sensitivity to sharemarket volatility, particularly in comparison to the overall sharemarket and other Australian equity strategies.

The Fund’s low market sensitivity profile sets it apart from many other equity funds. It is designed for retirees and other defensive investors seeking attractive returns in a low interest rate environment, while being concerned about sharemarket volatility in the long term.

John Clothier, Copia General Manager of Distribution said “the inclusion of the Vertium Equity Income Fund in retirement models and platforms reflects a broader shift as advice groups seek ways to reduce sharemarket volatility for retiree clients, without abandoning equities altogether. This has only been enhanced in a highly-valued equity market.”

The Fund has delivered an income return of 6% per annum since inception in April 2017, with approximately half of the risk of the sharemarket in terms of standard deviation and maximum drawdown (largest decline in its value). The Fund holds approximately 30 stocks and some of its key investments include BHP, Lendlease, James Hardie and ANZ.

The Fund is listed on all major platforms such as BT, IOOF, CFS and Netwealth.

The post Vertium Equity Income Fund added to multiple platforms appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Jason Teh

Financial advisers may need to consider allocating more to defensive equity strategies for retiree clients to defend their income, according to Vertium Asset Management, a Copia investment partner.

In its June quarter research paper, the equity income fund manager compared the past seven sharemarket corrections during global slowdowns since 1990 to the most recent correction in December 2018. For each correction the average decline in the sharemarket index was 19% and the recovery time (from low to high) was 1.4 years.

But the most recent December 2018 equity market dip has been different, recording only half of the historical decline (11%) and one third of the recovery duration (5 months). The question is then will the market continue its unusually quick recovery, or will it follow the more common scenario of protracted recovery with possibly even another downward correction.

Vertium Chief Investment Officer Jason Teh said “one effective way retirement portfolios can be better shielded from a correction is lowering the sensitivity to equity market movements. An efficient way to achieve this is to allocate more to funds with low correlation to the market, so if the market declines, that portfolio is not fully tethered to the decline in capital values.”

For example, the Vertium Equity Income Fund has one of the lowest sensitivities with the sharemarket among equity income funds in its peer group. Vertium has calculated its volatility risk measure is half that of the S&P/ASX 300 Index, with a Beta measure of 0.5. When the sharemarket dipped in the December 2018 quarter, the low sensitivity was put into practice and the Fund’s capital value was cushioned by about 50%.

John Clothier, General Manager of Distribution for Copia said “our financial adviser clients are increasingly expressing concerns about of a lack of attractive income options for retirees, as well as the likelihood of a pull-back in equity markets. We have had increased interest in the Vertium Equity Income Fund due to its very low equity market sensitivity that can help protect capital, without denting any of the income potential for investors.”

The Vertium Equity Income Fund is currently expected to deliver 6% income over the next twelve months.

Mani Papakonstantinos has over 13 years’ experience in the investment industry with roles spanning across distribution, research, and advice. Prior to joining Copia Investment Partners, Mani worked as a Distribution Manager at SG Hiscock & Company servicing the retail and institutional space. He has also held roles at Equity Trustees as a Key Account Manager and AMP as an Investment Research Manager.

Welcoming Mani’s appointment, John Clothier, General Manager of Distribution, Copia Investment Partners, said “We’re delighted to have someone of Mani’s calibre join Copia. Mani has extensive experience in the funds management industry and brings a technical and client centric approach to distribution which importantly enables us to continue building our retail footprint throughout Australia,”.

The Copia distribution team represent OC Funds Management (Australian Equities Small Cap Manager), Ralton Asset Management (Australian Equity Managed Account specialist), Vertium Asset Management (Equity Income Manager) and Chester Asset Management (High Conviction Australian Equities Manager).

Mr Clothier added: “With our suite of investment partners represented on most major platforms, it is important we have an experienced team to drive distribution through these channels and continue to expand our network.”