It’s time for super funds looking for new ways to value-add with their multi-manager active equity programs to get serious about using a centralised portfolio management (CPM) approach, according to a global implementation specialist.
A CPM would ideally separate the idea-generation function of each active equity manager in a fund’s system from the implementation function, as well as separating the latter.
The approach could also see funds get a whole-of-equities risk dashboard, centralise proxy voting, and minimise tax leakage on Australian and global equity portfolios, the chief executive of the specialist’s, Parametric, Australian arm, Chris Briant, said.
He also said that current market conditions invited a CPM approach, with “market volatility, over-priced equities, scarce alpha and frugal fee budgets creating a perfect storm for super funds with multi-manager active equity programs”.
“In this investment environment, the logical response is to reconsider how the multi-manager equity ‘jigsaw’ fits together and can be implemented using CPM,” Briant added.
Super funds had a “tremendous month” in November, according to new data.
Australia faces a decade of deficits, with the sum of deficits over the next four years expected to overshoot forecasts by $21.8 billion.
APRA has raised an alarm about gaps in how superannuation trustees are managing the risks associated with unlisted assets, after releasing the findings of its latest review.
Compared to how funds were allocated to March this year, industry super funds have slightly decreased their allocation to infrastructure in the six months to September – dropping from 11 per cent to 10.6 per cent, according to the latest APRA data.