NGS Super has become the first super fund to invest in a low-carbon portfolio designed by global asset manager AllianceBernstein. The AB Managed Volatility Equities – Green strategy, launched in December 2018, is a unit class of the AB Managed Volatility Equities Fund. The strategy is based on the view that a well-constructed portfolio of low-volatility shares may not only limit losses in a portfolio but may also outperform the market over the long term.

A DWS fund manager spent a week in Australia fielding the same big question from local investors: where to put their cash. At a media lunch in Sydney on 20 September, DWS chief investment officer for APAC and head of emerging markets, Sean Taylor, said there are still plenty of safer options other than equities for Aussie investors to get a return on their money.  “One of the big question’s clients have been asking during my week in Australia is what to do with cash, or ‘how do we enhance cash?’” Mr Taylor said.

“A lot of people have been too cautious and they’ve lost out a lot this year. You don’t have to go to risky equities to get a return. You can go to infrastructure or real assets, which may not be as sexy as internet stocks, but they are a lot safer.”

The rest of this article can be found at investordaily.com.au.

Aberdeen Standard Investments is set to launch a new emerging market local currency debt fund to give Australian investors exposure to a meaningful risk premium. Aberdeen Standard has been investing in emerging market debt for over 20 years and the new fund will offer investors a new source of investment income in the low-return environment. ASI’s head of global emerging market debt Brett Diment said emerging market debt (EMD) provided higher yields than Australian and global developed market bonds while its currencies were the cheapest, they’d been since 2008.

Vinva Investment Management and Schroders and Cooper Investments have signed onto diversity campaign Future IM/Pact, in an effort to attract more women into working in investment management. Launched a year ago, Future IM/Pact aims to attract more talent into the investment teams of super funds and fund managers, with an initial focus on appealing to women in university. The project was established following research in 2016 showing women comprised 24 per cent of Australian investment professionals.

The wealth platform provider has posted a 108 per cent increase in total funds under administration to $16.1 billion over the year to 30 June. Praemium’s Australian platform experienced a 24 per cent increase in FUA to $6.9 billion from net inflows of $1 billion. Australian revenue increased 14 per cent over financial year 2019 to $31.4 million. Australian EBITDA increased 21 per cent to $15.2 million, compared to $12.4 million for FY18. EBITDA margins were 48 per cent of revenue, up from the prior year’s 45 per cent.