A new cloud-based share investment “information platform” launched in New Zealand last week, hoping to engage a wide local audience before taking on the world. According to founder and managing director, Daniel Kieser, Shareclarity, an online crowd-enhanced investment chat-room, is a “first-of-a-kind” forum bringing together up-to-date economic data, official company information, equity valuation metrics, and… [Read More…]
Banking legend to chair NZAM board
Boutique absolute return multi-management firm NZAM has named local business stalwart, Sir John Anderson, as chairman, replacing Andrew Clements in the role. Anderson headed the National Bank from 1989 until 2003, and its successor organisation, ANZ National, from 2003 to 2005. He is also current chairman of Steel & Tube Holdings and NPT, Turners &… [Read More…]
Wilson gets away $302m in celebrity investor float
With the kick-start of a lazy $3 million from Geoff Wilson’s family foundation, the Future Generations global listed investment company, which debuted on the ASX last Thursday, attracted a glittering array of celebrity investors. Interestingly, it also attracted some mental health and other charities as shareholders. The LIC sponsored by Geoff Wilson’s Wilson Asset Management,… [Read More…]
Harbour Views: Down by the elevator, up by the stairs
Over the previous six months global equity markets have dropped rapidly from a great height, and, according to Harbour Asset Management portfolio manager and director, Shane Solly, investors could face a long climb back to the top… Markets are in a corrective phase led by sentiment. There is a saying in investment markets, ‘markets go… [Read More…]
Pie Funds working on recipe for home-baked KiwiSaver
Australasian small-cap specialist, Pie Funds, plans to launch its own KiwiSaver scheme next year, according to the boutique manager’s head of client services, Sam de Court. De Court said Pie clients had been pushing the group to roll out a KiwiSaver scheme for some time, “but we told them we’ll look at it when we’re… [Read More…]
Super Fund rekindles passion for in-house passive NZ shares
The New Zealand Superannuation Fund (NZS) has sparked up its dormant internal local equities passive mandate under a revised investment policy published at the end of August. In 2013 NZS switched to running its-then approximately $300 million in-house local shares portfolio from passive to active management. NZS originally took the passive local equities internally in… [Read More…]
Milford in the money as profits hit new high
Milford Funds saw annual profits spike by over 40 per cent in the 12 months to March 31 this year, according to its latest accounts. The Milford accounts, filed last week, report an after-tax profit of more than $15 million in the 2014/15 year compared to $10.5 million in the previous annual period. Over the… [Read More…]
RFPs shoot up as super funds search for FMC relief
As the transition deadline for Financial Markets Conduct Act (FMC) compliance looms closer, employer-based super funds are increasingly looking for outsourced solutions, according to Therese Singleton, AMP NZ head of investments and insurance. Singleton said the number of super fund requests for proposal (RFPs) has ratcheted up since this June as trustees prepare for FMC implementation… [Read More…]
NZX gives last rites to Smartkiwi, readies members for new life in another scheme
Almost nine months after it purchased superannuation and KiwiSaver provider, SuperLife, the NZX is preparing to wind up its incumbent scheme, Smartkiwi. According to the Smartkiwi accounts for the 12 months to end of March this year, the “financial statements have not been prepared on an ongoing basis” with a wind-up likely in the current… [Read More…]
UK researcher says indexing risks to challenge investors
Index investing can be just as risky as active management, head of UK-based firm Create Research, Amin Rajan, told Australasian investors last week. Rajan, who publishes a highly-regarded annual global investor survey in association with Principal Global Investors, said passive investing might be cheap “but it’s not always cheerful”. “If you’re a serious long-term investor… [Read More…]