Milford Asset Management now has two 2023 vintage fund manager of the year awards for the trophy cabinet after claiming the Research IP top prize last week.
The $16 billion plus Auckland boutique was also named the Morningstar NZ best-in-show manager this March.
Edging out QuayStreet, Schroders and Smartshares for the Research IP overall manager-of-the-year, the perennial Kiwi favourite also took out the Australasian equities category for its Dynamic fund.
“Milford has consistently been shortlisted, a finalist, and a winner in several sector category awards,” since the awards were established in 2016 (initially under the-then NZX-owned FundSource brand).
Among almost 20 other category and popular choice prizes (as voted by advisers and investors, respectively), the-now NZX-owned QuayStreet emerged as KiwiSaver manager-of-the-year while Pathfinder finished atop the responsible pack.
Devon and Clarity Funds – both part of the Investment Services Group – along with Kernel and Pathfinder picked up adviser choice awards as Generate won the sole investor-selected gong.
Meanwhile, Salt and the Australian fixed income specialist, Daintree Capital, shared the title as best boutique, 2023.
Darren Howlin, Research IP founder, said in the release: “It is not unusual for the boutique category to end up with more than one winner, as fund managers look to grow their market share.”
Research IP selects finalists and winners based on 12-month performance results and several other qualitative factors to screen out ‘one-hit-wonders’, the release says.
Presented in Auckland last week, the full list of category-winners and contestants are as below:
Global Fixed Interest Fund of the Year
- Bentham Syndicated Loan Fund NZD
- Colchester Emerging Markets Bond Fund – WINNER
- Dimensional Five-Year Diversified FI NZD
- Milford Global Corporate Bond Fund
Australasian Fixed Interest Fund of the Year
- Daintree Core Income Trust (NZD) – WINNER
- Daintree High Income Trust (NZD)
- Milford Cash Fund
- Nikko AM NZ Cash Fund
Global Property & Infrastructure Fund of the Year
- Maple-Brown Abbott Global Listed Infrastructure – WINNER
Australasian Property Fund of the Year
- Alceon Australian Property – WINNER
Alternatives Fund of the Year
- Janus Henderson Global Natural Resources Fund
- Partners Group Global Value Fund
- Salt Long Short Fund – WINNER
- Schroder Specialist Private Equity Fund
Global Equities Fund of the Year
- Clarity Global Shares Fund
- Fairlight Global Small & Mid Cap Fund
- Schroder Global Recovery Fund – WINNER
- SuperLife Europe Fund
Australian Equities Fund of the Year
- Airlie Australian Share Fund
- Allan Gray Australia Equity Fund
- Octagon Australian Equities Fund – WINNER
- QuayStreet Australian Equity Fund
Australasian Equities Fund of the Year
- Devon Alpha Fund
- Milford Dynamic Fund – WINNER
- Milford Trans-Tasman Equity Fund
- Pie Australasian Dividend Growth Fund
New Zealand Equities Fund of the Year
- Clarity New Zealand Equity Fund
- Kernel NZ 50 ESG Tilted Fund – WINNER
- Nikko AM Core Equity Fund
- Salt NZ Dividend Appreciation Fund
Diversified Fund of the Year
- Generate Focused Growth Managed Fund – WINNER
- InvestNow Foundation Series Growth Fund
- Milford Active Growth Fund
- QuayStreet Growth Fund
Adviser Choice – Equities
- Devon Funds Management – WINNER
Adviser Choice – Fixed Income
- Clarity Funds Management – WINNER
Adviser Choice – Property and Infrastructure
- Kernel Wealth – WINNER
Adviser Choice – KiwiSaver
- Pathfinder Asset Management – WINNER
Investor Choice
- Generate Investment Management – WINNER
Innovation of the Year
- Booster Innovation Fund
- Devon Global Impact Bond Fund
- Kernel Wealth – WINNER
- Kōura Wealth Carbon Neutral Crypto Fund
- Mindful Money
- Pathfinder Green Bond Fund
Responsible Investment Manager of the Year
- Generate Investment Management
- Pathfinder Asset Management – WINNER
- Tahito
Boutique Fund Manager of the Year
- Daintree Capital – WINNER
- Clarity Funds Management
- Kernel Wealth
- Octagon Asset Management
- Salt Funds Management – WINNER
KiwiSaver Fund Manager of the Year
- BNZ Investment Services
- Fisher Funds Management
- Milford Asset Management
- QuayStreet Asset Management – WINNER