Investment Administration Conference - Efficiency in a Regulated World

February 12, 2014 | Doltone House Hyde Park, Sydney, NSW

The Investment Administration Conference is Australia's largest annual event for custody, funds management administration, and technology. Now in its seventeenth year, the conference will explore efficiency in a regulated world. This event is presented in association with The Australian Custodial Services Association (ACSA).

There will be updates on:

• The future of custody;
• Data efficiency, management and security;
• Case studies of successful mergers;
• Software and other industry vendors;
• A review of the Stronger Super reforms, including first reporting on MySuper;
• A discussion on tax and audit matters;
• Case studies on innovation and efficiency from industry thought leaders;
• A look at what the first major review of Australia's financial system will mean for the custody and investment administration sectors;
• and many opportunities to network with your peers.

Attendee profile:

• Super Funds - Chief investment officers, Chief executive officers, legal and compliance, middle and back office;
• Fund Managers - operational management and staff;
• Custodians - management, operations and sales;
• Software and other industry vendors.

Pricing from 1 January, 2014:

General admission         $845 + GST

View the Agenda here.

For further information and details on how to register, please click here.

ATTACHED FILES20140212 IAC Agenda (pdf format)

• The Aurora Fortitude Absolute Return Fund  (AFARF) has a 8 year track record investing in ASX listed equities. A Market Neutral overlay is used across a multi strategy approach which allows for flexible asset allocation to maximise returns and minimise risk under a variety of market conditions and cycles.CIO John Corr has over 20 years financial market experience with a strong focus on risk.
• Significant use of low risk "long" derivatives and option overlays has provided positive returns with low volatility during periods of market dislocation. Annualised return since inception is 8.16% with a very low standardised standard deviation of 2.75%. Over 87% of monthly performances have been positive, with no losing months in 2008 and a largest drawdown of -2.09%.
• ASX listed Aurora Funds Limited was established on the merger of three existing fund management businesses, managing approx. $480m on behalf  of more than 2,500 retail and wholesale investors.

Australian Fund Monitors

ATTACHED FILESAurora Fortitude Absolute Return Fund AFM Fund Review December 2013 (pdf format)

OPTIMAL AUSTRALIA ABSOLUTE TRUST

Attached is our most recently updated Fund Review on the Optimal Australia Absolute Trust.  

We would like to highlight the following:

• Optimal Australia is a specialist Australian equity investment manager and the Fund has a long/short equity strategy typically with a low but variable net market exposure comprising 40 to 65 stocks broadly selected from within the ASX2
• The Fund has recorded out-performance of the market since inception in September 2008 with approximately 84% of monthly performances having positive returns and the largest drawdown -1.38% 
• The investment team comprising George Colman, Peter Whiting and Stephen Nicholls have close to 90 years combined experience in equity markets.

For further details on the Fund, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sean Webster

Research and Database Manager
Australian Fund Monitors

ATTACHED FILESFund Review: Optimal Australia Absolute Trust (pdf format)

AIMA Australia Hedge Fund Regulatory Update

Presented by: AIMA Australia

Friday, 21 February 2014 from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM, Sydney, NSW

Speaker and Topic

Nikki Bentley, Partner, Henry Davis York, will be providing a free hedge fund regulatory update, including updates on the following items, with additional topics as requested if time allows:

• Update on the Investment Manager Regime and what it will mean for Australian managers wanting to raise offshore capital
• Overview of the new financial requirements in ASIC Regulatory Guide 166 including what it means for managers and custodians including incidental custody providers and responsible entities holding assets of the fund
• Overview of the new compliance requirements in ASIC Regulatory Guide RG133 when engaging custodians (including prime brokers) and associated changes to custody agreements and manager monitoring
• ASIC's current focus including a RG240 surveillance

RSVP

If you would like to attend this education event, please click here to register. If you have any specific regulatory issues you would like Nikki to cover if time allows, please include them in the box provided on the registration form.

A new report released by Moody's Investor Services suggests that an increased shift towards higher allocations to Alternative Investments, including absolute return driven strategies, is a result of investors'search for higher returns.

Moody's report indicates that the increased allocations to alternatives are likely to continue and that skilled asset managers will benefit accordingly as FUM increases. As such some traditional fund managers have been acquiring alternative asset-management expertise, noting that building such expertise organically takes a long time.

Moody's notes that the higher investment management fees, coupled with the ability to charge performance fees, is a significant attraction to fund managers adding alternative products to their existing offerings.

The Moody's report is based on their global research but is likely to be reflected in Australia as investors become increasingly aware of the quality of Australia's pool of fund managers, and are attracted by the risk adjusted returns available from thier absolute return funds. At the same time offshore asset managers continue to target the ever increasing superannuation asset pool.

For more information see Moody's media release.

BLACKROCK AUSTRALIAN EQUITY MARKET NEUTRAL FUND

ATTACHED FILESBlackRock Australian Equity Market Neutral Fund (pdf format)

MORPHIC GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND

ATTACHED FILESMorphic Global Opportunities Fund AFM Review - Dec 2013 (pdf format)