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Printed: 20 September 2026 11:05 PM

10 Sep 2015 - Optimal Australia Absolute Trust

By: Australian Fund Monitors
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Report Date08 September 2015
ManagerOptimal Fund Management Australia
Fund NameOptimal Australia Absolute Trust
StrategyEquity Long/Short
Latest Return DateAugust 2015
Latest Return1.50%
Latest 6 Months5.79%
Latest 12 Months1.51%
Latest 24 Months7.90%
Annualised Since Inception8.88%
Inception Date15 September 2008
FUM (millions)AU$100
Fund OverviewThe investment objective of the Fund is to seek to achieve above average returns in absolute terms, through investing in listed securities in Australia and New Zealand, subject to the overarching requirement of capital preservation. Investments will predominantly be in equity securities but may include fixed interest instruments, money market instruments, derivatives and foreign exchange contracts.

The Fund's bias is likely to be net long under normal market conditions, with the core strategy being to construct a portfolio of listed equity securities priced at levels that do not adequately reflect their underlying value. The Fund will seek to boost returns and limit potential market downside by selective short selling of individual stocks which are priced at levels that are viewed as materially above their underlying value. The Fund will also use certain trading strategies both within its core portfolio (through rebalancing stock weights and overall market exposure in response to price movements) and in certain other situations (typically of a shorter-duration and/or opportunistic nature) with the objective of further increasing returns.
Manager CommentsOptimal Australia Absolute Trust rose 1.5% in August, against a terrible equity market backdrop, with the ASX 200 Accumulation Index down 7.79%. The Fund's annualised return since inception was 8.88% p.a. (Index 4.81% p.a.), which has been achieved with notably low volatility of 3.68% p.a. (Index 14.67% p.a).

The Fund's long positions strongly outperformed the market, with negative attribution of -2.5%. Key performers included the Fund's more defensive holdings: Fairfax, Ansell, Asaleo, and Contact Energy. The short positions yielded outsized gains in such a weak market, with positive attribution of 4.2%. Key winners included financials, energy, and their index futures portfolio hedge.

Click below to read the latest Fund Manager's commentary on the Fund and market outlook.
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