HFA secures Vision Super mandate

Australian hedge fund pioneer HFA Asset Management has succeeded in moving further into the institutional arena, picking up a $60 million mandate from Vision Super as part of the fund’s international shares portfolio.

The Vision Super mandate comes just months after HFA Asset Management founder and principal told Super Review the company was looking to lift its profile with institutional clients.

The new mandate lifts HFA Asset Management’s assets under management to over $1.25 billion.

Commenting on the mandate, HFA Asset Management senior investment manager said HFA would be working with Vision Super and its asset consultants in developing an absolute return exposure to international equities.

According to Coates, the HFA International Shares Fund is an equity long/short fund of funds, which invests in a portfolio of managers/funds who are based in their geographic region of specialisation.

He said many of the underlying managers also specialised in market sectors or styles.

While HFA has grown a strong base in the retail sphere, it has found it harder to gain a significant footing in the institutional. It was awarded its first institutional mandate in 2003 and has sought to beef up its capabilities through the formation of HFA Research as a specialist division.