Schroders Investment Management has picked up a key small companies mandate from Colonial FirstChoice.
Schroders Investment Management portfolio manager David Wanis said the mandate had been awarded following several months of consultation between the two companies.
The Colonial FirstChoice mandate comes less than a year after the Schroders team launched the Schroders Australian Small Companies Fund in December last year.
Wanis pointed out that the fund had already earned ‘recommended’ and ‘highly recommended’ ratings from ratings houses Morningstar and Lonsec.
The fund invests in a broad range of smaller companies specifically seeking out undervalued companies with the potential to deliver high and sustainable returns on capital relative to their cost of capital and other companies.
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Local investors are leading the region in plans to boost private market exposure, as demand grows for innovative fund structures, resilient investments, and a more selective approach to alternatives.
Research shows institutional investors are increasingly turning to private credit, but the APAC region’s relatively small market size remains a key constraint.
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