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.
Despite tariff challenges and a weaker US dollar, the investment manager remains optimistic that Asian markets, both big and small, stand to benefit.
The uncertainty surrounding US trade policy is weighing down global growth prospects, KPMG warns.
The US and Europe trade deal represents a significant step forward in resolving trade conflict, but markets have largely priced in the good news already, says the asset manager.
The Australian sharemarket is back to overvalued following the sharp rally since April, but many sectors still offer attractive stocks, according to the research firm.