Macquarie Funds Group has further developed its fundamental equities research capabilities with the appointment of two analysts.
Former Bernstein analyst Wim Steemers has joined as senior financial analyst, while Liam Donohue has been appointed research analyst.
Macquarie’s Australian equities fundamental research team supports the group’s core active, high conviction, small companies and microcap funds. In these funds Macquarie is expanding on it traditional quantitative investment style by including bottom-up fundamental research. Macquarie hopes the funds offered in this space will be a significant area of new business for the group.
Steemers spent eight years as a senior research analyst in Bernstein’s value equities team in London and New York. There he was responsible for bank and insurance companies in Australia and Asia (ex-Japan).
Steemers will remain in Macquarie’s London offices before relocating to Sydney early next year.
Donohue joined the team after spending the last four years in Macquarie’s investment risks division.
Macquarie’s Australian fundamental equities team now has nine members, while the broader Australian equities team has more than 35, a statement from the group said.
Large superannuation accounts may need to find funds outside their accounts or take the extreme step of selling non-liquid assets under the proposed $3 million super tax legislation, according to new analysis from ANU.
Economists have been left scrambling to recalibrate after the Reserve Bank wrong-footed markets on Tuesday, holding the cash rate steady despite widespread expectations of a cut.
A new Roy Morgan report has found retail super funds had the largest increase in customer satisfaction in the last year, but its record-high rating still lags other super categories.
In a sharp rebuke to market expectations, the Reserve Bank held the cash rate steady at 3.85 per cent on Tuesday, defying near-unanimous forecasts of a cut and signalling a more cautious approach to further easing.