South African asset manager Nedgroup Investments has hired fixed income veteran duo David Roberts and Alex Ralph as it prepares to launch a multi-boutique investment platform.
Roberts was formerly head of fixed income at Liontrust Asset Management before retiring in August 2022. Ralph, meanwhile, was previously a senior fund manager at Artemis Investment Management before leaving in 2021.
The two new hires will run an active global bond fund as the first launch of a series of in-house managed active strategies for the $20 billion firm.
Nedgroup’s boutique advantage philosophy maintains that the best-performing investment funds are run by managers that are autonomous, focused and have a concentrated alignment of interests with the unit-holders of their fund.
Tom Caddick, managing director of Nedgroup Investments (International), said: “It is harder for boutiques to set up now because of the onerous regulatory requirements and the difficulty of raising sufficient capital.
“We want to facilitate start-up boutiques to better serve the needs of our clients and provide a wider range of investment opportunity.”
Roberts added: “I have returned to active investing because market conditions are too compelling to ignore. I have always had conviction to invest when risk and reward are in the client’s favour.
“After a couple of years when return expectations were negative, we are back in an environment where fixed income is once again a diversifier, a very attractive alternative to equities. The old normal.”
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