Quilter has launched the Quilter Investors Absolute Return Equity Fund, a sub-advised mandate that will be deployed within its WealthSelect Managed Portfolio Service.
The fund is managed by Janus Henderson and aims to deliver a positive absolute return over a 12-month period. It follows a long/short equity strategy, investing primarily in large- and mega-cap companies across the UK, with exposure to Europe and the US.
Modelled on the Janus Henderson Absolute Return Fund, the new mandate will be co-managed by Ben Wallace and Luke Newman.
The strategy combines a ‘core’ portfolio of companies with strong cashflows and fundamentals, alongside a ‘tactical’ component designed to capture short-term market inefficiencies. Quilter said the launch reinforces its multi-manager approach, which leverages sub-advised mandates and third-party funds to provide diversified exposure across asset classes, sectors, and geographies within its multi-asset investment solutions.
Quilter also separately confirmed the appointment of Jupiter to manage the Quilter Investors UK Equity Growth Fund, led by Chris Smith, who also manages Jupiter’s own UK Growth Fund.
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Stuart Clark, portfolio manager of Quilter’s WealthSelect, commented: “We have been looking for a fund that can nicely complement our existing alternative and absolute return exposure, and we have great confidence in the team at Janus Henderson. Many all-weather strategies have aimed to achieve an absolute return but have fallen short, yet this strategy is somewhat of an outlier in terms of having been able to meet its objectives over a circa 20-year time period. The team is incredibly experienced, and our analysis shows that the style of the fund is genuinely different from most other long/short managers. We are excited to add this position to the portfolios to help us navigate clients through what is an uncertain market.
We are also really pleased to be bringing the team at Jupiter on board to run our UK Equity Growth Fund. Chris Smith and the team there have a strong and consistent growth-centric investment process and have a proven history of identifying high-quality growing companies in the UK, but crucially at attractive valuations.”
Pat Sanderson, head of UK client group at Janus Henderson, added: “We’re thrilled to build on our valued partnership with Quilter through the launch of the Quilter Investors Absolute Return Equity Fund. With a multi-decade track record of delivering consistent positive absolute returns, Ben and Luke bring a proven strategy that complements Quilter’s multi-asset solutions and aligns with their focus on supporting clients through all market conditions.”
