Author: Tjibbe Hoekstra

  • Fund costs give you the best clue for outperformance – Morningstar

    Fund costs give you the best clue for outperformance – Morningstar

    The cheaper a fund is, the better the chance it outperforms its peer group, a study by Morningstar has shown.

  • Blackrock reinforces dominance in European fund industry

    Blackrock reinforces dominance in European fund industry

    Blackrock now manages more European investor money than the next two largest asset managers combined after the US-based asset manager saw strong inflows during the first quarter of 2016, according to data provided by Lipper.

  • PA ANALYSIS: Has the tide finally turned for inflation-linked bonds?

    PA ANALYSIS: Has the tide finally turned for inflation-linked bonds?

    With the eurozone currently experiencing deflation, inflation-linked bonds are probably not the first thing on the minds of investors.

  • Asset managers expect US equity collapse

    Asset managers expect US equity collapse

    The majority of fund management companies polled this month for Expert Investor’s Fund Manager Sentiment Survey expect US equities to generate negative returns in excess of -5% in dollar terms.

  • PA ANALYSIS: Is now really the time to return to EM?

    PA ANALYSIS: Is now really the time to return to EM?

    It has been the question probably most frequently asked by investors over the past few years: should I increase my allocation to emerging markets now? Often the answer has been negative as short-lived rallies have failed to sustain themselves. Will this time be any different?

  • Risky assets back in favour amid macro pessimism

    Risky assets back in favour amid macro pessimism

    An interesting paradox is becoming visible in Expert Investor’s investment sentiment data: while fund buyers’ appetite for risky assets is on the up, their macroeconomic outlook is going the other way.

  • Fund buyers warm up to high yield bonds again

    Fund buyers warm up to high yield bonds again

    European investors reduced their high yield bonds holdings by a net €12bn last winter. But the arrival of spring is heralding a change in sentiment.

  • Investor exodus from defensive multi-asset funds

    Investor exodus from defensive multi-asset funds

    Multi-asset funds lost money for the second consecutive month in February, for the first time since March 2009. Funds that invest mainly in bonds have been bleeding most of late, while medium-risk funds actually saw net inflows.

  • Brexit worries widening gap between UK and European equities

    Brexit worries widening gap between UK and European equities

    Global asset managers have favoured European equities over their UK counterparts since autumn 2014, according to Expert Investor fund manager sentiment data. The advent of the Brexit referendum only seems to widen the gap.

  • European small caps: escape the closing jaws of death

    European small caps: escape the closing jaws of death

    Ken Nicholson, head of European equities at Mirabaud Asset Management, recalls how he was approached by Mirabaud last year to set up a European small cap equity fund whilst snorkelling off the Australian coast. In this interview, he explains why he eventually joined Mirabaud, and how he is preparing to escape the closing jaws of…

  • Strategic bond funds – is their golden age over?

    Strategic bond funds – is their golden age over?

    Flexible bond funds were many an investor’s favourite answer to the challenging yield environment. By being able to switch between different bond categories, a fund manager would be better equipped to hunt for the scarce yield available, was the idea. But it has lost its shine, and investors have started to abandon unconstrained bond funds.

  • China and Brexit – the two triggers for a market correction

    China and Brexit – the two triggers for a market correction

    The majority of fund buyers in the Basque country and in much of the rest of Europe expect another market correction this year. Fund managers at Expert Investor Spain, held in Bilbao last week, identified China and Brexit as the main possible triggers for this.