JP Morgan US Equity Income manager Clare Hart has claimed the top prize in Morningstar’s Fund Manager of the Year Awards which also saw Schroders recognised for its industry achievements.
Hart (pictured), who was profiled by Portfolio Adviser last July, was unveiled as the Outstanding Fund Manager for 2020 digitally on Morningstar’s website on 14 October.
The annual awards, now in their 14th year, recognise the best of the UK fund management industry as chosen by Morningstar’s Manager Research analysts using a qualitative, forward-looking fund rating system.
Jonathan Miller, director of UK manager research for Morningstar, said the prize goes to the manager analysts have deemed “remarkable, both in terms of style and approach” and “who stood above peers with exceptional returns over the longer term”.
Hart has managed the £3.2m JPM US Equity Income fund, which is gold rated by Morningstar, since launch in December 2008. Since then it has returned 345.3% against the IA North America’s returns of 389.5%.
She also looks after the gargantuan $30.2bn US version of the strategy, which is the largest US equity fund run by a woman.
Asked by award presenter and Morningstar senior editor Holly Black what makes an “outstanding” investor Hart emphasised the importance of being brave enough to go against the grain.
“I think to be an outstanding investor, it means to really think independently,” she said. “You have to be willing to have an approach to think about things in a way in the market and pursue it, even when the market disagrees with what you’re doing.”
Schroders and Allianz Strategic Bond manager receive plaudits
Alongside Hart Schroders walked away with the award for Outstanding Investment House, while Mike Ridell’s co-manager on the Allianz Strategic Bond fund, Kacper Brzezniak, was recognised in the Rising Talent category.
Miller said Schroders stood out from the competition for “the firm’s managers and teams buying into a demonstrable culture, growing in a measured way, and adding depth to teams in areas where they’re seeing success.”
Brzezniak was recognised for making a real mark on the Allianz Strategic Bond Strategy in the short length of time he has been working alongside co-manager Mike Riddell. Joining Allianz GI in 2016, Brzezniak became co-manager of the £2.4bn Strategic Bond fund last February. In the last year the fund has trounced competitors in the IA Sterling Strategic Bond sector, returning 27.1% against the average fund up 4.6%.
