A roundtable of leading Australian and international investors has today ratified growing interest in alternative investment instruments, saying the sophistication of providers has helped overcome historical obstacles.
Today’s ‘new breed’ investment managers – with a transparent focus on must-have liquidity and global capability – is helping to redefine alternatives as prized portfolio tools for retail investors and financial advisers.
“Australian retail investors lag international peers in respect of their asset allocation to alternatives,” said Winston Capital Partners Founding Partner and Managing Director, Andrew Fairweather.
“So we see strong upside potential to bring the best of local experience coupled with a global specialist. This enables us to bring an institutional quality offer with greater liquidity, transparency and access to investments and strategies not currently available to domestic investors,” he said.
The experts, drawn from specialist investment management group Select Investment Partners and its investment adviser Neuberger Berman addressed a special roundtable to map out the parameters for the ‘new alternatives’ approach.
“Select continued its journey to bring deep, institutional quality investment thinking and capability to retail investors earlier this year with the appointment of Neuberger Berman in an advisory role to the Select Alternatives Portfolio,” said Mr Fairweather.
“Today was a unique chance to hear first-hand perspectives from the investment professionals running the fund. It has helped to explain why Select Investment Partners believes alternative investing in Australia has reached a positive tipping point.”
Dominic McCormick, Select’s Chief Investment Officer, said:
““Alternative investment offerings to retail investors today not only have to help diversify a portfolio but they also need to be highly liquid, transparent, value for cost and global in scope. Select and Neuberger Berman are aiming to bring all these elements together in a high quality package”.”
Mr Fairweather, whose firm distributes the Select Alternatives Portfolio, said the partnership of Select with Neuberger Berman is an exciting new partnership that brings unique opportunities to Australian investors.
“The Select approach has been to partner with a global brand in Neuberger Berman, while forging a best of breed investment committee including:
• Dominic McCormick, Chief Investment Officer and a founding partner of Select
• David Bell, current member of Select’s Investment Advisory Panel and consultant to Select;
• Thomas Good, former manager in debt and alternatives at the Future Fund, now an Investment Strategist with Select.”
“Select’s core principles of investor focus, investment rigour and original thinking continue to frame its activities in the Australian market,” he said.
“Neuberger Berman delivers Select Investment Partners significantly increased investment research, market leading technology and deep resources with a far broader reach for the Select Alternatives Portfolio.” Mr Fairweather concluded.