Schroders launches new fund range

Schroders today announced the launch of Schroder Portfolios, a range of six new risk-aligned funds that follow a multi-managed, multi-asset investment approach through a combination of asset allocation and active and passive investments.

The funds, which are available on a number of platforms, aim to provide investors with the benefits of a model portfolio with the efficiencies of a unitised fund. With access to both alpha and beta, the funds are able to invest in a range of assets including investment trusts and ETFs.

The multi-manager Schroder Portfolios draw on diversified investment skills to find the best solutions for investors and combine asset allocation from Schroders, an investment committee chaired by Alex Funk, CIO at Benchmark Capital and Manager of the funds and independent fund research from Rayner Spencer Mills Research (RSMR). The portfolios are under constant and continued review by the investment committee and are formally rebalanced and reviewed on a quarterly basis.

Alex Funk, Portfolio Manager, commented:

“The investment philosophy is built on the premise of deconstructing the total return formula into its simplest components – Alpha and Beta. By investing in these two components separately, we aim to achieve investors total return in a more efficient way. We also believe that certain markets are more efficient than others, therefore we prefer to take only market exposure in efficient markets and invest actively with higher conviction in markets that exhibit less efficiency.

“We aim to increase our passive holdings on an aggregate basis when the overall economy is moving into an expansion phase. We want to expose investors to the overall market momentum which is best captured through passive investments. Similarly, when the overall economy is set to enter a slowdown or recessionary phase, we want to increase our exposure to active managers to increase our downside protection,” he added.