Four star Morningstar rating for Merill Total Return Income Fund

Jesmond Mizzi Financial Advisors, the manager of Merill SICAV p.l.c., has announced that Merill Total Return Income Fund, one of the sub-funds of Merill SICAV p.l.c., achieved a four star rating from Morningstar Inc.

The sub-fund has performed strongly and ranked first quartile over several investment periods, for the years 2017, 2018 and yearto-date, as at the end of June. Morningstar Inc. is an investment research company which was founded thirty five years ago in the US, providing investment research and influential recommendations in the global asset management industry. Morningstar is considered extremely powerful and its “star” recommendations and ratings thus bring a significant level of credibility to fund managers and their fund strategies.

The Morningstar Rating is a measure of a fund’s risk-adjusted return, in essence it is purely a mathematical measure that shows how well a fund’s past returns have compensated shareholders for the amount of risk it has taken on. Such rating thus helps investors assess a fund’s track record relative to its peers.

Merill SICAV p.l.c. launched its first sub-fund in February 2016, the Merill Total Return Income Fund with an initial seed capital of €15 million. In April 2017, two new sub-funds were launched – Merill Global Equity Income Fund and Merill High Income Fund. A new sterling hedged share class of the Merill High Income Fund was the latest addition to the range of funds, launched earlier this year. A Morningstar rating is generally given to funds which have been active for at least three years, hence the accreditation for the Merill Total Return Income Fund. Interestingly to note that in just over three years the total assets under management for Merill SICAV p.l.c. exceeded a remarkable €92 million.

Jesmond Mizzi, Managing Director of Jesmond Mizzi Financial Advisors expressed his satisfaction for the positive performance of the Merill Funds and especially for the four star rating from a highly reputable firm such as Morningstar Inc. ‘We have always been avid believers of funds and the important role they play in diversification. This was precisely why we set-up our own in-house Merill Funds. Our asset management expertise on UCITS funds provides in-depth research and offers diversified solutions to maximize returns and achieve clients’ investment goals.’

To complement the steady growth of Merill SICAV p.l.c, a new advertising campaign was launched where the graphic animations which represent each sub-fund have been transformed into young promising Maltese athletes namely gymnast Sana Grillo, weightlifter Yazmin Zammit Stevens and basketball player David Bugeja. With reference to the campaign, Mr. Mizzi added, ‘The images of athletes represent our active approach in managing the funds. Just like these young talented and energetic athletes are building on their success, our dedicated team of investment professionals is committed to continue to actively manage these funds and provide successful results for the benefit of all investors.’

Merill SICAV plc is incorporated and licensed as an open-ended Collective Investment Scheme, registered in Malta, qualifying as a Maltese UCITS in terms of the UCITS Directive with effect from the 16th October 2015. The value of the investment and the income are not guaranteed and may go down as well as up. Investments should be based upon the details contained in the Prospectus and Key Investor Information Documents (KIID’s), which may be obtained in English language and free of charge from Jesmond Mizzi Financial Advisors Limited (JMFA) of 67, Level 3, South Street Valletta, VLT1105, Malta, licenced to conduct investment services business under the Investment Services Act. JMFA and Merill SICAV plc are regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority of Notabile Road, Attard, BKR3000, Malta