Winner: NZ investors need great opportunities
Harbour Asset Management took the title of Fund Manager of the year — Equities.
In accepting the prize, managing director Andrew Bascand made an impassioned plea to the industry to work together to grow the local market.
“There is a need for NZ to continue to improve the transparency of our capital markets: continuous disclosure, financial reporting, governance and most importantly to have a dialogue about whether capital markets can add more value to our large mutually and publicly owned entities,” he said.
“In a sentence, New Zealand investors (KiwiSaver, superannuation and Mums and Dads) need great investment opportunities.”
Bascand said the Harbour team had been following a growth oriented investment process for nearly two decades — “the judges considered the longevity of our processes and that we have stuck closely to our philosophy of growth investing”.
He also highlighted the strength of Harbour’s research capability.
The best outcomes combined qualitative and quantitative research, he said.
“That is, fundamental research is more compelling when we combine it with consistent mathematical screening of investment ideas. “We strive to be transparent and open with our communication of investment processes and we back this with our thorough independent research,” he said. “Extensive research enables us to pick and choose particular investments we believe will do well. We publish some of our research to provide clients more insights.”
The judges said there was a strong field, making it a difficult decision.