Fast growing active asset manager Quaero Capital is expanding into Asia with licensed local fund distributor Peak Capital to promote Quaero’s Family Enterprise Fund1 and other high conviction investment strategies to professional investors in the region.
Quaero Capital is a specialist asset management boutique based in Geneva with offices in London and Paris. Its approach is to ‘hot house’ new and exciting investment strategies, testing them in the market place with a view to generating excess returns over the long term for its investors.
Quaero Capital managers Marc St John Webb and veteran investor Philip Best are well known in Europe thanks to the phenomenal success of Quaero’s Argonaut fund - one of European’s top performing small cap funds2. Now, the two are focusing on the Family Enterprise Fund – a European small to mid-cap fund – which takes advantage of the long-term outperformance of quoted companies that retain a strong family interest3 – a strategy which is generating investor interest in Asia.
Through Peak Capital, Quaero will also be offering their Yield Opportunities Fund, which has a 5 star Morning star rating; a global emerging markets fund run by Robert Lloyd George; and an Infrastructure fund run by another veteran British investment manager, Mark Ebert4.
Quaero CEO Jean Keller said, “We are surprised and delighted with the anecdotal feedback we’ve received following conversations we have had with investors in the region. I’ve known Simon Powell at Peak Capital for many years. With Simon, and his colleague Mike Smith at the helm, I am sure we will meet success in promoting Quaero throughout the region.”
Peak’s Mike Smith said, “Jean and Simon have asked me to take forward the Quaero business in Asia and I’m delighted to be able to do so, particularly given the interest that has been generated by the European team and their family enterprise focus. Not unnaturally, the strategy has tapped into the natural empathy that Family Offices here in Asia have towards the highly successful and sustainable businesses that families in Europe have developed over many decades.
1 Family Enterprise Fund: The objective of the Family Enterprise Fund is to maximise long term capital growth by investing in small and medium sized European companies that are listed but still partly owned by family shareholders. Through representation on the companies’ boards, these shareholders provide continual oversight and make sure the executives manage the company in the interest of shareholders. The families’ interests are aligned with ours as they tend to favour long term risk-averse strategies and the regular distribution of dividends. Within this universe, the fund selects undervalued companies with attractive prospects using a rigorous investment process and in-depth fundamental research and analysis. The legal structure is a Luxembourg Umbrella Sicav- Part 1 Ucits, and it is registered for distribution in Luxembourg, France, the UK and Switzerland.
2 Argonaut fund vs Index performance May 2003 – September 2016
3 Enhanced returns from quoted companies which retain a family interest is described by the IE Business School, Madrid, as “The Family Premium”. In a study of over 800 quoted European companies with a market capitalisation of over €50 million in 2010 - over the ten year period to 2010 – the IE Business school found that those quoted companies that retained a strong family interest clearly outperformed those who did not. Its findings were published a report from Banca March and the IE Business School: The Family Premium in listed European businesses: is it really a consequence of the family dimension of the company?”
4 More information regarding Quaero Capital’s managers and funds can be found at: http://quaerocapital.com/en/.
Note to Editors
1. About Quaero Capital
Quaero Capital is an independent, specialist fund management firm which brings together independently minded investment managers who use original research to provide highly actively managed strategies for clients in the institutional and wholesale markets. Quaero Capital was founded in 2005 in Geneva as “Argos Investment Managers S.A." It is a 100% employee-owned company with its founding partners taking an active role in its investment processes. The firm is a team of 29 individuals including 17 experienced investors who enjoy working in an investment focused environment. Quaero Capital is regulated by the FINMA, the Swiss Financial Markets Authority. It offers a range of high conviction investment strategies spread across 12 funds in two Luxembourg SICAVs (a Part I-UCITS and a Part II).
2. About Peak Capital
Peak Capital specialises in introducing and supporting professional investors in Asia by introducing them to leading specialist fund managers. Its goal is to exceed the expectations of investors in Asia, and to help specialist fund managers build a quality client base.
Peak Capital takes time and care selecting fund houses to work with. They look for those that can offer superior risk-adjusted returns with robust administration and risk management. 'Connectivity' is a key theme with the fund managers its works with. Some relationships span more than a decade, others are more recent - however all are connected by shared values that help ensure the long-term reputation of the industry.
3. Compliance Notes
This article is specifically provided for use by media representatives in the UK. The views expressed are those of the fund manager at the time of writing, and may have since changed. The article should not be construed in any way as a purchase or sales recommendation for the funds managed by each manager. The information provided is also not intended to be a substitute for any formal documentation relating to the underlying funds.
Investment in Quaero funds must be based only on the prospectus, the key investor Information document, and the annual or semi-annual report, which may be obtained free of charge from the registered office of the SICAV. Past performance of any fund mentioned does not guarantee or predict future performance.
The information provided is copyright of Quaero Capital SA - a public limited company (société anonyme) under the laws of Switzerland on 22 April 2005. Its registered office is situated at Route de Pré-Bois 20, Case Postale 1875, CH-1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland. The company is regulated as an Asset Manager of Collective Investment Schemes by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).
Enquiries to:
John Morgan Fortuna Asset Management Communications Tel: + 44 (0)7769 262272