Pacific AM buys stake in emerging markets equities manager

Pacific Asset Management (PAM) has acquired a stake in London-based boutique investment manager North of South Capital, signalling a return to emerging markets for Pacific Investments Group co-founder John Beckwith following the sale of Thames River Capital, later Nevsky Capital, in 2010.

Pacific AM buys stake in emerging markets equities manager

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PAM hired Matthew Lamb as chief executive last year and launched a range of risk rated blended multi-asset funds investing across active, passive and smart-beta strategies, bringing institutional processes to retail clients.

The asset manager is now expanding beyond that business towards the institutional and wholesale markets by becoming a partner in North of South Capital.

Details of the transaction were not disclosed.

North of South

Founded by EM veteran investor and company chief executive Matt Linsey in 2004, North of South specialises in emerging markets equities.

The team applies equity, credit and commodities perspectives to identify value investment opportunities and have applied their proven approach to the North of South emerging markets funds.

The company is also the sub-advised manager of the GAM Star North of South fund, a long only Dublin-domiciled Ucits fund.

Optimistic EM prospects

Beckwith said: “We are delighted to partner with Matt Linsey and his team at North of South. They are highly rated investors and well-known to our team at Pacific. As investors, we are optimistic about the prospects for emerging markets equities.”

Lamb said: “While passive investment may dominate the headlines, active managers in less efficient markets continue to demonstrate their ability to outperform and none more so than Matt Linsey and the North of South team.

“We are hugely excited about our new partnership and the continued ability to bring our clients the best of the world’s craft businesses in the increasingly industrialised world of asset management.”

Linsey added: “We believe our new partnership will provide North of South with a strong platform for growth, while preserving the unique investment approach that we have developed over the past decades.”