Australian boutique eyes London expansion with fund launch

Australian investment manager Antipodes Partners has launched a global equity fund to the UK market ahead of plans to expand its London office later this year.

Australian boutique eyes London expansion with fund launch

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The firm announced the launch of a Dublin-based Ucits version of its flagship Antipodes Global Fund on Wednesday, citing rising demand for the product from European and Asian investors.

It is a global long/short strategy made up of between 30 to 60 long holdings and is managed by the firm’s 13-strong investment team.

Antipode’s founder Jacob Mitchell said the largest allocations in the fund were currently to Asia, developing areas of Asia and western Europe.

Cornered bankers

He said the team was avoiding expensive bond proxies as long investments and warned investors had confused low volatility with low risk in recent times.

“Central bankers have somewhat cornered themselves. Increasingly, political and economic pressure to normalise interest rates or withdraw stimulus is likely to trigger volatility and widen credit spreads.

“While the low-volatility regime may endure, investors have grown too comfortable with the central bank reaction function, extending the illusion of stability,” Mitchell said.

He added: “Flexible and risk-aware investment strategies seeking idiosyncratic alpha, rather than passive beta, should outperform in an environment where volatility awakens from temporary hibernation.”

London calling

Antipodes, first launched in 2015 by Mitchell, also revealed plans to expand staff numbers in its London office currently run by senior investment analyst Chris Connolly.

The Antipodes Global Fund will be the first sub-fund to be distributed by Pinnacle Investment Management, an Australian multi-boutique platform.