Blockbuster funds that previously ranked as the largest in Europe have undergone a spectacular downfall over the past decade.
Former star funds managed by investment groups including Standard Life Aberdeen, BlackRock and Franklin Templeton have shrunk to a fraction of their former size after losing favour with investors as quickly as they earned it.
SLA’s well-known Gars fund, a multi-asset strategy that ranked as Europe’s largest fund as recently as 2017, when it managed a combined €38.6bn, now has just €4.5bn in assets, according to Morningstar, the data provider.
Franklin Templeton’s Global Bond fund, run by veteran fixed income investor Michael Hasenstab, has had a similarly pronounced fall. After dominating the investment industry in 2014, when it had €30.2bn in assets, the fund now stands at just €7.7bn.
BlackRock’s Global Allocation fund has shrunk from €35.8bn to €12bn in just three years, and Carmignac Patrimoine, run by veteran French investor Edouard Carmignac, stands at just €10.8bn, down from €30bn at its peak.
The trend underscores how popular funds’ sharp growth can also lead to their undoing. Investors pile in when managers perform well, but when funds grow to a large size, their returns tend to drop off, resulting in outflows.
“Large funds are vulnerable to boom and bust dynamics,” said Morningstar’s Ali Masarwah, who carried out the research. Not only do giant funds drive up the valuations of the securities they buy, which makes future outperformance more unlikely, they are also less flexible than smaller funds due to liquidity risk considerations, he added.
Just one out of eight former blockbusters analysed by Morningstar beat its benchmark in the period immediately after ranking as Europe’s biggest fund. The data excluded money market funds.
Separate research from data company Broadridge found that only a quarter of the 100 best-selling active funds in Europe continued to attract positive investor flows three years after peaking in size. “Today’s flow winner is tomorrow’s loser,” said Chris Chancellor, senior director at Broadridge.
The findings come after Pimco’s €57bn Income fund lost its place as Europe’s largest fund last month after taking a hit during the market sell-off sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.
The fixed income product run by Dan Ivascyn, the “bond prince” who replaced Bill Gross at Pimco, lost €22bn in March because of a mixture of negative market movements and investor outflows.
Pimco Income now ranks behind Swedish equity fund AP7, which took the top spot after being boosted by the rally in global stock markets during the second quarter.
The Pimco fund’s performance has improved in recent months but investors have not piled back in at the same rate as before the March rout, said Mr Masarwah. He suggested that some investors were diversifying away from the fund because of concerns over its large size.
“Big is not always beautiful,” said Mr Masarwah. “Letting funds grow too large may be in the interests of fund companies but it is not in investors’ interests.”
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.
