Ninety One retained the trophy for South African asset manager of the year at the Raging Bull Awards last week. It won the most prestigious of the 10 Raging Bull awards for the overall risk-adjusted performance of its qualifying unit trust funds to the end of 2021.
Ninety One received the certificate for second-best manager in 2020 when it was known as Investec Asset Management. It demerged from Investec and rebranded as Ninety One later that year. It won the domestic manager of the year award last year.
The Raging Bull Awards ceremony is hosted annually by Personal Finance in partnership with data providers ProfileData and PlexCrown Fund Ratings. The awards have been presented since 1997.
There are Raging Bull awards for the best domestic manager and the best offshore manager.
There are four awards for outright performance by funds in certain Asisa unit trust categories over three years and four awards for risk-adjusted performance over five years.
Certificates are also awarded to funds for the best straight and risk-adjusted performance in the Asisa categories.
MI-Plan was once again the second-best manager this year. MI-Plan was the surprise winner of the domestic management company Raging Bull award in 2020.
The MI-Plan IP Global Macro Fund won the certificate for best risk-adjusted performance over five years by a South African-domiciled global multi-asset flexible fund.
Coronation Fund Managers, which has frequently featured among the top three domestic managers, was named the third-best manager of the year. Coronation has won the South African management company award for a record six times.
For the second year, Coronation’s Smaller Companies Fund won the certificate for the best outright performance over three years by a South African equity mid- and small-cap fund.
Melville Douglas, the offshore investment arm of the Standard Bank group, won the Raging Bull for offshore manager of the year.
Award-winning funds
Counterpoint Asset Management’s Value Fund won two Raging Bull awards: it was the best South African equity general fund over three years based on outright performance and over five years on a risk-adjusted basis.
The Absa Bond Fund once again won the Raging Bull Award for best South African interest-bearing fund (straight performance) over three years. As was the case last year, Absa’s Bond Fund also won the certificates for best South African interest-bearing variable-term fund on straight and risk-adjusted performance.
Absa’s Smart Alpha Defensive Fund won the straight performance certificate for best South African multi-asset low-equity fund.
The two other funds to win Raging Bull awards for straight performance over three years to end of December last year were:
- Sygnia FAANG Plus Equity Fund: best South African-domiciled global equity general fund.
- Baillie Gifford Worldwide Long Term Global Growth Fund: best FSCA-approved offshore global equity fund.
Three Raging Bull awards for risk-adjusted performance over five years to the end of 2021 also went to:
- Gryphon Prudential Fund: best South African multi-asset equity fund. As was the case last year, the fund also won the certificate for best South African multi-asset high-equity fund on a risk-adjusted basis.
- Bateleur Flexible Prescient Fund: best South African multi-asset flexible fund.
- Sarasin IE Multi Asset Strategic Fund: best FSCA-approved offshore global asset allocation fund.
Notable winners of certificates
Funds that won certificates for straight performance over three years and best risk-adjusted performance over five years were:
- The Southern Charter BCI Balanced Fund of Funds: best South African multi-asset medium-equity fund.
- The Harvard House BCI Property Fund: best South African real estate fund. The fund won the certificate for risk-adjusted performance last year.
Stanlib won two certificates. Its European Equity Fund was best FSCA-approved offshore European equity general fund over three years, while its Global Balanced Feeder Fund was the best South African-domiciled global multi-asset high-equity fund on a risk-adjusted basis.
Reitway walked off with the certificates for performance by global real estate funds. The Enhanced Global Property Fund was the best FSCA-approved offshore global real estate general fund over three years. The BCI Global Property Feeder Fund once again won the certificate for risk-adjusted performance by a South African-domiciled global real estate fund.
Certificates for straight performance
Other winners of certificates for straight performance over three years were:
- Best South African equity resources fund: Sanlam Investment Management Resources Fund.
- Best South African multi-asset flexible fund: Centaur BCI Flexible Fund.
- Best South African multi-asset high-equity fund: Emperor IP Balanced Fund.
- Best South African multi-asset income fund: Saffron SCI Active Bond Fund.
- Best South African interest-bearing short-term fund: Truffle SCI Income Plus Fund, which won the certificate last year.
- Best (South African-domiciled) global multi-asset flexible fund: Global IP Opportunity Fund.
- Best (South African-domiciled) worldwide multi-asset flexible fund: Naviga BCI Worldwide Flexible Fund, for the second year running.
- Best (FSCA-approved) offshore United States equity general fund: Franklin US Opportunities Fund, which won in 2021.
- Best (FSCA-approved) offshore Far East equity general fund: Schroder International Selection Fund All China.
- Best (FSCA-approved) offshore global fixed-interest bond fund: Allan Gray Africa Bond Fund.
Risk-adjusted performance
Certificates for risk-adjusted performance over five years also went to:
- Best South African multi-asset low-equity fund: Amplify SCI Wealth Protector Fund, which last year won the certificate for best low-equity fund on straight performance.
- Best South African multi-asset income fund: Sasfin BCI Flexible Income Fund. Up until last year, this fund had won the certificate for best straight performance by a South Africa multi-asset income fund for three consecutive years.
- Best South African interest-bearing short-term fund: PSG Income Fund.
- Best (South African-domiciled) global equity general fund: BlueAlpha BCI Global Equity Fund.
- Best (South African-domiciled) global multi-asset low-equity fund: M&G Global Inflation Plus Feeder Fund.
- Best (South African-domiciled) worldwide multi-asset flexible fund: Select BCI Worldwide Flexible Fund, which won this certificate last year.
