Platform Availability
AMP North, APEX NZ, BT Asgard, BT Panorama, CFS Edge, Dash, Hub24, IOOF Expand, Centric, Hub24, Macquarie Wrap - IDPS & Super, Mason Stevens - IDPS & Super, Netwealth - IDPS & Super, Praemium - IDPS, Super, SMA & Powerwrap
Description
The Pengana Australian Equities Fund aims to enhance and preserve investor wealth over a 5- year period via a concentrated core portfolio of principally Australian listed securities. The Fund uses fundamental research to evaluate investments capable of generating the target return over the medium term. Essentially, we are in the business of seeking to preserve capital and make money – we are not in the business of trying to beat the market. We remain focused on acquiring and holding investments that offer predictable, sustainable and well-stewarded after-tax cash earnings yields in excess of 6% that will grow to double digit levels as a percentage of our original entry price in five years. We believe that building a well-diversified portfolio of these “gifts that keep on giving” represents a meaningful way to create and preserve financial independence for our co-investors.
COMMENTARY
The Fund had a reasonably active month. Several of our larger holdings experienced positive news flow, allowing us to trim our exposure as the momentum driven market drove their prices substantially higher. These included ResMed, Medibank, Telstra and Aristocrat. Conversely, price weakness in Bluescope Steel and Westpac allowed us to add to our existing holdings.
We had a long tail of positively returning holdings over the month. Our best performers included CSL, ResMed, Credit Corp and BHP. It is also worth noting that ResMed and Credit Corp have reported their results at the start of the current earnings season. Both were strong results with sharp positive movements in their share prices.
The only negative performer of any significance was Evolution Mining, which was probably to be expected after generating the Fund’s largest contribution during the prior 12 months. Operationally, the business is in excellent shape, and we expect it to continue to act as an important cash flow generator and hedge against inflation for the portfolio.
Earnings season has begun in earnest, with early indications highlighting that quality management teams are able to manage costs while funding selective investment in growth opportunities. In addition, we have experienced a moderately higher level of CEOs with good track records handing over the baton to their successors – CarSales, RealEstate.com and JB Hi-fi being recent examples.