Blueprint changes see van Eyk take new research partner

Stephen van Eyk

Researcher and investment manager van Eyk has announced several enhancements to the investment mandate of its Blueprint fund-of-fund series.

Key changes include a new research partner, Alliance Partner Research, to add to the three partnerships it has already established under its ‘endorsed’ rating.

The rating, which is applied only to sectors outside of van Eyk’s core research area, has been used to establish partnerships with Adviser Edge Investment Research, Aegis Equities Research, and Chant West Financial Services

Principal Stephen van Eyk said Alliance Partner Research would help to “strengthen the Blueprint offering by providing more value add opportunities.

“Specifically, it would expand the property investable universe to include global REITS, hybrid offerings, direct property exposure or combined, diversified products.”

Blueprint’s investment mandate has also been changed to allow investment in BB rated managers in sectors where no A or AA rated managers are available.

Previously, when a manager was downgraded to a rating below A, they would be transitioned out of Blueprint as soon as practicable.

“This change would also allow better management of portfolio turnover for downgraded managers and may minimise capital gains tax events for investors,” van Eyk said.

Finally, the mandate changes include an allowance to include a tactical weighting for ‘analyst expression’.

This will allow van Eyk a “tactical exposure of 0-10 per cent per sector for high conviction candidates that fall outside the review process,” according to van Eyk.

He said it “follows a sector-based research approach, where managers within a given sector are comparatively reviewed and rated”.

“While this approach provides a high level of rigor, it is at certain times at the cost of being able to nimbly respond to alpha opportunities borne from market or fund developments.”