BT set to top inflow tables
BT Funds Management believes it will be close to the top of the inflow tables when Assirt re-leases its market share report for the June quarter next month.
BT Funds Management believes it will be close to the top of the inflow tables when Assirt re-leases its market share report for the June quarter next month.
BTFM says it has recorded inflows of $1.6 billion since the start of the year which it says is a record for the group. Assirt figures for the first three months of the year put BTFM’s inflows at just over $400 million which means the group has brought in more than $1 billion since the be-ginning of April.
BTFM managing director Ian Martin says the figures are a reflection of the strong recovery of the group since the takeover by Principal about a year ago.
Martin also used the occasion of the first anniversary of the BT/ Principal relationship to fire a broadside at competitors who had been running down BTFM in recent months over its decision to maintain its international investment team in Australia.
“Far from being a disadvantage as described by some of our competitors, managing international funds from Australia is a competitive advantage for BT,” he said.
A number of commentators have remarked on the growth of the outsourcing of international funds management to US and European based fund managers in the past few months. Rothschild recently signed an agreement with Putnam, Perpetual have been using Fidelity for a number of years and Macquarie has been ramping up its relationship with Lazard.
Chief investment officer Andre Maroney also weighed into the debate. He likened BT’s position in the Australian market to that of Sony in Japan in the 1950s when the group set out to destroy the notion that electronic equipment made in Japan was of inferior quality.
“We think we can prove that Australians can be at least the equal of European and US manag-ers,” he says.
On top of the success in the retail market in the past six months, Martin says its international business has also started to regain momentum. One dollar in every six managed by BT is now sourced from outside of Australia.
Recommended for you
ASIC has released the results of its first adviser exam to be held in 2025, with 241 candidates attempting the test.
Quarterly Wealth Data analysis has uncovered positive improvements in financial adviser numbers compared with losses in the prior corresponding period.
Holding portfolios that are too complex or personalised can be a detractor for acquirers of financial advice firms as they require too much effort to maintain post-acquisition.
As the financial advice profession continues to wait on further DBFO legislation, industry commentators have encouraged advisers to act now in driving practice efficiency.