Advisers focusing on growth again
Financial advisers have renewed focus on growth strategies following market volatility in February, with research on property, infrastructure and multi-asset strategies in particular increasing, according to Lonsec Connect.
The research platform, which combines market data with financial adviser engagement analytics, found that the renewed focus on growth followed a “dash for cash” in early February after global markets dropped.
That period of volatility saw a burst of research into defensive products, transitioning to analysis of global equities and multi-asset classes as the market settled in the second half of February.
Levels of engagement with different platforms varied state-to-state. In Victoria, advisers were more engaged with global large caps than their New South Wales counterparts, while Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory all had higher levels of interest in alternatives.
All regions and cities were heavily focused on Australian large caps.
Similarly, there was general interest in researching the terms ‘global’, ‘fixed’ and ‘property’, suggesting that advisers may be searching for safety and yield offshore.
There was a lag between advisers researching products and then recommending them of around a week.
Lonsec Connect’s research also showed that advisers were concerned on the impact of market events on their clients’ superannuation. ‘Super’ and ‘income’ were two of the most highly searched terms by advisers over the last 30 days.
Recommended for you
Outflows from an Australian private markets fund manager have caused FUM at Pacific Current to decline by $1 billion in the last quarter.
Former RIAA chief executive Simon O’Connor has joined the ethical advisory panel at U Ethical Investors.
Financial services leaders are “all cashed up with nowhere to grow” when it comes to M&A activity, according to Deloitte, with 90 per cent saying they have strong balance sheets ready for an acquisition.
As fund managers are urged to diversify their product ranges, they are finding a faster way to do this is via an acquisition of existing firms but experts say it is not without potential culture clashes.