This article is part of Morningstar’s Guide to Investing Ideas for 2015, our comprehensive round-up of where the most promising stocks, funds and markets can be found this year.
Jupiter Merlin Balanced Portfolio is a top-notch offering for investors seeking an actively managed fund of funds with a growth and income focus.
A major strength of the fund is the quality and experience of its management team. John Chatfeild-Roberts, the group’s CIO, Peter Lawery, and Algy Smith-Maxwell have worked together for more than 10 years, having previously been at Lazard Asset Management. Lawery will step back from fund management at the end of 2014, thereafter becoming a consultant and focusing on macro research; however, he will remain on the portfolio review committee. Having boosted the team with two experienced hires in 2011, there are no plans to replace Lawery. While this is a key change, our concerns are mitigated by the robustness of the team and the length and quality of experience provided by the remaining managers and architects of the strategy, as well as the continuity provided by Lawery in a consulting capacity.
The managers believe in active fund management and are mindful of the importance of capital preservation as well as capital growth in delivering long-term returns for investors. Their investment process starts with a thorough assessment of macroeconomic conditions to help identify the economic and market cycle, alongside a focus on any factors that could lead to turning points or a change in their outlook. The focus then turns to fund selection and ensuring that only the most suitable funds given the prevailing outlook are included in the final portfolio.
The managers’ ability to make timely changes to their asset allocation has supported the delivery of strong relative returns in markets as disparate as 2008 and 2009. Returns tailed off in 2013 owing to weak Asian markets, a gold ETF holding and exposure to Latin America, and this continued into 2014 where an overweight in UK stocks held back performance as other global markets led the way.
Looking beyond this short-term blip in returns, with a seasoned and highly skilled team still on board, a proven and flexible investment approach, we maintain the fund’s rating at Gold.