This article is part of Morningstar’s Guide to Income Investing. Whether you are looking to grow your pension pot, or invest for retirement income, this week we have all the news, information and education you need.
Emma Wall: Hello and welcome to the Morningstar series, "Ask the Expert." I'm Emma Wall and I'm joined today by Muna Abu-Habsa, Senior Fund Analyst for Morningstar.
Hi, Muna.
Muna Abu-Habsa: Hi, Emma.
Wall: So, we're here today to talk about the Veritas Global Equity Income Fund. This sits in a highly populated and highly competitive space, the global equity income fund space, but it's one of the funds that we have the highest conviction here at Morningstar in, isn't it?
Abu-Habsa: That's right. It's one of the strongest funds in its sector with the rating of Gold.
Wall: Having said that, investors who know about the fund will know that it's had a tricky time off late with some periods of underperformance and volatility. What do we say about that?
Abu-Habsa: Well, the managers of the fund, Charles Richardson and Andrew Headley, have continued to implement their process consistently here which is the key thing for us. In recent years the fund has underperformed or since late 2013 specifically, but that actually has been in keeping with our expectations of the managers' approach and understanding of the fund's behavior.
Wall: Talking then about that approach, which is sort of the process really, only one of the five Ps that we look at when evaluating a fund here at Morningstar, what makes this process unique? What are you looking for?
Abu-Habsa: Well, the managers on this particular strategy run a dividend-based real return approach, which is quite unique. Yield is one of their considerations, but they are not willing to invest in companies that are not likely to contribute to capital growth. And more importantly, they look at valuations in absolute sense not relative.
So, in recent years when we've seen bond yields drop to levels that are below equity yields, investors have increasingly sought yields from equities, that's driven valuations higher and to levels that those managers aren't comfortable with. So, that plus the income constraint that they have has led their investment universe to shrink and that actually has a lot to do with the fund's recent underperformance.
Wall: And there at least though, as you said, they have been sticking to their knitting?
Abu-Habsa: Yeah, absolutely. They've continued to implement their process consistently. They don't want to compromise on income. This is a high-income mandate and investors in this fund understand that. Actually, there has been a shift of assets, if you like, from this income fund into Veritas Global Focus which has more of a total return mandate and hopefully, investors switching understand that although you're getting a lower volatility of capital in focus, you're getting a higher volatility of income which you're not getting in this one.
Wall: Well, this comes back to what I was talking to Chris Traulsen, Head of Manager Research, about just the other day which is, we are here to evaluate the funds. It's up to the individual to make the decision of what sort of fund they are looking for. So, what you are saying here is, here is one fund that's great for income and one perhaps is better for capital growth. Investors make decision which is best for you; here's two great Gold-rated funds.
Abu-Habsa: Absolutely.
Wall: Muna, thank you very much.
Abu-Habsa: Thank you, Emma.
Wall: This is Emma Wall for Morningstar. Thank you for watching.