Marlborough is continuing its ambitious growth strategy with the launch of two new funds focusing on global opportunities: IFSL Marlborough Global Essential Infrastructure and IFSL Marlborough Global SmallCap.
Australian fund house Ausbil has been appointed to manage the investments for both strategies. Ausbil already operates successful global infrastructure and global small cap funds in Australia and the Marlborough funds will be managed using the same well-established investment strategies.
IFSL Marlborough Global Essential Infrastructure will invest in a portfolio of 25-45 high-quality companies providing essential infrastructure facilities around the world.
Ausbil's head of listed infrastructure, Tim Humphreys, leads a team of four co-managers, who have almost 60 years' combined experience of investing in global listed infrastructure.
They will invest in companies providing facilities that are essential for the basic functioning of a society, including regulated utilities such as electricity, gas and water; transport facilities, such as toll roads and airports; energy pipelines; and mobile phone towers. The companies will typically be in regulated industries with long-term contracts and/or have a track record of stable cash flows through the economic cycle. In addition, the team will look for strong ESG credentials.
This focus on essential infrastructure is a key differentiator and is designed to provide attractive long-term returns, supported by a healthy yield, together with superior downside protection and reduced volatility.
The estimated ongoing charges figure (OCF) is 0.85% and the fund will sit in the Investment Association's Infrastructure sector.
IFSL Marlborough Global SmallCap will invest in a portfolio of 50-80 high-quality small cap companies selected from developed economies around the world.
Fund managers Tobias Bucks and Simon Wood, who have more than 35 years' combined investment experience, will seek to identify the next generation of emerging global titans while they are still on attractive valuations because their growth potential has not yet been recognised by the wider market.
The pair will identify companies with high-calibre management teams who are expanding into new geographies and bringing new products and services to market. In addition, they will look for strong ESG credentials.
The estimated OCF is 0.89% and the fund will sit in the Investment Association's Global sector.
he new funds have been approved by the FCA and were launched today (Tuesday 20th September). They will be available on major platforms. The Authorised Corporate Director (ACD) for both funds will be the Marlborough Group's IFSL Fund Services.
The new partnership with Ausbil comes in the wake of Marlborough's successful long-term relationships with Canaccord Genuity Fund Management and Boston Financial Management, both of which manage investments for funds in the Marlborough range.
The Marlborough Group's CEO, Richard Goodall, said: "We have ambitious plans for growth and an important part of our strategy is identifying high-calibre investment managers with whom we can work in partnership to bring innovative new propositions to the UK market.
"In our view, global infrastructure and global small cap present very attractive long-term opportunities and the quality of the team at Ausbil and their well-established track record in these specialist areas meant they were a natural choice as our investment partner.
"We believe the launch of the two funds could be particularly timely for investors. Global essential infrastructure can offer strong embedded inflation protection, because of the nature of these companies, with, for example, regulators enabling utility companies to increase their profits in line with inflation.
"Meanwhile, market volatility has created exceptional opportunities for the global small cap team to invest in outstanding smaller companies with very strong long-term prospects at significantly reduced valuations."
