Invesco Balanced-Risk Allc A USDH Acc

Analyst Report
Morningstar's Take
|06/12/2024

by Thomas De Fauw
Invesco announced that effective Dec. 16, 2024, senior portfolio managers Mark Ahnrud and Christian Ulrich had transitioned out of the Invesco Balanced-Risk Allocation strategy, and Alessio de Longis was added as a portfolio manager.

After more than two decades, Ahnrud and Ulrich are retiring from Invesco on June 30, 2025, and March 1, 2026, respectively. The two have worked alongside Scott Wolle, Chris Devine, and Scott Hixon on the strategy since its 2009 inception and made considerable contributions during their tenures. The team-based approach, the systematic nature of the strategy, and the long transition period in which the two will remain available to the team dissipate concern about the loss. We will reassess the eventual impact of these changes at our next review, but at this stage, we reaffirm the fund's Above Average People Pillar rating.

De Longis joined Invesco in 2019 when the firm combined with OppenheimerFunds. He manages several portfolios, including Invesco Global Allocation, where his research on tactical asset allocation laid the groundwork for the current approach.

The new manager joins a highly experienced group of managers with more than 25 years of investment experience each. As of Dec. 16, the portfolio manager team consisted of Wolle, Devine, Hixon, John Burrello, and de Longis.

 
A thoughtful research process, run by industry veterans, has ensured that the investment approach of Invesco Balanced-Risk Allocation has been fortified over time. Morningstar has enhanced the way we assess alpha opportunity for funds, which is a key component in our Morningstar Medalist Rating calculation. More of this strategy's Medalist Ratings than usual may therefore change with this update even in the absence of changes to pillar ratings or fund costs.

This strategy remains a priority for chief investment officer and lead portfolio manager Scott Wolle, who is also overseeing the work of multiple teams across asset allocation and factor-based investing. Wolle actively contributes to research alongside five other portfolio managers, four of whom have worked with Wolle on the strategy since its 2009 inception. In addition, the team profits from four dedicated analysts and can lean on the broader researcher team at Invesco. Most of the managers have large personal investments in the strategy, aligning their interests with those of investors.

The process starts with roughly equal-weight exposure (on a risk basis) to growth, defensive, and real return assets. The growth sleeve remains invested in equities and the real return sleeve in commodities, yet the team further diversified the defensive sleeve in 2021 by introducing put options and equity factors to complement bonds, based on research indicating that, in a low-yield environment, bonds protect the downside less effectively. In 2023, the US fund saw its neutral volatility target lifted to 10% to better fit the peer group and the long-term expected volatility of allocation indexes.

The team applies measured tactical tilts. These had added value in each full calendar year since inception, until in 2022, the team’s models were not able to navigate the double-whammy of falling equity and bond prices successfully, and the strategy saw losses from the tactical sleeve for the first time. In 2023, the tactical sleeve also detracted from performance with bond market timing and especially commodities causing headaches for the team. Still, since inception, the tactical models have benefited investors with a 1.2% annualized contribution.

The fund’s diversification benefits have led to strong absolute and risk-adjusted returns compared with peers, but it has fallen short of that of the more equity-heavy Morningstar Category indexes. This is not that surprising considering that commodities have brought a disappointingly small contribution to returns during the fund’s existence.

 
Morningstar Medalist Rating™A strong risk-balanced approach.
To find out how Morningstar rates a fund click here.
Morningstar Pillars
PeopleAbove Average
ParentAverage
ProcessAbove Average
 
Morningstar Medalist RatingMorningstar assigns the Medalist Rating to funds that are qualitatively and quantitatively assessed through manager research and algorithmic processes. The assessment turns on three key “pillars” – People, Process, and Parent – that yield an estimate of how well a fund will perform before fees but after adjusting for risk.
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