BSF Managed Index Port Growth A2 EUR |
by Thomas De Fauw
Investors in BSF Managed Index Portfolio Growth benefit from a systematic investment approach and reasonable fees. This strategy follows an active and fundamentals-driven systematic approach. It favors attractively priced asset classes but also incorporates insights such as earnings momentum and sentiment. Views are executed through 25-35 low-cost iShares exchange-traded funds that track broad, single-country, thematic, and factor indexes. Unlike traditional allocation strategies, this fund is managed to keep within volatility limits rather than being constrained by a strategic equity/bond mix. The equity allocation has ranged between 71% and 89% since inception. Government bonds serve as ballast, while the portfolio also has exposure to investment-grade corporate bonds and emerging-markets debt. Despite the quantitative risk-focused approach and continuous calibration of the model, the team has leeway to override the model if it disagrees with the signals. It has frequently used these discretionary powers, but results have been mixed. Lead manager Rafael Iborra has been with BlackRock’s Model Portfolio Solutions team since April 2013 and a named manager on this strategy since April 2018. Iborra holds end-responsibility, but there is a high degree of collaboration within the team. Chris Downing and Steve Walker have been comanagers on this strategy since its April 2015 inception. From its inception in May 2015 through the end of November 2023, the strategy has done well relative to peers, beating the EUR aggressive allocation global Morningstar Category average by 1.9 percentage points on an annual basis. However, the team’s tactical trading in thematic and factor ETFs adds another level of complexity to this strategy, and we have yet to see evidence that they consistently add value over time. |
Morningstar Pillars | |
People | Average |
Parent | Above Average |
Process | Above Average |
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