DRAFT
Fund Review
Seneca Australian Small Companies Fund
Performance as at Aug 2026
Seneca Financial Solutions, established in 2016, is a Melbourne-based boutique investment management and financial advisory firm with A$300 million under management across two wholesale managed funds and six separately managed accounts. It uses active, bottom-up research combined with macroeconomic and technical analysis. Co-founder and portfolio manager Luke Laretive manages the Seneca Australian Small Companies Fund, while Ben Richards provides research and due diligence for Australian small-cap investments.
| 1 Year | 3 Years3 | 5 Years3 | 7 Years3 | Inception3,4 | ||
| Total Return | Fund | 9.19% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 23.01% |
| Peer Group1 | -3.19% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 10.54% | |
| Index2 | -1.23% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 11.63% | |
| Volatility | Fund | 20.27% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 15.49% |
| Peer Group1 | 12.76% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 11.67% | |
| Index2 | 14.49% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 13.81% | |
| 1Equity Long - Small/Mid Cap - Australia, 2ASX Small Ordinaries Total Return Index, 3Annualised, 4Oct 2023 | ||||||
Strategy Description
The Seneca Australian Small Companies Fund aims to outperform the S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Index Total Return by 3% annually after fees, using a long-only strategy. It constructs a concentrated portfolio of 20 to 50 liquid small- and mid-cap ASX-listed companies and may hold up to 50% in cash. The Fund avoids derivatives and leverage, focusing on high-quality, growth-oriented businesses with strong financials. It employs a blend of bottom-up valuation and analysis with macroeconomic and technical research. Portfolio construction prioritises diversification, liquidity, and risk management, aligning with securities expected to deliver high returns.Cumulative Performance
Core Details |
PG = Peergroup Average | ||
| APIR: | NPW8333AU | Status: | Open |
| Peer Group: | Equity Long - Small/Mid Cap - Australia | Inception Date: | Oct 2023 |
| Strategy: | Equity Long | Style: | Growth |
| Geography: | Australia | Domicile: | Australia |
| Investors: | Wholesale | Distributions: | Annually |
| Fund Size: | AU$ 34.12m | Manager FUM: | 36.42m |
| Applications: | Monthly, Initial: AU$ 100,000 | Redemptions: | Monthly |
| Management Fee: | N/A (PG avg: 1.14%) | Performance Fee: | 20.00% (PG avg: 16.54%) |
| Buy/Sell Spread: | 0.3%/0.3% (PG avg: 0.27%/0.27%) | Hurdle: | RBA Cash Rate |
| Early Redemption Fee | N/A | High Water Mark: | Yes |
Please view https://fundmonitors.com/disclaimer.php for the full disclaimer. The content is updated monthly and only the current version should be used.
Seneca Australian Small Companies Fund
Performance vs Equity Long - Small/Mid Cap - Australia and ASX Small Ordinaries Total Return Index
Since Oct 2023, the Fund has returned 23.01% p.a., vs the Peer Group's return over the same period of 10.54%. Over the past 12 months, the Fund has returned 9.19% vs the Peer Group's -3.19%. The Fund's returns have been delivered with a volatility of 15.49% p.a. vs the Peer Group's 11.67%.
| Year | Jan % | Feb % | Mar % | Apr % | May % | Jun % | Jul % | Aug % | Sep % | Oct % | Nov % | Dec % | YTD % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4.70 | -8.15 | -10.29 | 6.06 | 1.56 | 1.03 | -2.13 | 11.73 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 2.65 |
| 2025 | 2.57 | 1.30 | 1.54 | 2.14 | 3.54 | 2.49 | 2.42 | 7.49 | 6.61 | -0.41 | -0.28 | 0.45 | 33.89 |
| 2024 | -3.05 | 2.57 | 4.79 | 2.49 | 9.71 | -1.43 | 2.20 | -3.41 | 7.59 | 0.42 | 7.34 | -3.81 | 27.19 |
| 2023 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | -0.85 | 3.76 | 1.71 | 4.64 |
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 7 Years | Inception | ||
| Total Return | Fund | 9.19% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 23.01% |
| Peer Group | -3.19% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 10.54% | |
| Index2 | -1.23% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 11.63% | |
| Volatility | Fund | 20.27% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 15.49% |
| Peer Group | 12.76% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 11.67% | |
| Index | 14.49% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 13.81% | |
| Sharpe | Fund | 0.34 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1.16 |
| Peer Group | -0.49 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 0.57 | |
| Index | -0.28 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 0.58 | |
| Sortino | Fund | 0.36 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1.86 |
| Peer Group | -0.63 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 0.74 | |
| Index | -0.41 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 0.76 | |
| Largest Drawdown | Fund | -17.60% | N/A | N/A | N/A | -17.60% |
| Peer Group | -14.55% | N/A | N/A | N/A | -14.55% | |
| Index | -13.25% | N/A | N/A | N/A | -13.25% |
Return in Index's 10 Best & 10 Worst Months %
Return in Index's 10 Best & 10 Worst Months %
Annualised Return vs Standard Deviation
Seneca Australian Small Companies Fund - Annualised Return vs. Standard Deviation
Please view https://fundmonitors.com/disclaimer.php for the full disclaimer. The content is updated monthly and only the current version should be used.
Seneca Australian Small Companies Fund
Annual Returns
Annual Returns %
Drawdown
Drawdown%
Service Providers
| Trustee/RE: | Newport Private Wealth |
| Custodian: | N/A |
| Administrator: | Newport Private Wealth |
| Auditor: | N/A |
| Legal: | N/A |
| Prime Broker: | N/A |
Available on Investment Platforms
No Data.
Key Staff
About AFM's Fund Reviews and Star Ratings
AFM's proprietary Star Rating system provides a quantitative ranking of performance and risk of funds in its peer group relative to similar funds. Funds must have a minimum 1 year track record.
Star Ratings for Performance reflects annualised return. Risk is a combination of downside deviation, maximum drawdown and longest drawdown, which are allocated in reverse.
| AFM Star Rating | Relative performance band compared to funds in the same Peer Group |
|---|---|
| ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Premium: The fund is in the top 10% of all funds in its peer group. |
| ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ | Top Quartile: The fund ranges between 75 and 90% of all funds in its peer group. |
| ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ | Second Quartile: The fund ranges between 50 and 75% of all funds in its peer group. |
| ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ | Third Quartile: The fund ranges between 25 and 50% of all funds in its peer group. |
| ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ | Fourth Quartile: The fund is in the lowest 25% of all funds in its peer group. |
All performances, rankings and Star Ratings are updated monthly. Past performance does not guarantee future performance.
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Disclaimer
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