Fund Monitors Pty Ltd

www.fundmonitors.com
© Copyright 2025
Printed: 20 February 2025 8:12 AM

News

17 Jan 2025 - Hedge Clippings | 17 January 2025

By: FundMonitors.com

    

Hedge Clippings | 17 January 2025

Happy New Year! It's January 2025, and it's a Friday, so welcome back to Hedge Clippings' first weekly commentary and round up of performance updates and insights articles for the year, gathered from FundMonitors.com's database of over 900 managed funds. Before we take a look at what's been holding our attention in the world of geo-politics and economics, it's worth taking a quick backward glance at fund performances over the past 12 months.

To date (17th of the month) we have received performance updates from 73% of the funds in our database, so the full picture will only emerge in the next week or so, but the funds making the Top 5 performing Peer Groups were all investing globally, reinforcing the rule that asset allocation (or in this case designated as Peer Group) underlines successful performance.

Topping the list were funds investing in Digital Assets, which averaged a 12 month return of 70.36% on the back of the rally in Bitcoin (along with other digital coins) which topped US$100,000 for the first time, spurred on, like many things, by Donald Trump's election in November. Equally unsurprising was the average return of Global Equity Long Peer Groups - both Small/Mid cap and Large cap, at 22.6% and 22.04% respectively for the year, against strong benchmark returns - All Countries World Index +29.68%, and the S&P500 Accumulation Index's return of 25%.

Australian Equity Funds' average 12 month performance was much in line with the ASX200 Accumulation Index (+11.44%), with Small/Mid Cap funds outperforming at 13.7%, while Large Caps underperformed at 10.4%.

All these of course are averages (as are the underlying indices) which leads to the next rule which reinforces the importance of Manager and Fund selection - assuming the objective is to outperform the average, unlike index and ETF funds which aim to replicate the index. The Top 10 Australian Equity funds' 12 month returns ranged from 43.27% to 32.51%, while their peers investing globally ranged from 109% down to 45%.

The statistics above are not complete as only just over 70% of December's returns have been reported. Once we have the full data we'll provide the full "Top Ten" lists.

And so to the future: Politically - and economically - Donald Trump will continue to dominate globally, while locally, the upcoming Federal election due in mid-May will take centre stage, with Albanese's government dependent on the course of inflation and interest rates - and the possibility of a rate cut - in the intervening period. Jim Chalmers is trying to tell us what a wonderful job he's been doing with the Treasury portfolio, but if that's the case, why are so many people unhappy?


News & Insights


New Funds on FundMonitors.com

10k Words | January 2025 | Equitable Investors

Understanding Bridging Loans: A Comprehensive Guide | Australian Secure Capital Fund


December 2024 Performance News


4D Global Infrastructure Fund (Unhedged)

Airlie Australian Share Fund

Bennelong Australian Equities Fund

Bennelong Concentrated Australian Equities Fund

Bennelong Long Short Equity Fund

Glenmore Australian Equities Fund

Seed Funds Management Hybrid Income Fund


If you'd like to receive Hedge Clippings direct to your inbox each Friday

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST

Australian Fund Monitors Pty Ltd
A.C.N. 122 226 724
AFSL 324476
Email: [email protected]
Live chat