Blackwattle taps Equity Trustees as RE for new Aus equity fund

Yasmine Raso

Senior Journalist

28 January 2026

Blackwattle Investment Partners has tapped Equity Trustees to take on Responsible Entity (RE) duties for its new Australian equity income-focused fund, taking the number of funds supported by the investment manager’s partnership with the custodian to seven.

The Blackwattle Equity Income Fund leverages an actively-managed Australian equity strategy focused on delivering regular and consistent income across a variety of market conditions by capitalising on opportunities beyond “traditional dividend-paying stocks”.

“We believe that Australia is shifting from saving to spending, for the growing retiree market, the next decade is about consistent and secure income that you can live on,” Michael Skinner, Managing Director and CIO at Blackwattle, said.

“Our Equity Income Fund is built to generate resilient income, not chase it – combining dividends, franking credits and option premium income to target 6-12% p.a. while managing downside risk.”

Equity Trustees has helped a further six Blackwattle funds to enter the market since the fund manager commenced in 2023.

“This partnership builds on our established relationship with Blackwattle and reflects the confidence we have in their investment capability and disciplined approach,” Andrew Godfrey, Executive General Manager of Corporate and Superannuation Trustee Services at Equity Trustees, said.

“We are pleased to support the launch of the Blackwattle Equity Income Fund and to continue working with a well established Australian fund manager that shares our commitment to strong governance, risk management and positive investor outcomes.”

Blackwattle said the fund maintains a “strong focus on risk awareness and income resilience”, giving it the ability to weather bouts of volatility and downside risk while retaining a core exposure to opportunities in Australian equities.

“The retirement ask is clear: high income that is sustainable, stable, and accessible. That’s the design brief behind our strategy,” Rudi Minbatiwala, Portfolio Manager of the fund, said.

“Our Blackwattle Equity Income Strategy allows us to own high-quality companies first, then shape and enhance the outcome with options – aiming for steadier distributions at lower risk.”