Dimensional Fund Advisors named 2024 Fund Manager of the Year

Dimensional Fund Advisors has taken out the top prize at last night’s Fund Manager of the Year Awards for 2024, after two of its funds earned the winner and highly commended spots in the Global Fixed Income category.

This year’s awards were informed by performance data collated by SQM Research through to 31 May,  and recognised over 70 investment managers across 21 asset class categories.

Dimensional Fund Advisors were finalists in six investment categories this year, matching the record first set by previous winners Ausbil Investment Management in 2022 and Perpetual in 2023.

Its Five-Year Diversified Fixed Interest Trust was recognised as highly commended in the Global Fixed Income category, followed by its Two-Year Sustainable Fixed Interest Trust (AUD) then announced as the winner.

Dimensional also managed to beat its previous record of appearances from last year’s awards, with four finalist recognitions and one win in the Emerging Markets Equities category. This year, the manager had six funds selected as finalists.

iShares by BlackRock was honoured with the highly commended spot for the Fund Manager of the Year 2024, with four of its exchange traded funds (ETFs) recognised as finalists and a win in the ETF Product category.

Former State Super and CoreData Group senior executive, Jason Andriessen was also honoured last night as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024.

Perpetual still holds the record for total number of funds recognised in one single awards, with nine funds featured in the Fund Manager of the Year Awards in 2023.

In 2022, Ausbil had seven funds recognised across 17 categories.

The full list of winners and highly commended for 2024 are:

Australian Equities – Large Cap

WINNER: Lazard Australian Equity Fund (W Class)
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Allan Gray Australia Equity Fund (Class B)

Australian Equities – Small/Mid Cap

WINNER: Yarra Ex-20 Australian Equities Fund
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Investors Mutual Wholesale Australian Smaller Companies Fund

Global Equities – Large Cap

WINNER: GQG Partners Global Equity Fund
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Vinva Global Systematic Equities Fund

Emerging Markets Equities

WINNER: Robeco Emerging Conservative Equity Fund (AUD)
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Pzena Emerging Markets Value Wholesale Fund

A-REITs

WINNER: Resolution Capital Real Assets Fund (Class B)
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Zurich Investments Australian Property Securities Fund

G-REITs

WINNER: CBRE Global Real Assets Fund
HIGHLY COMMENDED: SGH LaSalle Concentrated Global Property Fund

Listed Infrastructure

WINNER: Macquarie International Infrastructure Securities Fund – Unhedged
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Maple-Brown Abbott Global Listed Infrastructure Fund

Long/Short Equities

WINNER: Apis Global Long/Short Fund (W Class)
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Investors Mutual Private Portfolio Fund

Multi-Sector Growth

WINNER: Martin Currie Diversified Growth Fund – Class A
HIGHLY COMMENDED: IOOF Foundation Assertive Fund

Multi-Sector Growth – SMAs

WINNER: Watershed Growth Model
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Morningstar Growth (70) Managed Account Portfolio

Other Alternatives

WINNER: Spire US Data Centre Colocation Fund (AUD)
HIGHLY COMMENDED: DigitalX Bitcoin Fund

Direct Property

WINNER: GDA Diversified Property Trust
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Trilogy Industrial Property Trust

ETF Product

WINNER: iShares Global 100 ETF
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Aoris International Fund – Class B (Managed Fund)

Australian Fixed Income

WINNER: Fortlake Real-Income Fund
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Altius Sustainable Bond Fund

Global Fixed Income

WINNER: Dimensional Two-Year Sustainability Fixed Interest Trust (AUD)
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Dimensional Five-Year Diversified Fixed Interest Trust

Emerging Funds

WINNER: Roadnight Capital Diversified Income Fund
HIGHLY COMMENDED: JANA Diversified Infrastructure Trust

Responsible Investments (ESG)

WINNER: AXA IM Sustainable Equity Fund
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Candriam Sustainable Global Equity Fund

Managed Accounts Manager

WINNER: MLC Asset Management
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Watershed Funds Management

Private Equity

WINNER: Hamilton Lane Global Private Asset Fund (AUD) Hedged
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Ellerston JAADE Australian Private Assets Fund (Retail)

Private Debt/Credit

WINNER: MA Credit Opportunities Fund
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Wentworth Williamson Stable Income Fund

Mortgage Trusts

WINNER: Centuria Bass Credit Fund
HIGHLY COMMENDED: CVS Lane Property Finance Fund