A feature of the decade long bull market that ran from the end of the global financial crisis to the start of the Covid-19 emergency was a rise in the proliferation and popularity of products that invest in assets other than bonds and cash.
The first wave of these mandates included absolute return funds, which promised a “positive return in all market conditions”.
The popularity of these strategies was such that one of the pioneers of the such strategies, the Standard Life Global Absolute Return (Gars) fund became the largest retail fund in the UK market.
But the assets held in such funds have dwindled in recent years alongside the performance.
Despite this, some investment experts say, while the sector as a whole has struggled in recent years, the better funds in the sector have delivered returns that are not correlated with the wider market.
So, should advisers turn to alternative assets to balance and diversify their portfolio?
The report, which can be read by clicking the link in the image above, qualifies for an indicative 30 minutes' worth of CPD.
