Fisch Asset Management AG,
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Fisch Asset Management, the Zurich-based asset manager specialising in convertible bond, corporate bond and absolute return solutions, reports assets under management of CHF 12.9 billion as at 30 June, with total new money inflows for the year to date approximately CHF 800 million.
Continued demand for stability and active management
In what was a highly volatile but overall successful year for financial markets last year, Fisch’s absolute return strategies paved the way for further inflows in the first half of this year off the back of their comparatively low drawdowns in 2020. The combination of Fisch’s convertible bond and high yield expertise with portfolio-stabilising components has proven highly successful in attracting new money over the first six months of this year, while its convertible bond and corporate bond strategies also saw substantial inflows. In the case of the latter, the asset manager’s developed markets strategies (high yield and global corporates) were particularly popular, while the emerging markets strategies remained stable. As a result, there was a balanced increase in assets under management across the various asset classes. Commenting, CEO Juerg Sturzenegger, said: “Given the market situation, we are confident that stability and active management will remain in demand among investors. Our first-half results put us on course to continue to generate positive growth over the remainder of the year.”
Expansion of product range
Earlier in the year, Fisch launched two new funds investing primarily in investment-grade securities. The FISCH Convertible Global IG Fund, launched at the end of January, rounds out the business’ existing range of convertible bond strategies, while the FISCH Bond Global IG Corporates Fund was introduced at the end of April to complement the products in its corporate bond universe. Sturzenegger explained: “These two new funds give investors even more choice to invest in their desired asset class in a targeted fashion. With five convertible bond funds and six corporate bond funds, they now have even broader access to Fisch’s expertise, and we intend to continue to build on this momentum by developing further innovative solutions in future.”
Ongoing focus on ESG
The Board of Directors and Executive Committee have launched a company-wide initiative to further strengthen Fisch’s responsible investment strategy. The project aims to advance the business’ ESG approach, which was initially introduced over ten years ago with the launch of the FISCH Convertible Global Sustainable Fund. The main priorities for the initiative are to expand and deepen Fisch’s existing ESG integration strategy and identify high-impact engagement opportunities among specific issuers and themes. Fisch also intends to exceed current regulatory requirements, reviewing its minimum exclusion policy to potentially include additional controversial or high-risk activities, as well as improving its data management processes to better support the monitoring of sustainability risks across all portfolios. Sturzenegger said: “We are forging ahead with the advancement of our ESG approach across all areas of the company as a matter of priority. This will enable us to further hone and optimise the sustainability of our investment solutions and offer opportunities expressly tailored to the specific requirements of our clients.”