Summer Conservative Selection

Summer Conservative Selection fund performance summary as at 31 May 2022. 

Fund at a glance

Unit price (as at 31 May 2022): $1.0576

Date the fund started: 8 April 2019

For information on fees, see our Fees page.

For more information on the Summer Conservative Selection fund read the latest quarterly fund update and the product disclosure statement. 

Fund objective and strategy

See the Summer Conservative Selection page for the Summary of investment objective and strategy.

Fund returns

   ^ Annualised

Fund returns are calculated net of fund charges, trading expenses and accrued tax for a New Zealand resident individual paying tax at the Prescribed Investor Rate identified above.

Tactical asset allocation

We have chosen the above tactical asset allocation for Summer Conservative Selection as at 6 May 2022. This can move in line with market movements and we review the portfolio and adjust asset allocation accordingly. For the current tactical asset allocation and date of most recent review, please go to the Summer Conservative Selection page.

Top 10 investments

 The top 10 investments make up 31.03% of the fund.

Manager's Commentary

Market Commentary

May saw a continuation of themes from the first four months of the year, other than in the fixed interest markets. As global growth faces headwinds from inflation and central banks raising short term rates, the market is increasingly thinking about the risk of a recession. If a recession does occur, longer term interest rates would probably need to fall, and hence the fixed interest market is now in a “tug of war” between high inflation and increased recession risk.

These continued headwinds to economic growth saw equity markets generally deliver negative returns over May. Our fixed interest and cash holdings were helpful to total returns but all the other asset classes delivered negative returns over the month.

The New Zealand dollar, relevant for our portfolios with unhedged foreign currency exposures, rose against the US dollar but fell against the Australian dollar.

For further commentary on each of the asset classes within the Summer Conservative Selection, please refer to the commentaries for each of the relevant single-asset class funds.

Portfolio Performance

Summer Conservative Selection delivered a return of -0.77% during May and for the 12 month period to date delivered a return of -4.04%.

Outlook

The Ukrainian crisis appears far from resolved, with Russia’s European neighbours escalating the sanctions they have imposed on her. Chinese growth has been hit hard by the Omicron wave and related shut downs. The government there has announced stimulus to boost the economy, but it is expected to take some months to show up in economic activity.

Strong employment markets and some stored savings are the last two clear positives for economic growth. Consumer surveys, housing market activity, mortgage interest rates and inflation all point to an ebbing in economic growth, and eventually the profit growth of companies.

In early June our Asset Allocation committee met to discuss the recent moves in asset prices. At that meeting we lowered our expectations for near term economic growth as the headwinds discussed above continue to grow. Whilst none of the leading indicators we watch to warn of a recession are flashing red, they are mostly deteriorating towards that outcome. We had previously moved the Summer Conservative Selections asset allocation to neutral between income and growth assets, and made no changes at the June meeting.

As announced in March, we are now well advanced in the process of funding the two new portfolio managers who are joining our existing global equities strategy. The objective is to improve the risk and return characteristics of the Summer Global Equities portfolio which is a component of Summer Conservative Selection. The transition will be completed in June.

Foreign currency exposures associated with international fixed interest are hedged to the New Zealand dollar. We actively manage the fund’s currency exposures associated with international and Australian equities, and listed property. As at 31 May 2022, these exposures represented 18.26% of the value of the fund. After allowing for foreign currency hedges in place, approximately 6.50%% of the value of the fund was unhedged and exposed to foreign currency risk.