2020 Alpha Manager nominees revealed

Find out which managers beat the markets in 2019 to become this year's Alpha Managers

02 July 2020

More than 50 fund managers have been nominated for a coveted FE fundinfo ‘Alpha Manager’ award in 2020.

The Alpha Manager Awards, which are run each year by global fund data and technology provider FE fundinfo, identify and celebrate visionary fund managers across a range of categories.

Around 40 groups are represented at this year’s awards, with some of the biggest fund houses competing with one another for 12 awards. The most coveted of these awards is the overall ‘Best Alpha Manager of the Year Award’, presented to the fund manager who has best been able to create risk-adjusted alpha, outperformance in both rising and falling markets, and who has consistently beaten their sector peers. Among previous winners of this award were Eric Holt from Royal London in 2019, Luke Kerr from Old Mutual Global Investors in 2018 and Alex Wright from Fidelity International in 2017.

The awards will also see a whole host of managers being inducted into the ‘Alpha Manager Hall of Fame’. The Hall of Fame is an elite list of fund managers who have been recognised for consistently outperforming their benchmarks throughout their careers and specifically those who have been Alpha-rated consistently for the past seven years.

Tanvi Kandlur, Senior Fund Analyst at FE Investments, said:

“2019 was a great year with many asset classes seeing record highs despite the presence of political and economic uncertainty amid a late cycle backdrop. Central banks globally signalled their willingness to provide more stimulus to boost the economy, helping both traditional risk-off and risk-on assets. This year’s nominees have combined strong outperformance not only in 2019 but throughout their career in their respective categories. So far in 2020, the tables have turned with managers having to navigate the turbulence of COVID-19, compelling many to prove their mettle in this unprecedented environment.”

The shortlist for each category was determined by identifying the highest scoring FE fundinfo Alpha Managers from the 2020 rebalance, which saw 200 fund managers become eligible. A mix of quantitative and qualitative assessment was then applied to pick the most visionary fund managers from this shortlist.

To celebrate the performance of the most visionary fund managers, FE fundinfo will be announcing the winners virtually on Thursday 30th July 2020.

The full shortlist:

Best Alpha Manager, European Equities

Name

Group

Robrecht Wouters

JO Hambro 

David Dudding

Columbia Threadneedle Investments

Richard Pease

CRUX Asset Management

Comgest European Team

Comgest Asset Management International

Barry Norris

Argonaut Capital Partners

     

 

Best Alpha Manager, Global Developed Equities

Name

Group

Tim Wood

McInroy & Wood Portfolios

Nick Train

Lindsell Train

David Gait

Stewart Investors 

James Thomson

Rathbone Unit Trust Management

David Dudding

Columbia Threadneedle Investments

     

 

Best Alpha Manager, Absolute Returns

Name

Group

David Tovey

Blackrock

Paul Marriage & John Warren

Schroder Investment Management/Tellworth Investments

James Hanbury

Odey Asset Management

Jeremy Wharton

Church House Investment Management

Ben Wallace & Luke Newman

Janus Henderson Global Investors

     

 

Best Alpha Manager, UK Equities

Name

Group

Julian Fosh & Anthony Cross

Liontrust Asset Management

Daniel Nickols

Merian Investment Management

Nick Train

Lindsell Train

Paul Marriage & John Warren

Schroder Investment Management/Tellworth Investments

Alex Wright

Fidelity International

     

 

Best Alpha Manager, Global Emerging Markets Equities

Name

Group

Gary Greenberg

Federated Hermes

Alexandre Narboni (&Team)

Comgest Asset Management

Gordon Fraser

Blackrock

Nick Price

Fidelity International

Sammy Suzuki

AllianceBernstein

     

 

Best Alpha Manager, US Equities

Name

Group

Aziz Hamzaogullari

Natixis Investment Managers

Larry J. Puglia

T. Rowe Price Investment Management

Matthew Benkendorf

Vontobel Asset Management

Kenneth M Stuzin

Brown advisory

Nick Ford & Hugh Grieves

Premier Miton Investors

     

 

Best Alpha Manager, Asia Pacific Equities, including Japan

Name

Group

Martin Lau

First State Investments UK Ltd

Michael Lindsell

Lindsell Train

Yunyoung Lee

Henderson Management SA

Gerard Cawley

Polar Capital

Ezra Sun

Veritas Asian

     

 

Best Alpha Manager, Sterling Fixed Income

Name

Group

Richard Woolnough

M&G Investments

Leon Grenyer

Morgan Stanley Investment Management

Jeremy Wharton

Church House Investment Management

Ian Fishwick

Fidelity International

Michael Della Vedova

T. Rowe Price Investment Management

     

 

Best Alpha Manager, Sterling Strategic Bonds

Name

Group

Eric Holt

Royal London Asset Management

Richard Woolnough

M&G Investments

Anthony Smouha

GAM Fund Management

Richard Hodges

Nomura Asset Management

Ariel Bezalel

Jupiter Asset Management

     

 

Best Alpha Manager, Mixed Assets

Name

Group

Mike Fox

Royal London Asset Management

Alec Cutler

Orbis Investments

John Chatfeild-Roberts

Jupiter Asset Management

Alex Shingler

BlackRock

Ben Conway

Hawksmoor Investment Management

     

 

Best Alpha Manager, New

Name

Group

David Keetley & Stephen McCormick

Polar Capital

Robert Lancastle

JO Hambro Capital Management

Eric C. Moffett

T. Rowe Price Investment Management

Vincent McEntegart

Kames Capital

Frederic Jeanmaire

Columbia Threadneedle Investments

     

 

Best Alpha Manager

Name

Group

Eric Holt

Royal London Asset Management

Julian Fosh & Anthony Cross

Liontrust Asset Management

Daniel Nickols

Merian Investment Management

Tim Wood

McInroy & Wood Portfolios

Robin Parbrook

Schroder Investment Management