In 2020, CAMRADATA, a specialist provider of data and analysis for institutional investors, conducted over 40 Assisted Searches for clients through their online platform CAMRADATA Live, which totalled over GBP2.7billion.
The Assisted Search service provides investors with up-to-date information and insight to enable them to have informed discussions with asset managers; and to help trustee boards make more educated investment decisions.
The Assisted Search service gives institutional investors looking to appoint an asset manager, the facility to provide their search criteria, which is circulated to all the asset managers on CAMRADATA Live. This results in a unique custom universe being built, with additional unbiased reporting and research analysis available.
Sean Thompson, Managing Director, CAMRADATA, says: “CAMRADATA is uniquely positioned between institutional investors, such as pension funds, insurers, consultants, wealth managers and charities, and provides qualitative and quantitative information across asset classes on an anonymous basis – at no charge. Our Assisted Search helps investors compare and contrast asset managers/funds, as well as gather any other information required, without them having to go to managers individually or incur additional costs.”
Wee-Tsen Lee, Head of Fund Research at Lockhart Capital Management LLP, says: “We have used the Assisted Search function several times and each time it has produced one or two strategies we would not have easily come across. CAMRADATA also provide a host of comparable data which makes it easy to do a quick check to see if the strategy is suitable. Most importantly, the Assisted Search allows users to customise their search criteria, including more qualitative criteria which can be quite tricky to do via screens. We also appreciate the anonymity and not to have to be bombarded with multiple communications from a manager should a strategy prove to be unsuitable. CAMRADATA have been very helpful in tailoring the search criteria and the process has been quick and painless.”
Andrew Lilley, Head of Responsible Investment Research at Isio, says: “We’ve been working with CAMRADATA on various projects and have benefitted from their knowledge of the market. We continually update our market map which covers sustainably-tilted and impact ESG strategies available to UK institutional investors. The Assisted Search service allowed us to specify our exact search criteria and produced a comprehensive fund report which could be input into our market map spreadsheet. We won’t hesitate to use their service again as we periodically review the market, or if we have demand to explore certain niche strategies to cater for specific needs of any of our clients.”
Anja Needham, Investment Analyst at SECOR Asset Management SECOR used CAMRADATA’s Assisted Search service to find prospective managers for a Sterling Denominated Corporate Bond Mandate. She says: “The service was very useful in identifying the most suitable managers for the mandate, and in facilitating introductions and arranging meetings with the shortlisted managers”.
Elizabeth Carey, CFA, Independent Research Consultant for Torfaen Council, says: “I have been working with CAMRADATA for four years now and find the database and resources (particularly the DGF Medians) extremely useful in building confidence in, and our understanding of, the DGF/multi-asset sector, broadly defined. For one LGPS client, I produce a detailed quarterly report that analyses the performance and sources of return for the three managers in its portfolio. That report is a requirement for fund’s continued allocation to DGF/multi-asset, which is a core part of its alternatives allocation. We use CAMRADATA’s updated sector-wide data as a benchmark for comparing the performance of the portfolio’s existing DGF/multi-asset holdings and potential new additions. We find such aggregated data invaluable.”
