WSP Model Portfolios are built from our universe of selected active Ucits funds. We manage actively the allocation according to current and expected market conditions and taking into consideration the fund managers’ exposure.
The aim is to demonstrate that an optimal combination of strategies, coupled with a careful selection of active fund managers, have the ability to deliver added-value to investors over the long run, while keeping a full exposure and constant asset allocation within the given investment profiles.
More detailed reporting including portfolio quantitative and qualitative data are available to customers having subscribed to the WS Partners Model Portfolio Services. Would you request more information on this service, please contact us.
Portfolios Structure
- Portfolios are made of 14 to 17 Ucits or Alternative Ucits funds (according to profile).
- Two currency based portfolios ; in US dollar or in Euro.
- Apart one fund with a bi-monthly liquidity, all funds have a daily liquidity.
- Usually we select identical funds either for US dollar or Euro based portfolios, but keeping currency exposure hedge for fixed income funds.
- The performances are shown net of fees, calculated from the cheapest share classes, hence making our Model Portfolios fully replicable.
Strategic Allocations
We keep a constant balance between equity and fixed income strategies according to Model Portfolio profiles and guidelines. We also maintain a neutral currency and regional allocation compare to benchmarks.
The portfolio outperformance should mainly arise from the alpha generated by active management, and to a certain extent to a diversification optimisation. Tactical bets such as investment style (value, growth defensive), sector allocation (e.g., commodities, real estate), interest rate or spread duration may also contribute, time to time, to the value added generation.
A conservative portfolio with a 1/3 equity and 2/3 fixed income allocation.
Within the equity universe we tend to favour yielding strategies rather than pure price appreciation funds.
The objective is to outperform over time a benchmark composed by 1/3 of the MSCI All Country World Index, and by 2/3 of the Barclays Global Aggregate Bond Index.
The portfolio aims to outperform a benchmark made of 50% MSCI All Country World Index, and 50% Barclays Global Aggregate Bond Index in a risk-adjusted return basis and with a capital preservation mindset.
For that reason, we maintain around 33% of the portfolio allocation into Absolute Return strategies, including Alternative Ucits funds.
The most equity oriented portfolio with the aim to beat a benchmark composed by 2/3 of the MSCI All Country World Index and 1/3 of the Barclays Global Aggregate Bond Index. Growth of capital through capital appreciation is the main long term portfolio objective.
Market Review and Outlook
Review and Outlook – April 2022
The first quarter of the year was difficult for investors and April proved no different. The war in Ukraine, lockdowns in China, and the prospect of substantially tighter US monetary policy all weighed on sentiment.
Global equities continued to decline, with the MSCI All Country World index falling by -8.0% over the month. The commodity-heavy FTSE All-Share was a relatively bright spot, returning 0.3% in April. Conversely, growth stocks recorded substantial losses of -11.9%.
Fixed income also came under pressure, with global bonds delivering -5.5% in April as US 10-year Treasury yields approached 3%. Expectations for the path of monetary policy have seen a major shift this year, with markets now pricing in interest rates of well over 2% in both the US and the UK by year-end, while eurozone rates are expected to move into positive territory as early as October.
In the US, with inflation standing at 8.5% – the highest level since 1981 – several members of the Fed’s Board of Governors used speeches in April to highlight their desire to take rates back to neutral as quickly as possible. The market has now priced 50 basis point hikes at each of the Fed’s next three meetings.
Outlook
We made no changes during the month. We remain slightly overweight in small caps and in EM equities and neutral in style factors. On the fixed-income side, we are underweight interest rate duration, and spread duration overweight. We also have built exposure to uncorrelated fixed income strategies, such as absolute return, microfinance, and cat bonds.
Performance Review – April 2022
Yield & Income Portfolio (in USD) -3.9% (+ 81bps vs. the benchmark)
Balanced portfolio (in USD) -3.4% (+213bps)
Growth portfolio (in USD) -5.1% (+121bps)
Short duration was the main factor for the positive relative performance (+100bps for the Yield and Income portfolio and +50bps for the Balanced and Growth Portfolios). Strategies such as Senior Loans, Cat Bonds or Structured Credit were almost flat in April. On the opposite side EM debt was slightly detrimental (-20bps for the Yield & Income).
Active management in equity funds had a positive impact (+45bps for the Growth Portfolio). Allocation in the infrastructure thematic, for instance, was a strong contributor.
Finally, absolute return strategies played their defensive role in the Balanced portfolio. The merger arbitrage and the long/short equity funds were flat over the month, while the risk premia strategy recovered nicely (+1.2% in April).
US Dollar Portfolios
USD - Yield and Income
Cumulative Performance to end April 2022
Calendar Returns
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | YTD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 2022 | -3.31% | -2.29% | -0.23% | -3.86% | -9.37% | ||||||||
| Benchmark | -2.68% | -1.78% | -0.80% | -4.67% | -9.60% | |||||||||
| Portfolio | 2021 | 0.20% | 0.67% | -0.24% | 2.24% | 0.81% | 0.64% | 0.46% | 1.11% | -1.94% | 1.32% | -1.97% | 1.70% | 5.04% |
| Benchmark | -0.51% | -0.28% | 0.62% | 1.62% | 0.66% | 0.76% | 1.05% | 0.69% | -2.01% | 1.52% | -0.33% | 1.06% | 4.90% | |
| Portfolio | 2020 | 0.19% | -2.47% | -10.45% | 6.50% | 4.71% | 2.76% | 3.30% | 2.59% | -1.03% | -0.48% | 5.95% | 2.77% | 13.96% |
| Benchmark | 0.81% | -1.89% | -5.60% | 4.64% | 1.62% | 1.37% | 2.46% | 1.45% | -0.80% | -0.83% | 4.49% | 1.73% | 9.40% | |
| Portfolio | 2019 | 4.59% | 1.67% | 0.63% | 1.97% | -2.39% | 2.91% | 0.90% | -1.11% | 0.95% | 1.69% | 1.37% | 2.17% | 16.26% |
| Benchmark | 3.39% | 0.96% | 1.58% | 1.16% | -1.02% | 3.11% | 0.61% | 0.71% | 0.37% | 0.79% | 0.72% | 1.01% | 14.14% | |
| Portfolio | 2018 | 2.88% | -1.91% | -0.66% | 0.76% | -0.63% | -0.50% | 1.50% | -0.20% | 0.71% | -3.54% | -0.22% | -2.48% | -4.36% |
| Benchmark | 1.42% | -1.55% | -0.21% | 0.07% | 0.26% | -0.04% | 1.00% | 0.42% | -0.12% | -2.63% | 0.80% | -1.48% | -2.12% | |
| Portfolio | 2017 | 2.15% | 1.58% | 0.72% | 1.01% | 1.27% | 0.19% | 1.55% | 0.03% | 0.58% | 1.05% | 0.61% | 1.07% | 12.45% |
| Benchmark | 0.68% | 1.49% | 0.35% | 0.95% | 1.10% | -0.06% | 1.13% | 0.71% | 0.32% | 0.95% | 0.73% | 0.63% | 9.36% | |
| Portfolio | 2016 | 1.16% | 2.25% | 1.04% | 0.86% | -0.43% | -1.25% | 1.25% | 4.93% | |||||
| Benchmark | 1.04% | 1.81% | 0.06% | 0.17% | -1.23% | -0.86% | 0.84% | 1.81% |
Benchmark: 1/3 iShares MSCI All Country World ETF (USD) + 2/3 X II Barclays Gbl Agg ETF H USD
Source: WS Partners, Morningstar
USD - Balanced
Cumulative Performance to end April 2022
Calendar Returns
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | YTD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 2022 | -3.47% | -1.56% | -0.21% | -3.36% | -8.35% | ||||||||
| Benchmark | -3.22% | -1.99% | -0.02% | -5.49% | -10.38% | |||||||||
| Portfolio | 2021 | 0.61% | 1.39% | -0.24% | 1.99% | 0.82% | 0.76% | 0.47% | 0.95% | -1.93% | 1.25% | -1.57% | 1.99% | 6.59% |
| Benchmark | -0.49% | 0.37% | 1.14% | 2.31% | 0.88% | 0.90% | 0.96% | 1.15% | -2.54% | 2.43% | -0.85% | 1.80% | 8.25% | |
| Portfolio | 2020 | -0.68% | -2.98% | -8.44% | 5.95% | 3.34% | 2.14% | 3.08% | 2.52% | -0.96% | -0.17% | 6.33% | 3.04% | 12.93% |
| Benchmark | 0.33% | -3.43% | -7.62% | 6.15% | 2.29% | 1.82% | 3.15% | 2.60% | -1.43% | -1.24% | 6.47% | 2.45% | 11.20% | |
| Portfolio | 2019 | 4.01% | 1.50% | 0.36% | 1.64% | -2.65% | 2.65% | 0.92% | -1.37% | 1.24% | 1.94% | 1.43% | 1.99% | 14.36% |
| Benchmark | 4.50% | 1.38% | 1.48% | 1.71% | -2.24% | 3.97% | 0.54% | -0.06% | 0.80% | 1.28% | 1.15% | 1.63% | 17.18% | |
| Portfolio | 2018 | 2.75% | -1.59% | -0.42% | 0.82% | -0.97% | -0.54% | 1.49% | -0.32% | 0.78% | -3.58% | -0.07% | -2.11% | -3.84% |
| Benchmark | 2.47% | -2.21% | -0.73% | 0.31% | 0.22% | -0.15% | 1.50% | 0.48% | 0.02% | -3.84% | 0.96% | -2.88% | -3.96% | |
| Portfolio | 2017 | 1.85% | 1.21% | 0.74% | 0.84% | 0.87% | 0.64% | 1.73% | 0.04% | 1.19% | 1.03% | 0.93% | 0.66% | 12.35% |
| Benchmark | 1.19% | 1.82% | 0.56% | 1.10% | 1.37% | 0.07% | 1.54% | 0.63% | 0.72% | 1.23% | 1.02% | 0.88% | 12.82% | |
| Portfolio | 2016 | 0.01% | 2.83% | 0.94% | 0.65% | -0.55% | 0.36% | 1.59% | 5.93% | |||||
| Benchmark | 0.62% | 2.43% | 0.12% | 0.28% | -1.35% | -0.46% | 1.17% | 2.81% |
Benchmark: 1/2 iShares MSCI All Country World ETF (USD) + 1/2 X II Barclays Gbl Agg ETF H USD
Source: WS Partners, Morningstar
USD - Growth
Cumulative Performance to end April 2022
Calendar Returns
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | YTD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 2022 | -5.28% | -1.80% | 0.21% | -5.11% | -11.54% | ||||||||
| Benchmark | -3.77% | -2.21% | 0.75% | -6.32% | -11.18% | |||||||||
| Portfolio | 2021 | 0.55% | 1.37% | -0.56% | 2.80% | 0.62% | 0.94% | 0.34% | 1.59% | -2.47% | 2.50% | -2.66% | 1.60% | 6.68% |
| Benchmark | -0.47% | 1.01% | 1.65% | 3.00% | 1.11% | 1.04% | 0.88% | 1.61% | -3.06% | 3.33% | -1.36% | 2.54% | 11.67% | |
| Portfolio | 2020 | -0.68% | -4.30% | -9.68% | 8.05% | 3.42% | 2.83% | 4.24% | 3.53% | -1.30% | -0.43% | 8.50% | 3.72% | 17.74% |
| Benchmark | -0.16% | -4.98% | -9.63% | 7.67% | 2.96% | 2.26% | 3.84% | 3.75% | -2.06% | -1.65% | 8.44% | 3.17% | 12.84% | |
| Portfolio | 2019 | 6.20% | 2.06% | 0.71% | 2.39% | -4.35% | 4.44% | 0.61% | -2.00% | 0.95% | 2.30% | 2.02% | 2.51% | 18.89% |
| Benchmark | 5.61% | 1.81% | 1.38% | 2.27% | -3.47% | 4.83% | 0.46% | -0.83% | 1.23% | 1.77% | 1.57% | 2.25% | 20.23% | |
| Portfolio | 2018 | 3.65% | -2.87% | -1.07% | 0.82% | -0.44% | -1.19% | 1.66% | 0.54% | 0.00% | -6.66% | 0.64% | -4.12% | -9.06% |
| Benchmark | 3.53% | -2.87% | -1.24% | 0.54% | 0.17% | -0.26% | 2.00% | 0.55% | 0.16% | -5.05% | 1.13% | -4.28% | -5.81% | |
| Portfolio | 2017 | 2.83% | 1.52% | 1.28% | 1.65% | 1.88% | 0.46% | 2.48% | -0.28% | 1.77% | 1.50% | 1.22% | 1.64% | 19.45% |
| Benchmark | 1.70% | 2.14% | 0.78% | 1.25% | 1.65% | 0.19% | 1.95% | 0.54% | 1.12% | 1.51% | 1.32% | 1.12% | 16.37% | |
| Portfolio | 2016 | -1.01% | 4.18% | 1.46% | 1.17% | -1.04% | 0.28% | 1.33% | 6.44% | |||||
| Benchmark | 0.21% | 3.05% | 0.19% | 0.39% | -1.47% | -0.06% | 1.50% | 3.80% |
Benchmark: 2/3 iShares MSCI All Country World ETF (USD) + 1/3 X II Barclays Gbl Agg ETF H USD
Source: WS Partners, Morningstar
Euro Portfolios
Euro - Yield and Income
Cumulative Performance to end April 2022
Calendar Returns
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | YTD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 2022 | -2.91% | -2.20% | -0.16% | -2.12% | -7.20% | ||||||||
| Benchmark | -2.28% | -1.88% | -0.61% | -3.10% | -7.65% | |||||||||
| Portfolio | 2021 | 0.50% | 0.82% | 0.91% | 1.16% | 0.24% | 1.57% | 0.44% | 1.22% | -1.16% | 1.34% | -1.04% | 1.37% | 7.57% |
| Benchmark | -0.33% | -0.29% | 1.68% | 0.75% | 0.09% | 1.77% | 1.01% | 0.81% | -1.47% | 1.54% | 0.56% | 0.61% | 6.90% | |
| Portfolio | 2020 | 0.53% | -2.09% | -10.15% | 6.30% | 3.67% | 2.35% | 1.21% | 2.25% | -0.37% | -0.38% | 4.70% | 1.75% | 9.15% |
| Benchmark | 1.13% | -1.73% | -5.70% | 4.62% | 1.04% | 1.00% | 0.61% | 1.02% | -0.20% | -0.66% | 3.46% | 0.87% | 5.22% | |
| Portfolio | 2019 | 4.15% | 1.82% | 1.00% | 1.86% | -2.37% | 1.85% | 1.52% | -0.82% | 1.13% | 0.67% | 1.75% | 1.25% | 14.54% |
| Benchmark | 3.06% | 1.06% | 1.89% | 1.05% | -1.02% | 2.15% | 1.22% | 0.92% | 0.56% | -0.15% | 1.00% | 0.23% | 12.58% | |
| Portfolio | 2018 | 1.46% | -1.36% | -1.10% | 1.26% | 0.42% | -0.66% | 1.26% | -0.03% | 0.64% | -2.96% | -0.39% | -2.99% | -4.49% |
| Benchmark | 0.04% | -0.99% | -0.65% | 0.53% | 1.28% | -0.21% | 0.78% | 0.45% | -0.21% | -2.02% | 0.66% | -1.98% | -2.37% | |
| Portfolio | 2017 | 1.24% | 2.08% | 0.35% | 0.20% | 0.10% | -0.38% | 0.23% | -0.41% | 0.61% | 1.46% | -0.20% | 0.56% | 5.97% |
| Benchmark | -0.24% | 2.01% | 0.03% | 0.26% | -0.09% | -0.64% | -0.11% | 0.31% | 0.41% | 1.35% | -0.17% | 0.26% | 3.39% | |
| Portfolio | 2016 | 1.12% | 2.05% | 1.00% | 0.53% | 0.20% | -0.23% | 1.34% | 6.16% | |||||
| Benchmark | 1.03% | 1.51% | 0.11% | -0.22% | -0.52% | 0.14% | 0.92% | 3.00% |
Benchmark: 1/3 iShares MSCI All Country World ETF (EUR) + 2/3 X II Barclays Gbl Agg ETF H EUR
Source: WS Partners, Morningstar
Euro - Balanced
Cumulative Performance to end April 2022
Calendar Returns
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | YTD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 2022 | -3.08% | -1.67% | -0.12% | -1.83% | -6.55% | ||||||||
| Benchmark | -2.58% | -2.12% | 0.36% | -3.06% | -7.22% | |||||||||
| Portfolio | 2021 | 0.84% | 1.41% | 0.73% | 1.03% | 0.35% | 1.67% | 0.41% | 1.08% | -1.33% | 1.17% | -0.78% | 1.75% | 8.60% |
| Benchmark | -0.18% | 0.38% | 2.77% | 1.04% | 0.07% | 2.44% | 0.94% | 1.35% | -1.69% | 2.47% | 0.51% | 1.20% | 11.83% | |
| Portfolio | 2020 | 0.13% | -2.66% | -8.37% | 5.87% | 2.62% | 1.74% | 1.18% | 2.14% | -0.39% | -0.06% | 5.39% | 2.17% | 9.37% |
| Benchmark | 0.88% | -3.11% | -7.66% | 6.19% | 1.46% | 1.29% | 0.45% | 1.98% | -0.50% | -0.95% | 4.95% | 1.22% | 5.63% | |
| Portfolio | 2019 | 3.70% | 1.71% | 0.86% | 1.56% | -2.56% | 1.43% | 1.56% | -1.09% | 1.43% | 0.91% | 1.80% | 1.08% | 12.98% |
| Benchmark | 4.15% | 1.66% | 2.07% | 1.69% | -2.11% | 2.68% | 1.56% | 0.37% | 1.20% | -0.01% | 1.66% | 0.59% | 16.49% | |
| Portfolio | 2018 | 1.08% | -0.82% | -0.93% | 1.60% | 0.42% | -0.67% | 1.30% | -0.19% | 0.71% | -2.76% | -0.21% | -2.66% | -3.17% |
| Benchmark | 0.48% | -1.28% | -1.26% | 1.10% | 1.86% | -0.28% | 1.28% | 0.65% | -0.01% | -2.80% | 0.88% | -3.48% | -2.97% | |
| Portfolio | 2017 | 0.67% | 1.98% | 0.39% | -0.11% | -0.71% | -0.09% | 0.02% | -0.47% | 1.34% | 1.57% | -0.12% | 0.19% | 4.72% |
| Benchmark | -0.12% | 2.65% | 0.16% | 0.13% | -0.33% | -0.72% | -0.22% | 0.12% | 0.93% | 1.91% | -0.23% | 0.41% | 4.72% | |
| Portfolio | 2016 | 0.25% | 2.48% | 1.02% | 0.24% | 0.35% | 1.68% | 1.74% | 8.00% | |||||
| Benchmark | 0.67% | 2.03% | 0.27% | -0.24% | -0.20% | 1.13% | 1.38% | 5.13% |
Benchmark: 1/2 iShares MSCI All Country World ETF (EUR) + 1/2 X II Barclays Gbl Agg ETF H EUR
Source: WS Partners, Morningstar
Euro - Growth
Cumulative Performance to end April 2022
Calendar Returns
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | YTD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 2022 | -4.44% | -1.97% | 0.55% | -2.03% | -7.72% | ||||||||
| Benchmark | -2.88% | -2.36% | 1.33% | -3.02% | -6.81% | |||||||||
| Portfolio | 2021 | 1.06% | 1.44% | 1.41% | 1.03% | -0.23% | 2.81% | 0.30% | 1.90% | -1.24% | 2.42% | -1.02% | 1.20% | 11.57% |
| Benchmark | -0.02% | 1.05% | 3.86% | 1.32% | 0.05% | 3.11% | 0.86% | 1.90% | -1.90% | 3.41% | 0.46% | 1.79% | 16.94% | |
| Portfolio | 2020 | 0.07% | -3.39% | -8.86% | 7.92% | 2.08% | 2.18% | 0.65% | 2.86% | -0.13% | -0.14% | 6.55% | 2.18% | 11.49% |
| Benchmark | 0.63% | -4.49% | -9.63% | 7.76% | 1.88% | 1.58% | 0.28% | 2.94% | -0.80% | -1.24% | 6.45% | 1.57% | 5.91% | |
| Portfolio | 2019 | 5.86% | 2.49% | 1.58% | 2.40% | -4.08% | 2.86% | 1.94% | -1.50% | 1.46% | 0.72% | 2.68% | 1.14% | 18.65% |
| Benchmark | 5.24% | 2.25% | 2.25% | 2.32% | -3.20% | 3.21% | 1.90% | -0.19% | 1.84% | 0.12% | 2.32% | 0.94% | 20.48% | |
| Portfolio | 2018 | 1.10% | -1.62% | -1.70% | 1.97% | 1.78% | -1.28% | 1.39% | 0.87% | 0.07% | -5.27% | 0.55% | -4.81% | -7.06% |
| Benchmark | 0.93% | -1.56% | -1.86% | 1.67% | 2.43% | -0.35% | 1.78% | 0.85% | 0.20% | -3.58% | 1.10% | -4.97% | -3.61% | |
| Portfolio | 2017 | 1.24% | 2.58% | 0.76% | 0.29% | -0.22% | -0.54% | 0.21% | -0.93% | 2.03% | 2.43% | -0.28% | 0.98% | 8.82% |
| Benchmark | 0.00% | 3.28% | 0.29% | 0.00% | -0.56% | -0.81% | -0.34% | -0.08% | 1.45% | 2.46% | -0.29% | 0.57% | 6.05% | |
| Portfolio | 2016 | -0.95% | 3.88% | 1.55% | 0.66% | 0.46% | 2.35% | 1.69% | 9.98% | |||||
| Benchmark | 0.31% | 2.56% | 0.42% | -0.26% | 0.12% | 2.13% | 1.83% | 7.28% |
Benchmark: 2/3 iShares MSCI All Country World ETF (EUR) + 1/3 X II Barclays Gbl Agg ETF H EUR
Source: WS Partners, Morningstar