Alma Selwood Market Neutral Credit
Overview
Share Class
NAV
Cumulative Performance (%)
Fund Inception 23 March 2016
| Daily | Monthly | Ytd | 1Yr | 3Yr | 5Yr | Incept. | Incept.Date |
|---|
The performance data shown represents past performance. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The investment return and the principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
Strategy & Manager
Funds Strategy
The Fund provides access to a UCITS compliant version of the Selwood Market Neutral Credit Strategy managed by Sofiane Gharred and his team at Selwood Asset Management (“Selwood”). The strategy was launched in September 2015 and trades a single investment strategy focused on liquid credit indices within the investment grade credit space. It implements the strategy by investing in CDX and iTraxx indices, tranches of these, index options and single name CDS.
The goal is to achieve a market neutral portfolio which has a positive carry and positive convexity. The strategy attempts to monetise the dislocation between the actual credit spread of the CDX and iTraxx index and that implied by the CDS of the underlying index components. There has been a persistent difference between these spreads since the indices were launched in 2004, largely due to the indices being used predominantly to hedge credit exposure. The team will buy CDS on the most risky single name credits in order to minimise the risk of default to the portfolio.
In addition to the core strategy supplemental alpha opportunities arise roll yield as the index rolls twice per annum to the new on-the-run series, the strategy will profit from the technical cheapening of the previous on-the-run index; the strategy also utilises derivatives such as options to create a positively convex return profile in order to try to minimise market risk.
Investment Manager
Selwood AM LLP was founded by Sofiane Gharred in 2015. Mr Gharred is a pioneer of the synthetic credit derivatives market with 17 years of experience on both the buy side and sell side. He has gathered a team of seasoned professionals dedicated to offer investors access to unique alternative credit investments. Selwood AM LLP aims at generating superior risk-adjusted returns over a broad range of market environments. Investment approach implemented since 2006 and tested through various market cycles.
Key Persons
Sofiane Gharred
CIO
Prior to founding Selwood AM, Mr Sofiane Gharred was a partner at Chenavari Financial Group. During Mr Gharred’s tenure, he developed and managed the liquid Corporate Credit Strategy, developed the risk management framework for the firm and significantly contributed to Chenavari winning multiple awards over his 7 years at the firm.
Prior to that, Mr Gharred was Managing Director and Global Head of Structured Credit Trading at Credit Agricole CIB. He was responsible for all structured credit proprietary activities with over 20 traders reporting to him. In this capacity, he successfully managed a $200bn delta equivalent correlation book across a variety of credit markets, notably producing positive returns during the correlation crisis in 2005 and the sub-prime crisis in 2007.
Mr Gharred has a strong quantitative background, with an MSc (Hons) in Applied Mathematics in Finance graduating from Ecole Centrale Paris, and a DEA (Hons) in Mathematical modelling in economics from Sorbonne University.
Statistics & Commentary
Performance
The performance data shown represents past performance. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. The investment return and the principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
Investment Manager's Commentary
as of 30/11/2022Market Review and Outlook
After March, where a full blown banking crisis impacted risk sentiment, April’s theme returned to central banks and their attempts to combat still stubborn inflation. Aside from inflation, macro data were largely mixed. While headline CPI was expected to fall, as energy prices had reduced significantly, core inflation remained sticky across the US (5.1%), EU (still at the high of 5.7%) and UK (6.2%, or 20bps above cons.). UK headline inflation surprised, by remaining above 10%. Elsewhere global PMIs highlighted a higher than expected services print, helping US, EU and UK composite measures to rise mom. However, while US manufacturing recovered back into expansionary territory (50.4), both EU and UK prints were worse than expected and further into contraction. Ahead of the FOMC, ECB and UKMPC meetings in early May market expectations priced at least another +25bps hike from all three, albeit with the Fed possibly closer to its terminal rate. This was reflected in sovereign rates with UST yields falling modestly, although the 2s10s curve did marginally invert further (closing-58.4bps). Bund and Gilt yields rose in the month on expectation that both central banks had further to go with their monetary policy tightening. The final week of the month saw fears reignite over the strength of US regional banks, with Pacific West particularly in the headlights. Most price action was restricted to equities with PacWest’s precipitous share price decline ultimately leading to yet another US bank failure with a bail out just after month end.
Fund
| Effect | Gross Performance Strategy Estimates | |||||||
| Credit | -0.28% | |||||||
| Carry(12) | 0.74% | |||||||
| Other | -0.06% | |||||||
| Total | 0.40% | |||||||
Exposure Comment:
– Dynamically managed long and short credit risk exposure using index and Credit options
– Rolled hedges to May
Facts & Documents
Facts
Fund Domicile: Luxembourg
Fund Type: UCITS SICAV
Fund Launch: 23 March 2016
Base Currency: EUR
Depositary, Administrator, Transfert Agent: RBC Investor Services Bank S.A.
Dealing: Weekly with a 4-day notice
Cut-off time: 3 pm CET
Management Company: Alma Capital Investment Management
Investment Manager: Selwood Asset Management LLP
Countries where the fund is registered:
Luxembourg, Austria, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Switzerland, Singapore, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Sweden
Sustainability-related disclosures:
The information related to the integration of sustainability risks and to the potential adverse sustainability impacts at the sub-fund level can be found in the prospectus of the Fund.
Identifiers:
I1C-E
ISIN: LU1769346898
Ticker: DPSI1CE LX
Launch: 13 Apr 2018
I1C-G
ISIN: LU1769346625
Ticker: DBSILCG LX
Launch: 6 Feb 2019
I1C-U
ISIN: LU1769346971
Ticker: DPSI1CU LX
Launch: 13 Apr 2018
I2C-E
ISIN: LU1769347276
Ticker: DBSI2CE LX
Launch: 13 Apr 2018
R1C-E
ISIN: LU1769346039
Ticker: DBSR1CE LX
Launch: 13 Apr 2018
R1C-U
ISIN: LU1769346112
Ticker: DBSR1CU LX
Launch: 13 Apr 2018
I2C-U
ISIN: LU1769347359
Ticker: DBSI2CU LX
Launch: 31 Jan 2020
I2C-G
ISIN: LU1769347193
Ticker: DPSI2CG LX
Launch: 31 Aug 2022
Documents
available upon request