Key Takeaways
- • Quilter Investors launches Absolute Return Equity Fund with Janus Henderson as sub-adviser, targeting positive returns over 12-month periods across UK, European, and US large- and mega-cap equities using a long/short strategy managed by Ben Wallace and Luke Newman.
- • Quilter appoints Jupiter to manage UK Equity Growth Fund, leveraging Jupiter manager Chris Smith's track record from Jupiter's own UK Growth Fund, integrated within WealthSelect Managed Portfolio Service.
- • Quilter manages £126.3 billion ($168 billion) in customer investments and uses sub-advised mandates to enable tax-efficient manager transitions within WealthSelect portfolios, avoiding capital gains tax charges and dealing costs.
- • Sub-advised mandate structure provides strategic flexibility, allowing portfolio managers to access multiple strategies across asset classes, sectors, and geographies while enabling seamless manager switches without triggering tax events.
Summary
Quilter Investors, the UK wealth manager overseeing £126.3 billion ($168 billion) in customer investments, has announced two significant additions to its investment product suite targeting institutional and high-net-worth clients. The firm launched the Quilter Investors Absolute Return Equity Fund, a sub-advised mandate managed by Janus Henderson, designed to deliver positive absolute returns over 12-month periods regardless of market conditions. The strategy employs a long/short equity approach concentrated on large- and mega-cap companies, with geographic exposure predominantly in the UK alongside European and US holdings.
The mandate, based on the Janus Henderson Absolute Return Fund and led by portfolio managers Ben Wallace and Luke Newman, combines core and tactical portfolio construction methodologies. The core approach targets companies exhibiting strong cash flows and fundamental metrics, while the tactical component identifies market anomalies and inefficiencies. This dual-layer construction is embedded within Quilter's WealthSelect Managed Portfolio Service, which utilizes multiple sub-advised mandates and third-party funds across diversified multi-asset solutions.
Concurrently, Quilter appointed Jupiter to manage the Quilter Investors UK Equity Growth Fund, with management delegated to Chris Smith, who manages Jupiter's established UK Growth Fund on which the sub-advised mandate is based. This appointment strengthens Quilter's UK equity positioning within WealthSelect.
The sub-advised mandate structure offers material advantages for institutional and affluent clients. By employing sub-advisers rather than direct fund ownership, WealthSelect portfolios can transition between managers without executing underlying fund purchases or sales, thereby avoiding capital gains tax triggers and reducing dealing costs—a significant operational benefit for tax-sensitive investors. This architecture enables portfolio construction across multiple asset classes, sectors, and geographic regions while maintaining operational and tax efficiency. Quilter's use of this sub-advisory framework reflects industry best practices for large discretionary wealth managers seeking to provide diversified exposure while maintaining client tax optimization.
The mandate, based on the Janus Henderson Absolute Return Fund and led by portfolio managers Ben Wallace and Luke Newman, combines core and tactical portfolio construction methodologies. The core approach targets companies exhibiting strong cash flows and fundamental metrics, while the tactical component identifies market anomalies and inefficiencies. This dual-layer construction is embedded within Quilter's WealthSelect Managed Portfolio Service, which utilizes multiple sub-advised mandates and third-party funds across diversified multi-asset solutions.
Concurrently, Quilter appointed Jupiter to manage the Quilter Investors UK Equity Growth Fund, with management delegated to Chris Smith, who manages Jupiter's established UK Growth Fund on which the sub-advised mandate is based. This appointment strengthens Quilter's UK equity positioning within WealthSelect.
The sub-advised mandate structure offers material advantages for institutional and affluent clients. By employing sub-advisers rather than direct fund ownership, WealthSelect portfolios can transition between managers without executing underlying fund purchases or sales, thereby avoiding capital gains tax triggers and reducing dealing costs—a significant operational benefit for tax-sensitive investors. This architecture enables portfolio construction across multiple asset classes, sectors, and geographic regions while maintaining operational and tax efficiency. Quilter's use of this sub-advisory framework reflects industry best practices for large discretionary wealth managers seeking to provide diversified exposure while maintaining client tax optimization.
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