AB equity fund highly recommended

Lonsec has upgraded AllianceBerstein's (AB's) managed volatility equities fund to ‘highly recommended', while the fund has outperformed the index by 7.25 per cent.

The research house said it had very high conviction that AB's managed volatility equity fund would generate risk-adjusted returns in line with its objectives.

The fund's quantitative processes blended with a fundamentals approach, allowed investors ‘attractive asymmetrical upside' and downside protection, Lonsec said.

The fund generated a 16.89 per cent return year-on-year, which beat the sector benchmark of 9.64 per cent, based on Money Management's Investment Centre (MMIC).

The fund was also recently added to three more retail investment platforms — IOOF, AMP North/My North and MLC Wrap/Navigator — bringing the total number of platforms on which it was available to seven.

AB's chief investment officer, Roy Maslen, said the fund was designed to smooth the ride for investors when markets fell and capture upside when the markets rose.

"Its simple but robust structure meant we can keep fees very competitive," he said.

Lonsec also said the fund was "considered a preferred entry point to this asset class or strategy".

To compare the fund to its peers, or to find out more about the fund, click here: http://investmentcentre.moneymanagement.com.au/factsheets/mi-kqf2x/alli…