UK Institutional Real Return

Strategy highlights

  • Actively managed, absolute-return investment approach, with an emphasis on capital preservation
  • A focus on security selection, asset class flexibility and simple hedging strategies – to manage risk and offer investors the potential to enjoy attractive long-term total returns
  • Flexible, transparent, single portfolio of predominantly direct investments
  • Security selection driven by bottom-up proprietary research which is underpinned by our multidimensional approach
Learn more about our multidimensional investment philosophy

Strategy profile

Objective

The strategy seeks to deliver positive returns on a rolling annualised three-year basis after fees. The strategy aims to deliver positive returns before fees within a range of cash (SONIA (30-day compounded)) on a rolling annualised three-year basis and cash (SONIA (30-day compounded)) + 4% per annum on a rolling annualised five-year basis. However, positive returns are not guaranteed and a capital loss may occur.

Performance benchmark

The strategy will measure its performance before fees against SONIA (30-day compounded) on a rolling annualised three-year basis (the ‘three-year benchmark’) and SONIA (30-day compounded) +4% per annum on a rolling annualised five-year basis (the ‘five-year benchmark’).*

Volatility

Expected to be between that of bonds and equities over the long term

Strategy inception

Composite inception: 1 April 2004

Typical assets

Selective exposure to
  • Equities
  • Corporate bonds
  • Government bonds
  • Cash derivatives
Other assets via tradeable securities
  • Real estate
  • Commodities
  • Currencies
  • Infrastructure
  • Renewable energy
  • Other ‘alternative’ strategies

Strategy available through pooled UK vehicle

BNY Mellon Real Return Fund

View fund performance
View Key Investor Information Document
View prospectus

* Please note that on 1 October 2021, the performance benchmark for this strategy changed from 1-month GBP LIBOR +4% to SONIA (30-day compounded) +4%.
UK Inst Real Return strategy factsheet

Strategy factsheet

Performance and commentary for the last quarter.

Download Factsheet
Real Return Brochure

Brochure

More detail on the strategy’s investment approach.

Download Brochure

Investment team

This strategy is managed by an experienced team with a wide range of backgrounds. In-house research analysts are at the core of our investment process, and our multidimensional research platform spans fundamental, thematic, responsible investment, quantitative, geopolitical, investigative and private-market research to promote better-informed investment decisions.

Want to find out more?

Contact us
Andy Warwick
Andy Warwick

Co-head of Real Return team

Aron Pataki
Aron Pataki

Co-head of Real Return team

Matthew Brown
Matthew Brown

Portfolio manager, Real Return team

Philip Shucksmith
Philip Shucksmith

Portfolio manager, Real Return team

Lars Middleton
Lars Middleton

Portfolio manager, Real Return team

Chris King
Chris King

Portfolio manager, Real Return team

Brendan Mulhern
Brendan Mulhern

Global strategist, Real Return team

Aaron Sinadjan
Aaron Sinadjan

Portfolio analyst, Real Return team

Catherine Doyle
Catherine Doyle

Investment specialist

Insights

Blog

Real Return outlook 2025: Opportunities in a new market regime

Amid developments in the US and China and continued excitement around AI, we assess the investment outlook.
06 December 2024 Newton Real Return team
Article

Real Return: Navigating 20 years of evolving markets

We reflect on the highly varied and unpredictable backdrop navigated by the Real Return strategy since its inception.
27 September 2024 Newton Real Return team
Article

Reimagining the multi-asset portfolio in a new investment world

Explore the reasons why we believe now is the time to consider liquid alternatives.
29 August 2024 Mitesh Sheth

Your capital may be at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and investors may not get back the original amount invested.
 
ESG can be one of many inputs into the fundamental analysis. Newton will make investment decisions that are not based solely on ESG analysis. Other attributes of an investment may outweigh ESG analysis when making investment decisions. The way that material ESG analysis is assessed may vary depending on the asset class and strategy involved. As of September 2022, the equity investment team performs ESG analysis on equity securities prior to their recommendation. ESG analysis is not performed for all fixed-income securities. The portfolio managers may purchase equity securities that are not formally recommended and for which ESG analysis has not been performed.

Key investment risks

  • Performance aim risk: The performance aim is not a guarantee, may not be achieved and a capital loss may occur. Strategies which have a higher performance aim generally take more risk to achieve this and so have a greater potential for returns to vary significantly.
  • Currency risk: This strategy invests in international markets which means it is exposed to changes in currency rates which could affect the value of the strategy.
  • Derivatives risk: Derivatives are highly sensitive to changes in the value of the asset from which their value is derived. A small movement in the value of the underlying asset can cause a large movement in the value of the derivative. This can increase the sizes of losses and gains, causing the value of your investment to fluctuate. When using derivatives, the strategy can lose significantly more than the amount it has invested in derivatives.
  • Changes in interest rates & inflation risk: Investments in bonds/money market securities are affected by interest rates and inflation trends which may negatively affect the value of the strategy.
  • Credit ratings and unrated securities risk: Bonds with a low credit rating or unrated bonds have a greater risk of default. These investments may negatively affect the value of the strategy.
  • Credit risk: The issuer of a security held by the strategy may not pay income or repay capital to the strategy when due.
  • Emerging markets risk: Emerging Markets have additional risks due to less-developed market practices.
  • Liquidity risk: The strategy may not always find another party willing to purchase an asset that the strategy wants to sell which could impact the strategy’s ability to sell the asset or to sell the asset at its current value.
  • Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and/or the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect (‘Stock Connect’) risk: The strategy may invest in China A shares through Stock Connect programmes. These may be subject to regulatory changes and quota limitations. An operational constraint such as a suspension in trading could negatively affect the strategy’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
  • China Interbank Bond Market and Bond Connect risk: The strategy may invest in China interbank bond market through connection between the related Mainland and Hong Kong financial infrastructure institutions. These may be subject to regulatory changes, settlement risk and quota limitations. An operational constraint such as a suspension in trading could negatively affect the strategy’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
  • CoCos risk: Contingent convertible securities (CoCos) convert from debt to equity when the issuer’s capital drops below a pre-defined level. This may result in the security converting into equities at a discounted share price, the value of the security being written down, temporarily or permanently, and/or coupon payments ceasing or being deferred.
  • Counterparty risk: The insolvency of any institutions providing services such as custody of assets or acting as a counterparty to derivatives or other contractual arrangements, may expose the strategy to financial loss.
  • Investment in infrastructure companies risk: The value of investments in Infrastructure Companies may be negatively impacted by changes in the regulatory, economic or political environment in which they operate.