Best Asset Management Firm of the Year
Switzerland
Contact details Pharus Management SA Via Pollini 7, CH-6850 Mendrisio t: +41 (0) 91 640 37 80 (centr) t: +41 (0) 91 640 37 88 (int) e: info@pharus.ch w: www.pharusmanagement.ch
The origins of Pharus date back to 1998, when the Swiss asset manager Pharus Management SA was established to manage the assets of private customers. In 2002, the first expansion took place with the SICAV under the Luxembourg law, currently on the market with 28 Funds harmonized and authorized by the Consob to be offered to the Italian public too. As an independent investment boutique, the target clientele is of high standing, and the offer consists of both tailor-made solutions and a variety of funds capable of responding to the different needs of risk and return, which range from purely monetary products to funds specialized in fixed income. From equity and multi-asset to purely thematic funds. In particular, the three leading thematic equity funds Pharus Sicav Next Revolution, Pharus Sicav Biotech and Pharus Sicav Best Regulated Companies - are unique products in the investment funds panorama, since they focus on niches with high growth potential compared to the market. The highly competent management team, with many years of experience, invests with rigorous methodologies: the sophisticated systems used to analyze the financial statements of the companies in the portfolio, especially profits and their evolution, are integrated with the examination of intangible assets, which have a particularly significant weight in those highly innovative realities. Pharus Sicav Biotech invests in shares of companies active in the search of innovative solutions thanks to the most advanced biotechnologies, or in possession of interesting technologies that can be used for the development of innovative therapies. The investment universe of the fund is not limited to a particular geographical area, even if the portfolio consists almost exclusively of companies listed in the USA. The overall performance of Pharus Sicav Biotech in 2019 was + 24.02%. Pharus Sicav Next Revolution mainly invests in shares of leading companies in the development of innovative technologies, or in possession of interesting technologies that can be used for the development of traditional businesses. The objective of the strategy is to select companies that invest in frontier sectors and that guide future technological development, such as digital marketing, cybersecurity, cloud services, smart payments, robotics, big data, artificial intelligence and the
blockchain. The fund performance in 2019 was + 23.02%. Finally, Pharus Best Regulated Companies invests in companies specialized in infrastructures within regulated sectors such as, for example, electricity transmission and distribution, water and gas transportation, gas storage and regasification. These are infrastructural networks that offer services of strategic and social relevance for a State. For this reason, they often operate under a monopoly regime and are remunerated by guaranteed returns based on criteria defined ex ante by the regulator. These characteristics allow the fund to be little connected to the economic cycle to obtain stable and solid returns, also thanks to the high cash flows which translate into dividend yields that are substantial and sustainable over time. In addition, the companies included in the portfolio pursue the goal of energy transition on a daily basis and are at the forefront of the development of smart grids, which has enabled the fund to obtain a the ESG certification with AA rating. The fund performance in 2019 was + 7.26% The Pharus Sicav Absolute Return also deserves to be mentioned, a balanced multi-asset fund which, like the Pharus Sicav Best Regulated Companies, aims to achieve returns in any market context with a low degree of volatility. The conservative approach of the fund requires that both the equity and bond components are of the highest quality and allows for the so-called Fly To Quality to be obtained when the stock market corrects, thanks to the bond part that amortizes the equity drawdown. Characterized by diversification, professionalism, active management and innovation, Pharus’ strategy has made it possible to preserve capital over time and seize growth opportunities in line with customer needs, while riding the revolution of the wealth management industry. Hence the foundation in 2012 of the Management Company in Luxembourg authorized for UCITS and UCI, in 2015 the listing of part of the funds to the ETF Plus market segment of Borsa Italiana, in 2016 the authorization for retail distribution in Switzerland of part of its funds and shortly the opening of the Italian branch. In today’s highly crowded asset management industry, it is a matter of pride for a niche and tailored management company such as Pharus to be named Best Asset Management Firm of the Year - Switzerland at the 2020 Global Awards.
GLOBAL AWARDS | 2020
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