Former Artemis fund manager Alex Illingsworth’s new investment boutique has acquired Vermeer Investment Management (VIM) as it unveils a new active ETF.
Goshawk Asset Management, backed by Harwood Capital Management, did not disclose how much VIM was acquired for but added its wealth arm, Vermeer Partners, was not part of the deal.
The deal will see the managers of the £61m Vermeer Global fund – Tim Gregory, James Roswell and Charlie Fricker – join Goshhawk AM, with the firm set to be renamed the Goshawk Global fund.
It comes as Illingsworth – responsible for building out Harwood Capital Management’s active ETF business in Europe – takes over the revamped Global Balanced Fund UCITS ETF (ROE).
The ETF will follow a similar strategy to the Goshawk Global fund, which since its 2016 launch has returned 136.9% versus the IA Global Sector average of 103.6%.
ROE, formerly the HANetf’s Digital Infrastructure and Connectivity UCITS ETF (DIGI), will invest at least 80% of its portfolio in equities alongside investing in sovereign bonds issued by governments of developed market countries.
It aims to offer lower volatility and increased downside protection.
Commenting, Illingworth said: “It is exciting to be entering the growing active ETF market, combining active management with the convenience and cost-effectiveness of ETFs to deliver Goshawk strategies to fund and ETF investors alike.”
