Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Home / 347

2020 Morningstar Fund Manager of the Year awards

A global investment manager known for its high-quality portfolio managers, in-depth research and impressive line-up of strategies has been awarded Morningstar's Fund Manager of the Year.

Fidelity International (pictured), which invests $482.8 billion on behalf of investors globally, took home the top honour at an award ceremony on Friday surrounded by Sydney's investment management community.

Fidelity International director of research Viral Patel thanked his team and clients for their ongoing support and trust.

"On behalf of the Johnson family, who for fifty years steadfastly made sure that their support for making money for our clients has been absolute. On behalf of Paul Taylor, who founded our Australian office and is a legendary investor. On behalf of a good global collaborative investment platform that helps hat-trick winners like James. And on behalf of all employees. In the presence of great fund managers, we humbly and gratefully accept this award," he said.

Fidelity was a stand-out choice for this years' award due to its impressive line-up of strategies that consistently outperform peers and indices across multiple asset classes, said Aman Ramrakha, Morningstar director of manager research ratings, Asia Pacific.

"Harnessing the scale of a manager this size can be challenging, but Fidelity has proven to be a reliable choice for Australian investors in 2019," he said.

Fidelity Future Leader portfolio manager James Abela also nabbed the award for Fund Manager of the Year: Domestic Equities - Small Cap for the third year in a row, owing to outstanding long-term outperformance.

"We wouldn't do this if we didn't love it," Abela said in the acceptance of the award. "For what we do for our clients, what we do for the industry. It is our life's work. It's decades of work. May we always love it and continue to do it for many years to come."

Fidelity International is known by Australian investors for its wide range of funds including the Australian Equities fund, overseen by Paul Taylor, and Kate Howitt's Australian Opportunities Fund.

Fidelity has also joined a growing list of Australian asset managers launching active ETF strategies, having listed an ASX-listed clone of the Fidelity Global Emerging Markets fund (FEMX) in 2018, overseen by Alex Duffy.

The award for Global Equities went to Franklin Global Growth, while Hyperion Asset Management was named top of the class in the Domestic Equities - Large Cap category. Silver-rated Hyperion Australian Growth Companies was the top returning large-cap Aussie equity fund (under coverage) in 2019, returning 33.66 per cent.

Award finalists and winners are determined by a combination of qualitative research by Morningstar's manager research analysts; risk-adjusted medium- to long-term performance track records; and performance in the 2019 calendar year.

To receive the overall Fund Manager of the Year award, a fund manager must have offered products in multiple award categories or delivered an outstanding outcome for investors.

The event, which coincided with the end of half-year reporting season, was well attended by over 150 investment managers.

Morningstar Australia Awards winners by category

Overall Fund Manager of the Year

  • Fidelity International - Winner
  • Hyperion Asset Management
  • Western Asset Management

Fund Manager of the Year: Undiscovered Manager

  • GAM Systematic Alternative Risk Premia - Winner
  • GQG Partners
  • Legg Mason Western Asset Global Bond

Fund Manager of the Year: Domestic Equities - Large Cap

  • Hyperion Asset Management - Winner
  • Greencape Capital
  • Platypus Asset Management

Fund Manager of the Year: Domestic Equities - Small Caps

  • Fidelity International - Winner
  • First Sentier Investors
  • Hyperion Asset Management

Fund Manager of the Year: Fixed Interest

  • Legg Mason Western Asset – Winner
  • Colonial First State FirstChoice Investments
  • PIMCO Australia

Fund Manager of the Year: Global Equities

  • Franklin Global Growth - Winner
  • VanEck Vectors QUAL
  • Zurich Global Growth (American Century Investments)

Fund Manager of the Year: Listed Property & Infrastructure

  • Pendal Group - Winner
  • Cromwell Property Group
  • Magellan Global Infrastructure

Fund Manager of the Year: Multisector

  • Vanguard Investments Australia - Winner
  • Advance Asset Management
  • AustralianSuper

 

Emma Rapaport is the editor of Morningstar.com.au


Try Morningstar Investor for free


 


 

Leave a Comment:

RELATED ARTICLES

The time for bonds has come

Does Barrenjoey hold the key to Magellan's fortunes?

A different approach to equity income investing

banner

Most viewed in recent weeks

Raising the GST to 15%

Treasurer Jim Chalmers aims to tackle tax reform but faces challenges. Previous reviews struggled due to political sensitivities, highlighting the need for comprehensive and politically feasible change.

Here's what should replace the $3 million super tax

With Div. 296 looming, is there a smarter way to tax superannuation? This proposes a fairer, income-linked alternative that respects compounding, ensures predictability, and avoids taxing unrealised capital gains. 

100 Aussies: seven charts on who earns, pays, and owns

The Labor government is talking up tax reform to lift Australia’s ailing economic growth. Before any changes are made, it’s important to know who pays tax, who owns assets, and how much people have in their super for retirement.

9 winning investment strategies

There are many ways to invest in stocks, but some strategies are more effective than others. Here are nine tried and tested investment approaches - choosing one of these can improve your chances of reaching your financial goals.

The rubbery numbers behind super tax concessions

In selling the super tax, Labor has repeated Treasury claims of there being $50 billion in super tax concessions annually, mostly flowing to high-income earners. This figure is vastly overstated.

With markets near record highs, here's what you should do with your portfolio

Markets have weathered geopolitical turmoil, hitting near record highs. Investors face tough decisions on valuations, asset concentration, and strategic portfolio rebalancing for risk control and future returns.

Latest Updates

Investment strategies

Finding income in an income-starved world

With term deposit rates falling, bonds holding up but with risks attached, and stocks yielding comparatively paltry sums, finding decent income is becoming harder. Here’s a guide to the best places to hunt for yield.

Economy

Fearful politicians put finances at risk

A tearful Treasury chief, a backbench rebellion, and crashing bonds. What just happened in the UK and why could Australia’s NDIS be headed for the same brutal fiscal reality?

Shares

Investing at market peaks: The surprising truth

Many investors are hesitant to buy into a market that feels like it’s already climbed too far, too fast. But what does nearly a century of market history suggest about investing at peaks?

Shares

Chinese steel - building a Sydney Harbour Bridge every 10 minutes

China's steel production, equivalent to building one Sydney Harbour Bridge every 10 minutes, has driven Australia's economic growth. With China's slowdown, what does this mean for Australia's economy and investments?

Investment strategies

Will stablecoins change the way we pay for things?

Stablecoins have been hyped as a gamechanger for the payments industry. But while they could find success in certain niches, a broader upheaval of Visa and Mastercard's payments dominance looks unlikely.

Infrastructure

An investing theme you can bet on for the next 30 years

Investors view infrastructure as a defensive asset class rather than one with compelling growth prospects. These five tailwinds for demand over the coming decades suggest that such a stance could be mistaken.

Investment strategies

A letter to my younger self: investing through today's chaos

We are trading through one of history's most confounding market environments. One day, financial headlines warn of doomsday scenarios. The next, they celebrate a new golden age. How can investors keep a clear head?

Sponsors

Alliances

© 2025 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.