Multi-asset managers turn to passives for commodity exposure as underweight active managers get left behind

Commodities entered bull market territory

Multi-managers hoping to take advantage of the recent commodities bull run and rebuild their exposure have been forced to allocate to passive vehicles, as many active equity fund managers are holding "material underweights" to the unloved energy and mining sectors.

The Bloomberg Commodity index, which tracks returns from 22 raw materials, recorded a 21% gain over the six months since the lows of January, when concerns about China's slowdown weighed heavily on the sector. There have been gains across the board as supply constraints and production cuts have driven up prices. In particular, oil prices have recovered from 12-year lows of around $27 a barrel at the start of the year to above $50. Sentiment towards commodities turns positive for first time in six months However, funds in the IA UK All Companies sector have been left behind with an ...