The absolute return sector comeback?

Light possibly at the end of the tunnel

According to the most recent data from the Investment Association (IA), February 2019 marked the first time in four months the IA Targeted Absolute Return sector was not the worst-selling IA sector among retail investors.

Hardly glowing praise, but nonetheless, could this mark a turning point for the highly criticised peer group? Absolute return funds have come under fire over recent years, due to the many mandates failing to achieve a positive return for investors over rolling 12-month or even 36-month periods - two of the most commonly-cited benchmarks for funds in the sector. In fact, in this week's 'Head to Head' feature, Lowes Financial Management's Ian Lowes says only three of 125 absolute return funds with long-enough track records have an "unblemished record of no negative returns" over 24 roll...