Kalay Nair

When thinking about the characteristics of a good assest manager, it seems to come down to knowledge, philosophy and hard work. Cannon’s chief executive officer Geoff Blount says passionate people are an important part of the mix.

Cannon Asset Managers’ chief investment officer Adrian Saville says during volatile times investors often rush into hedge funds seeking protection. "But these have proved to be almost as volatile as equity markets with much lower rates of return. The experience of January 2008 comes to mind, when stock markets around the globe traded lower and hedge funds saw losses in that month too," he says.

How often does the market beat the asset manager? The consensus is that more often than not the market comes out tops. Sanlam Investment Management managing director Armien Tyer says in the United States few managers beat the index over the long term. According to one study, in the period between 1994 to 2004 about 80% of equity managers could not beat the S&P 500.

As the South African Indian community gets wealthier and more brand conscious, the media that serves it needs to keep up without alienating the traditionalists. Kalay Nair reports.