Press Release: Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund Has Delivered; Alternative to Bonds?
Palo Alto, CA (PRWEB) July 09, 2013 -- The Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund (MABFX) has delivered positive absolute returns in both rising and falling dollar environments. More so, the Fund has taken advantage of the low correlations offered by the currency asset class versus traditional investments. In using a “long/short” approach to currency investing, the Fund’s risk profile has also been tightly contained.
With a 1-year performance of 10.63% as of June 30, 2013, the Fund outperformed all of its peers in the Bloomberg Currency category for the 1-year period*. It has provided investors with positive returns while keeping its risk profile relatively low in turbulent times; the fund’s 1-year standard deviation is 6.49% as of June 30, 2013.
Through 06/30/13, the Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund Investor Shares had a 1-year return of 10.63%, an annualized 3-year return of -0.59%, and an annualized return of -1.02 % since inception on 09/09/2009. The Fund’s performance data represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. Please visit http://www.merkfunds.com for most recent month end performance. The Fund’s expense ratio for the Investor Shares is 1.30%.
The Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund (MABFX) seeks to generate positive returns by investing in currencies. The currency space appears to be well suited for active management, as non-profit-maximizing participants, such as corporate hedgers, central banks or travelers can create exploitable market inefficiencies. Using a “long/short” pure play on currencies, the Fund aims to profit regardless of the direction of the U.S. dollar or traditional asset classes.
“For investors increasingly concerned about their bond holdings, the Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund may be an attractive alternative,” explains Axel Merk, President and Chief Investment Officer of Merk Investments, the manager of Merk Funds. “As asset prices may be chasing the next perceived intervention of policy makers rather than fundamentals, we believe currencies are a great place to deflect the ‘mania’ of policy makers,” Merk continues.
MABFX combines strategic and tactical currency management with dynamic risk management seeking low correlations and low volatility. Merk believes the success of the Merk Absolute Return strategy stems from the systematic projection of Merk’s macro views onto the non-directional space as well as active discretionary management, allowing Merk maximum flexibility within a consistent risk tolerance range. “We call this our ‘best ideas’ fund where our enhanced risk management allows for tactical adjustments based on changes in market risk sentiment,” Axel Merk explains.
Analyst Matthieu Doublet of the Merk Portfolio Management Team expands: “MABFX’s 1-year Sharpe Ratio, a measure of risk-adjusted returns, was 1.62 with a correlation to U.S equities below 0.40**.”
Indeed, currencies may offer diversification benefits with regard to traditional asset classes. “In our opinion, the funds’ low historical correlation with US Bonds, US Equities, and the U.S. Dollar Index make it a great portfolio diversifier that we believe lived up to its goal of delivering absolute returns regardless of prevailing market conditions. Such absolute return strategies may be particularly attractive to investors worried about the outlook for traditional asset classes such as stocks and bonds in an environment of increasing uncertainty,” concludes Doublet.
Merk is the only mutual fund company with a primary focus on adding value by managing currency risk. Merk White Papers and other primary research on the currency asset class can be found at http://www.merkfunds.com. The Merk Funds® include: the Merk Hard Currency Fund® (MERKX), the Merk Asian Currency Fund® (MEAFX), the Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund® (MABFX) and the Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund® (MUSFX). The Merk Funds provide investors with the opportunity to add managed currency exposure to their portfolios, which may provide valuable diversification benefits.
For important information about the Merk Funds, including their holdings, how to obtain a prospectus and how to invest, please visit http://www.merkfunds.com.
For more information, or to schedule an interview, please contact:
Joe Paone
Merk Investments LLC
(650) 323 4341
pr [at] merkinvestments.com
This information does not constitute a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any investment security, nor provide investment advice. Merk Investments LLC.
Transaction fees and other restrictions may apply to invest through a broker. As with any mutual fund product, there is no guarantee that the funds will achieve their goals.
Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks and charges and expenses of the Funds carefully before investing. This and other information is in the prospectus, a copy of which may be obtained by visiting the Funds’ website at http://www.merkfunds.com or calling 866-MERK FUND. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest.
Since the Fund primarily invests in foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of what the Fund owns and the price of the Fund’s shares. Investing in foreign instruments bears a greater risk than investing in domestic instruments for reasons such as volatility of currency exchange rates and, in some cases, limited geographic focus, political and economic instability, and relatively illiquid markets. The Fund is subject to interest rate risk, which is the risk that debt securities in the Fund’s portfolio will decline in value because of increases in market interest rates. The Fund may also invest in derivative securities which can be volatile and involve various types and degrees of risk. In addition, the Fund is not a money market fund and therefore it does not seek to maintain a stable net asset value (NAV). For a more complete discussion of these and other Fund risks, please refer to the Fund’s prospectus.
Foreside Fund Services, LLC, distributor.
*Source: Bloomberg. The Bloomberg Currency category includes 33 funds as of 6/30/2013.
**Source: Bloomberg, Merk Investments.
Standard Deviation: a measure of historical volatility of the returns of the investment.
Sharpe Ratio: a measure of risk-adjusted performance of the returns of the investment.
Correlation: a measure, ranging in value from 1.00 to -1.00, of the historical association between returns of two investments.
Joe Paone, Merk Investments LLC, (650) 323-4341 x115, [email protected]
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