Jupiter backs financial innovation with fund rebrand

Jupiter Global Financials to be renamed the Jupiter Financial Innovation Fund, effective 3rd December, Jupiter Asset Management announces today.

Managed by financials veteran Guy de Blonay since 2015, the Jupiter Global Financials fund is being repositioned with the aim of continuing to take advantage of the digital transformation of the financial services sector – a structural shift the manager views as an unprecedented long-term opportunity. The fund will be renamed the Jupiter Financial Innovation Fund and its investment objective and policy updated to reflect Guy’s ability to invest in the companies he believes will both shape and dominate the future of finance.

The fund, which has beaten its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI/Financials Index by 6.3% over five years and delivered 72.9% to clients over that period, has naturally evolved over time to include companies from a pool of investment opportunities that has expanded beyond traditional financial companies. [1]

With these changes, Guy de Blonay will be provided with a clear mandate to proactively allocate towards these financial technology-focused innovators, across the full breadth of the financial services supply chain.

The fund will aim to achieve capital growth in the long term by investing in equity and equity-related securities linked to financial innovation. It will focus on traditional financial services companies that are embracing the digital transformation (adopters) as well as the disruptive innovators bringing financial technology solutions such as mobile finance, data analytics, payments and financial infrastructure to the sector (enablers). Companies in the fund that reflect these two themes include traditional names such as JP Morgan Chase as well as fintech firms such as PayPal.

Guy de Blonay, who has over 17 years investing in financials, said: “The financial services industry is a completely different beast today than it was even five years ago. Ever more sophisticated customers now expect seamless, digital-led service and they aren’t afraid to switch to newer competitors if traditional names fail to keep up. With these changes, we believe we will be better placed to capitalise on the ongoing and irreversible digital transformation of the financial services sector.”

Stephen Pearson, Chief Investment Officer, added: “At Jupiter, investing with conviction is at the heart of what we do and the fact we are acting early to break the mould and pursue financial innovation is testament to this approach. The Jupiter Financial Innovation Fund will give clients exposure to a truly modern financials sector led by an experienced manager with a long track record in this specialist field.”