Great British Portfolio Playoff

Introduction

Citywire and Asset Risk Consultants (ARC) have collaborated to launch a league competition for investment professionals to pitch their investment management skill against their peers. Entrants are invited to upload the performance of one of their portfolios to pitch it against other entrants in a league-style competition. Citywire will present awards as part of its regular programme of publications and events.

Entrants

  • Entrants should be employed by a UK, IOM or Channel Islands regulated investment management or IFA firm
  • The portfolios should be the responsibility of the entrant (ie they are the PM or RM)
  • Entrants must provide a postcode from which a region will be allocated for a regional award (decided by postcode)
  • Entrants must supply a name/pseudonym which will be used in publishing the playoff results
  • Entrants may choose to withdraw from the playoff by notifying Citywire/ARC
  • If entrants are no longer employed by firm nominated during the entry period, they should withdraw and may re-enter during a subsequent entry period unless they can continue providing the performance series for the entered portfolio.
  • Multiple entrants per firm are permitted, but portfolios submitted by each entrant should be different.
  • ARC and or Citywire reserve the right to refuse entry to a particular for or individual at their sole discretion.
  • Employees and officers of ARC and Citywire are not eligible to participate in the playoff.

Data Privacy

  • Competition entry is subject to the data privacy terms of suggestus.com
  • Entrants will be asked to explicitly allow use of their personal data as entered for the competition by ARC and Citywire in respect of the competition.
  • Entrants accept that the performance data submitted may be published by ARC/Citywire in league tables and published articles both in hard copy and on websites in connection with the competition.

Entry Period

  • The initial entry period for the playoff is until 30th April 2018
  • Citywire/ARC reserve the right to permit subsequent entry periods.

Qualifying Portfolio

  • Entrants may only submit one qualifying portfolio into the playoff
  • The portfolio must be a real or model portfolio whose track record, construction and trading over time is auditable and verifiable on request by ARC/Citywire.
  • Where a model portfolio is entered it should be representative of typical client experience in that strategy.
  • The portfolio should meet the definition of Steady Growth per the ARC PCI methodology.
  • The portfolio should be a multi-asset discretionary portfolio Within the ARC Steady Growth PCI risk band (or equity proportion). This will be verified based on allocation to equity being between 55% and 85%.
  • Advisory portfolios may be entered if the portfolio is largely unaffected by client direction.

Data

  • Qualifying portfolios must have a complete performance history of monthly discrete returns from the playoff performance start date to the relevant reporting date.
  • The playoff performance start date is December 2015 (first return January 2016).
  • The reporting date will be based on the latest published quarter end date of the ARC PCI. The ARC PCI are published quarterly approximately one month after the calendar quarter end.
  • If the portfolio data is flagged as being net of fees, the monthly returns must be net of the fees listed below. Similarly, where gross data is supplied, the fee deflator proposed for the portfolios should be representative of the fees shown below:
    • Portfolio implementation costs
    • Investment management fees
    • Custody / Platform fees
    • Irrevocable taxes including VAT
  • Each quarter, entrants must in addition supply up to date portfolio value and high level asset allocations.
  • Data can be entered directly via suggestus.com or via a data loader template downloadable from the portfolio entry page.
  • Data must be updated quarterly by the data deadline date, set as one month following the reporting date.
  • Once the data is submitted for a quarter it may not be amended.
  • ARC/Citywire reserves the right to allow correction of bona-fide data errors.
  • ARC/Citywire reserves the right to suspend participation of a portfolio in the play off if the data cannot be validated

Data Validation

  • ARC/Citywire reserves the right to conduct data validation checks on participating portfolios, including requests for additional information:
    • Copies of portfolio valuations showing holdings information and trading history
    • Details of fee applied
    • Confirmation of identity of the portfolio manager
  • Failure to provide suitable validation may result in disqualification from the Playoff and removal from the website.

Reports

  • Each entrant will have access to the performance report for their portfolio via Suggestus.com at no charge (usually £25 per report).
  • The performance report is exclusively for use by the Citywire Great British Portfolio Playoff judges and the entrant. It must not be used for any marketing or promotional purpose.
  • Entrants will remain eligible for free updates to their performance report whilst ever participating in the play off.

Play Off Results

  • Each quarter following the data deadline date, Citywire will update the play off results within a reasonable time frame.
  • The results will consist of:
    • Rank
    • Pseudonym
    • Cumulative Return from Performance Start Date
    • Annualised Volatility
    • Annualised Sharpe ratio
  • The rank will be based on the risk-adjusted performance of the portfolio based on the Annualised Sharpe ratio
  • Top ranked portfolios will be subject to data validation checks
  • Entrants may publicise their play-off results through usual media channels providing the full competition name is suitably referenced.
  • Entrants with portfolios that are considered to be top performers, measured using reasonable metrics, accept that their real name will be used by Citywire/ARC in articles and publicity.

Awards

  • Citywire will publish in advance the qualifying date to be considered for a particular award
  • All entrants wishing to be entered for an award must ensure their data is submitted by the qualifying date
  • Awards will be based on the ranked risk adjusted performance of eligible portfolios
  • In the event of tied performance the final decision will be made by Citywire, taking into account the quality of the data submission and an audit of the portfolios.
  • Entrants will only be eligible for an award if they satisfy the following criteria:
    • Agree to be identified by name
    • Confirm their employer
    • Satisfy performance data validation checks

ARC and Citywire reserve the right to amend competition rules at any time.