Does anyone have strong feelings and/or direction on which software to bring-on? We’re basically a small foundation/endowment with $450mm aum. We use Advent apx (abos outsource for data reconcilliation). We manage some satellite equity exposure in house but mainly use sub advisors across 5 asset classes. Apx is fine for tracking indiv acct and group performance, but we want to better understand composition and risk for each manager and when comparing managers against each other. We need to better identify portfolio vulnerabilities and drivers of risk at the asset, portfolio, and manager levels; what’s driving a managers’ relative and absolute performance. Maybe a MVO tool as well. I have a list of the following systems so far … any thoughts on which is the best for our situation? Thanks so much!!
Thompson Reuters Eikon ; Morningstar direct ; Sungard marketmap ; Factset ; Capital IQ ; PSN Informa ; Zephyr ; Fortigent ; and of course a Bloomberg terminal
I’d say you couldn’t pay me to use Sungard’s performance products, but they do pay me to use them and they are awful. Used factset previously and it sounds like it would work for what you’re trying to do. Can’t speak to the others at all. I’ve always been underwhelmed by the software that is out there. I’m sure something exists, but the big corporate stuff that I’ve used at 2 large banks is really elementary, to the point that I can’t figure out why most clients are bothering to pay for the performance products we offer.
Thank you for your thoughts and perspective, much appreciated. I’ll continue to compile names (& cost) and hopefully run thru some demos in the not too distant future to see if they’re worth their salt.
A lot of times I get the sense that people are paying for:
The data subscription that comes with a lot of the stuff (and how it plugs in to the system)
The graphics that can be cut and pasted into reports easily
The ability to use some name brand software when talking to prospective investors, because it sometimes engenders more confidence than saying you have built your own stuff.
I haven’t been terribly impressed with any software I’ve seen, though it has been a while since I looked.
I know you can have CapIQ download data scripts from APX. Did a trial run of morningstar, wasn’t fond of its interface. Not sure about the others. Depends on the $$$ you are willing to spend and how much you need to get out of it.