Royal County of Berkshire looks for consultant help with absolute return

Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund, Maidenhead, England, is searching for consultants to help revamp its £250 million ($402 million) absolute-return portfolio, said Nick Greenwood, manager at the £1.5 billion fund.

The pension fund is searching for consultants to help design, implement and monitor a “better portfolio,” Mr. Greenwood said.

Ruffer and Lyxor Asset Management each run about £90 million in diversified growth multiasset and hedge fund-of-funds strategies, respectively. Managed futures manager Aspect Capital and insurance-linked securities manager Securis Investment Partners each run £35 million apiece.

Mr. Greenwood said it wasn't yet known whether new managers would be sought as part of the creation of a new portfolio.

The absolute-return portfolio was established in 2008 following an asset-liability management study; Mr. Greenwood would not identify the consultant that performed the study. The pension fund is currently monitoring the portfolio internally.

Proposals are due Dec. 11. More information is available from europa.eu.

— Contact Drew Carter at dcarter@pionline.com | @Carter_PI