Investments that Strive to Outperform the Ordinary

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A statue of "The Thinker" wearing a pair of virtual reality googles.

We Created Free-Range Investment Thinking™ for Far Better Outcomes.

Like Art Meeting Science.

At Platypus, our diverse team of investment analysts work together as a single, united team to provide a ‘whole-brain’ view of any investment decision before we make it. (Or don’t.) This holistic approach helps us achieve a single goal to which we are all bound: To generate superior risk-adjusted returns for our customers.

Shunning the Old-fashioned 'Silo' Thinking

While many old-school investment houses continue to limit the scope of their investment research and opportunities by keeping their best thinkers within separate silos, Platypus has gone a different direction. We believe in sharing all our investment insights, research and ideas across ALL our analysts. Regardless of what sector they’re responsible for. This tends to allow better outcomes for our clients. 

How Our Diversity is the Key

We‘ve invested in an incredibly diverse team of analysts from all manner of financial backgrounds. (Because a team of regular ‘equities guys’ would only deliver our clients regular returns.) While their backgrounds may differ, what unites them is an unbridled passion for investing and a desire – no, it’s more of a need – to uncover tremendous investment ideas and opportunities for our clients that aim to outperform the ordinary. 

Whole-brain for Holistic Viewpoints

Our qualitative analysts work hand-in-hand with quantitative experts to ensure that everyone is armed with as much knowledge as possible before every major investment decision is made. Egos are not welcome during these discussions. Just facts, research, data and some of Australia’s best investment thinking. And while this approach may be very unusual within our industry, it tends to lead to extraordinary results¹ for our clients. So we won’t be changing our methods any time soon. 

No Ideas are Bad Ideas - But Not All Ideas are Used

Every analyst at Platypus is encouraged to contribute ideas and knowledge on a daily basis. While most of this thinking doesn’t change the make-up of our funds, it nearly always sparks off further discussion,  investigation and often further interrogation. It’s all part of our ‘Active Fund Management’ and it’s a major reason why Platypus outperforms the ordinary for our clients¹.

¹Since inception in January 1999 until February 29, 2024, our longest standing client has enjoyed a total annualised return of 2.79% p.a. ABOVE the ASX 300 after fees and costs and including the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.
An image of a rotating alpha symbol.

Striving for Positive Returns Through Restless Vigilance.

We do relax. On weekends. Sometimes.

The reason we’ve been outperforming the market for over two decades¹ is because we never rest on our laurels. As proud as we may be of our many industry awards, we will always be MORE proud of the positive alpha returns we deliver over time for our clients. It’s where our true happiness lies.

What Exactly is "Alpha" ?

In investment terms, we are constantly chasing positive alpha. The market return is referred to as beta: an ordinary, everyday type of return. Any return above or below the market return is considered alpha. And it’s the positive alpha we’re chasing for our clients.

Why We Reject the Traditional Set-and-Forget Approach

Many competitors still adopt a traditional ‘set-and-forget’ approach with their funds. But not Platypus. Never.

As active fund managers, we constantly interrogate our funds and every stock held within them. While we never make knee-jerk reactions about our investments, we vigilantly watch them every single day to make sure they are living up to our high expectations. While this takes a hell of a lot of work, it’s just another reason we’ve been outperforming the market for over two decades.¹

Our Job is to do Well - Then do Better

Even when we’re doing well – extremely well – the whole investment team relentlessly research how to do even better for our clients. Our analytics team love this approach as they are driven by the need to break their own ‘records’. Striving for the best returns then better those results yet again.

Attacking While Always Defending Our Clients' Positions

Despite our generating significant returns for our clients over the past 20 years¹, you’ll never hear us talking about them around the office. Because while we’re happy to exploit market conditions to the advantage of our clients, we are always ruthlessly interrogating the market for any signs of when and where the next downside will occur. So regardless of what the market is doing at any given time, we can confidently look straight into the eyes of each and every client and say, “We’re doing our very best for you” without ever flinching. 

'Prosecuting' the Spin

While the PR departments of Australia’s publicly listed companies continue to pump out press releases and spin, it’s fair to say that we treat all these with a healthy amount of skepticism. Indeed, for every company we invest in – via the Platypus Australian Equities Fund – we will prosecute any announcement or news article regarding that company on behalf of our clients to make sure it all adds up. And if it doesn’t, we contact the relevant directors for an urgent meeting in order to uncover the truth. Only after this investigation do we make a decision on whether to hold or sell their stock. We owe it to our clients to advocate for them in all manner of ways, including attending every shareholder meeting too. 

¹Since inception in January 1999 until February 29, 2024, our longest standing client has enjoyed a total annualised return of 2.79% p.a. ABOVE the ASX 300 after fees and costs and including the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Our long-term approach has made Platypus a trusted long-term investment partner

While Platypus does not offer personal advice to retail clients, we never forget that every dollar we invest is on behalf of an individual. So to say we’re customer obsessed would be a gross understatement. It’s probably why many of our original 35 clients are still with us after 20 years.

Every Single Decision is Guided by Your Best Interests

Every investment decision. Every planning meeting. And every business direction we take, is driven by just one simple thing: our customers’ best interests. While it’s a privilege to do exactly what we love doing for a living, it’s made even better by loving who we do it for.

Treating Your Investments Exactly as We Treat Our Own

As active fund managers, every single day we sweat on our clients’ investments as if they were our own. Because they are. That’s right, the staff at Platypus Asset Management have invested in our own funds. Putting our money where our mouths – and minds – already are.

Keeping You Up-to-date with Your Investments

It’s a great privilege to be entrusted with our customers’ wealth. As such, we make a service commitment to each customer to keep them up-to-date with their investments. Letting them know how their investments are faring while also keeping them abreast of what’s on the horizon for each fund. Regardless of whether the market is up or down, we are here for our customers whenever they need us. Which is probably why we still have many of our original 35 clients still on our books after 20 years. Including, in some cases, generations of the same family. A fact that fills us with great pride.

3 generations of the same family sitting on each others shoulders.

Introducing the Platypus Australian Equities Fund

Our focus is to generate superior risk-adjusted returns for investors

As a specialist Australian equities growth manager, Platypus Asset Management believe that the risk-return offered by the Australian equity market can be improved by utilising active management.

The Platypus Australian Equities Fund

Outperforming the Ordinary since inception with total returns of over 8%p.a.

And that’s after fees and charges*

Our high conviction growth fund that has been consistently outperforming the All Ordinaries, the ASX300, and ordinary index funds (or index-like funds) funds for over seventeen years. After all fees and charges have been taken into account, our fund has outperformed the ASX300 by 1.91% since inception.2

The Platypus Australian Equities Fund invests in companies and trusts listed, or soon to be listed, on the Australian Stock Exchange that offer an opportunity for above-average returns through their growth potential.

Find out more >

*Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Returns shown are after all fees and costs and assume reinvestment of any distributions.
2Since inception in April 2006 until February 29, 2024, our longest standing client in the Australian Equities Fund has enjoyed a total annualised return of 1.91% p.a. ABOVE the ASX 300 after fees and costs and including the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Our partnership for the future

Platypus Asset Management was founded in 1998, and strengthened via a joint venture with Australian Unity in 2006. In 2022, Australian Unity moved to full ownership of Platypus Asset Management. This distinctive partnership model provides us with innovative resources and backend support services while preserving the entrepreneurialism, independence and flexibility of our boutique investment house.

Australian Unity is a national healthcare, financial services and retirement living organisation providing services to around 1,000,000 Australians, including 300,000 members nationwide. Its wealth offering incorporates banking and investment products including specialist mortgage, property, fixed interest, equity and investment bond products.

For further information about Australian Unity please visit australianunity.com.au/wealth.

Strengthened by Australian Unity Logo with a tagline that reads Real Wellbeing

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Level 24, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney NSW 2000

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