Wilson Asset Management’s WAM Active, an active listed investment company, significantly outperformed the Australian sharemarket last year, exceeding it by over 30 per cent. This performance was largely attributed to a successful investment strategy focused on precious and base metals, which compensated for a write-down in its position in Corporate Travel Management. WAM Active manages an investment portfolio of approximately $80 million.
The fund’s investment portfolio recorded a return of 41.4 per cent in the year leading up to December, markedly surpassing the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Accumulation Index’s gain of 10.6 per cent. A substantial 31.4 per cent increase in the second half of the year fueled this growth, marking the fund’s strongest six-month period since its establishment 18 years ago.
According to deputy portfolio manager Shaun Weick, WAM Active strategically shifted its investments into precious and base metal stocks as the new year approached. The fund established substantial positions in ASX-listed copper and gold miners, including Catalyst Metals, Genesis Minerals, Capstone Copper, and Chalice Mining. This strategic allocation proved pivotal in driving the fund’s impressive returns.
