Market overview
The positive performance of global equities continued into the second quarter of 2021 and economic growth expectations picked up in parts of the world, though the recovery in some regions faced headwinds due to an uneven vaccine rollout. Expanding economic activity drove the continued oil price rally and the Canadian dollar gained against the U.S. dollar and numerous other major currencies.
Inflation remained top-of-mind for investors and central banks. While indicators of inflation rose over the quarter, pundits disagreed whether it is temporary or will be sustained. We also saw the level of long-term interest rates in Canada and the United States stabilize after moving higher in the first quarter. Given the economic recovery and signs of rising inflation, central banks in many countries have begun laying out timelines to normalize monetary policy, such as increasing policy rates and tapering asset purchase programs.
How did we do?
Performance has been presented for the A-Series Mawer Mutual Funds in Canadian dollars and calculated net of fees for the 3-month period of April 1 – June 30, 2021.
Equities
Our equity portfolios provided robust positive returns in the second quarter, while on a relative basis we received mixed results as some of our portfolios were not able to keep pace with their benchmarks.
Areas of strength during the quarter:
- Energy companies such as Canadian Natural Resources and Suncor Energy performed well driven by higher oil prices and the prospect of increased demand as the reopening of economies continued.
- Many higher growth companies reported strong results amid the pick-up in broad economic activity including Shopify, Taiwan e-commerce company momo.com, and Alphabet. These higher growth companies tend to have increased sensitivity to a change in discount rates and were supported as long-term interest rates stabilized over the period.
- Several higher-quality businesses that were not as well rewarded in the recovery were strong performers this quarter including publisher Wolters Kluwer, pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and insurance broker Marsh & McLennan Companies.
By contrast, areas of weakness highlighted the unevenness of the global recovery and the ongoing impact COVID-19 is having on business models.
- Our Japanese drug store holdings Sundrug, Tsuruha, and Kusuri No Aoki continued to languish as the bump in pandemic-related sales waned while the recovery in customer traffic, particularly in urban locations, is taking time.
- With ongoing travel restrictions and an uneven return of customers across regions, our travel booking companies On The Beach and Booking Holdings encountered headwinds during the period.
We are also noticing weakness in companies where the potential for a change in regulations could impact the industry in which they operate. After school tutoring service New Oriental Education and Technology Group and internet platform Tencent, are two companies that exhibited weakness this quarter given the potential for increased regulation impacting their business models.
Overall, equity markets were strong in the second quarter of 2021 as a result of a combination of positive factors including a favourable economic outlook and strong consumer confidence. Despite many positives, we are mindful of contrary forces such as the signs of inflationary pressures. Input cost inflation was a common theme during conference calls and investors were aware of the impact interest rate expectations can have on longer duration equities. As we transition to a post pandemic world with ample uncertainties, increasingly difficult to interpret economic data, and conflicting signals we are focused on remaining balanced and not overly exposed to any specific outcome.
Balanced and Canadian Bonds
Canadian bonds recovered in the second quarter of 2021 benefiting from a slight decline in long-term interest rates as the rise in interest rates that contributed to first quarter losses stabilized. For balanced investors, even with positive bond returns, our relative overweight in equities and underweight in bonds continued to support performance from an asset mix perspective.
Looking ahead
As global markets have continued to be pulled forward by investor optimism, we are aware of the ongoing threats of setbacks. Potential risks include COVID-19 variants influencing reopening plans, geopolitical risks such as rising U.S.-China tensions, and uncertainty around inflation and the extent to which it will persist above target levels. With macroeconomic news dominating the headlines, it is important to remember that we do not make predictions from a top-down perspective. We think the best way to handle macro risks is to stay grounded in the middle, not shifting one way or the other due to factors outside of our control. As we navigate the transition to a post-pandemic world, our focus remains on adhering to our investment philosophy and process. We believe this focus can create resiliency and attractive, long-term results for our clients.
Disclaimers
Non-performance related material in this document reflects the opinions of the writer, and does not reflect fact or predictions of actual events or impacts, and cannot be relied upon for investing purposes or as investment advice or guarantees of any kind.
Index returns are supplied by a third party—we believe the data to be accurate, however, cannot guarantee its accuracy.
This document is for information purposes only. Before investing, please consult the simplified prospectus, available at www.sedar.com, and the Fund Facts. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance is not indicative of future performance. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. (Mutual fund securities are not covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any other government deposit insurer. There can be no assurances that the fund will be able to maintain its net asset value per share at a constant amount or that the full amount of your investment in the fund will be returned to you.)
Performance returns for the Mawer Mutual Funds are calculated by Mawer Investment Management Ltd. These returns are historical simple returns for the 3 month, YTD and 1 year periods, and annualized compounded total returns for periods after 1 year. They include changes in unit value and reinvestment of all distributions and do not take into account sales, redemption, distribution or optional charges or income taxes payable by any security holder that would have reduced returns.
This Mawer Quarterly includes certain statements that are “forward looking statements”. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this report that address activities, events or developments that the portfolio advisor, Mawer Investment Management Ltd., expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including such things as anticipated financial performance, are forward looking statements. The words “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “believe”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “intend”, “forecast”, “objective” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements. These forward looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including the risks described in the Simplified Prospectus of the Fund, uncertainties and assumptions about the Fund, capital markets and economic factors, which could cause actual financial performance and expectations to differ materially from the anticipated performance or other expectations expressed. Economic factors include, but are not limited to, general economic, political and market factors in North America and internationally, interest and foreign exchange rates, global equity and capital markets, business competition, technological change, changes in government regulations, unexpected judicial or regulatory proceedings, and catastrophic events.
All opinions contained in forward looking statements are subject to change without notice and are provided in good faith but without legal responsibility. The portfolio advisor has no specific intention of updating any forward looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by securities legislation. Certain research and information about specific holdings in the Fund, including any opinion, is based upon various sources believed to be reliable, but it cannot be guaranteed to be current, accurate or complete. It is for information only, and is subject to change without notice.
The MSCI information may only be used for your internal use, may not be reproduced or disseminated in any form and may not be used as a basis for or a component of any financial instruments or products or indices. None of the MSCI information is intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation to make (or refrain from making) any kind of investment decision and may not be relied on as such. Historical data and analysis should not be taken as an indication or guarantee of any future performance analysis, forecast or prediction. The MSCI information is provided on an “as is” basis and the user of this information assumes the entire risk of any use made of this information. MSCI, each of its affiliates and each other person involved in or related to compiling, computing or creating any MSCI information (collectively, the “MSCI Parties”) expressly disclaims all warranties (including, without limitation, any warranties of originality, accuracy, completeness, timeliness, non-infringement, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose) with respect to this information. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall any MSCI Party have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, punitive, consequential (including, without limitation, lost profits) or any other damages. (www.msci.com)
London Stock Exchange Group plc and its group undertakings (collectively, the “LSE Group”). © LSE Group 2021. FTSE Russell is a trading name of certain of the LSE Group companies. FTSE® is a trade mark(s) of the relevant LSE Group companies and is/are used by any other LSE Group company under license. “TMX®” is a trade mark of TSX, Inc. and used by the LSE Group under license. All rights in the FTSE Russell indexes or data vest in the relevant LSE Group company which owns the index or the data. Neither LSE Group nor its licensors accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the indexes or data and no party may rely on any indexes or data contained in this communication. No further distribution of data from the LSE Group is permitted without the relevant LSE Group company’s express written consent. The LSE Group does not promote, sponsor or endorse the content of this communication.
