Asked what they planned to do with their exposure to multi-asset funds over the next 12 months, 59% of delegates said they expect to increase their weighting and a further 32% expected to maintain it.
None expected their weighting to be cut, although 9% said they had no exposure to multi-asset strategies.
Delegates said that 70% of their clients were demanding funds with a more aggressive strategy, while 30% were more interested in multi-asset funds with a cautious strategy.
Overall, around half of those attending the Masterclass said their clients had some interest in multi-asset funds, with a further 41% of delegates reporting that these types of funds were very popular with clients.
Just 9% reported there was not much demand for them.
Diversification
Attending the event, Abdelilah Lahrouch, adviser at Commercial Bank of Dubai, said the appetite for multi-asset was coming from customers who were asking for globally diversified portfolios.
“I think the interest is being driven by clients looking to diversify their assets,” he told International Adviser.
“Traditionally, clients have invested locally but in the last 12 months or so there is the appetite, more and more, to look at investments away from the gulf region.”