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Conservative Absolute Return

For conservative, absolute return-orientated global investors.

OVERVIEW

The Foord International Fund is a conservatively managed portfolio of listed securities on global exchanges – including equities, exchange traded funds, interest-bearing securities, property and cash deposits. The investment managers will allocate assets across these asset classes in a fully flexible manner in variable weightings as appropriate. The fund aims to achieve long-term inflation-beating US$ returns over rolling five-year periods, resulting in equity like long-term returns, but with lower risk.

STRATEGY

Notwithstanding the flexible asset allocation policy, the fund outperforms world equity markets over the long term with lower volatility and a lower risk of loss (as measured by maximum drawdowns). The graph below shows the fund's annualised returns and the US inflation rate over the rolling five-year cycles and the real return over the same period. The graph demonstrates that the fund has consistently delivered real returns of approximately 5% per annum in US dollars over rolling five-year cycles.

Long-term real returns

Historic investment returns
YearsComposite Return %Benchmark* Return %
1 Year312.3
3 Years7.42.9
5 Years5.44.4
Since Inception 10 March 19976.42.5

* Benchmark: US Inflation

Performance History

Document downloads

Performance Overview

Insights

08 Jan 2026

MARKETS IN A NUTSHELL — FOR NOVEMBER 2025

Markets paused in November as US equities stayed flat, tech underperformed, and gold soared while Bitcoin slumped. South Africa rallied on supportive conditions, while China remained under pressure. Linda Eedes…

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08 Jan 2026

MARKETS IN A NUTSHELL — FOR DECEMBER 2025

The year ended as it began: with Donald Trump in the news, investors betting on interest rate cuts, and markets and gold at or near all-time highs. In December, the US Federal Reserve trimmed rates for the third…

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