Acadian Asset Management Q2 FY26 earnings call AAMI

Alex Voitenok, Deputy CIO, will become Co-CIO alongside Brendan Bradley, effective January 1, 2027, enhancing oversight in portfolio construction, data, and risk. Acadian also welcomed Jonathan Briggs and other former TC43 team members, whose research, data engineering, and modeling capabilities are highly complementary to the systematic investment platform. These strategic moves reflect Acadian's commitment to talent, technology, and organizational continuity, supporting its research and innovation agenda.

Acadian's investment performance track record remains robust, with 100% of assets in five major implementations (global equity, emerging markets equity, non-U.S. equity, small-cap equity, and enhanced equity) outperforming benchmarks across 3-, 5-, and 10-year periods, with only one exception. Over the trailing one-year period, 77% of assets outperformed. This broad-based outperformance reinforces the consistency and resilience of Acadian's disciplined systematic investment process, refined over its 40-year history.

The institutional pipeline continues to be healthy and active globally, even after significant client wins in Q2 2026. Demand for enhanced equity strategies remains very strong, now observed as a global trend, and momentum is increasing in extension strategies, which were previously considered a medium-term opportunity. Long-only strategies, particularly broader and more diversified allocations like global, non-U.S., and EM, also continue to attract interest from clients worldwide.

Acadian launched two tax-aware funds, global and U.S. tax-aware, in Q2 FY26, which now manage a total of GBP 100 million in assets, predominantly external capital. This initiative leverages Acadian's long-term alpha generation and extension strategies to meet client demands for after-tax outcomes. The firm's experienced distribution team and existing deep relationships in the wealth channel, including a recent large U.K. wealth manager win, position it well for continued growth in this segment.

The systematic fixed income segment is progressing as planned, with the U.S. high-yield product on track to achieve its three-year track record by the end of 2026. The credit team's performance in U.S. investment grade and global high yield has led to deepening client pipelines, with conversations shifting from early-stage discovery to more advanced opportunities. While significant asset raising was anticipated in 2027, near-term opportunities are also emerging, indicating positive momentum.