Core-satellite investing with Endowus

Many investors in Hong Kong are interested in investing in the growth potential of a specific market (e.g. China, India, Southeast Asia) or sector (e.g. artificial intelligence, healthcare, energy), and seek a convenient way to be able to do so, effortlessly with expert advice at low cost. The Endowus Satellite Portfolios allow investors to do just this. 

Where do we start?

The first step towards constructing a suitable personal investment portfolio is always about understanding "you". For each of your financial goals, it is critical to assess the priority, timeline, expected return, risk tolerance, amount you will invest, investment preferences, and more.

Start with a core allocation with Endowus Global model portfolios

A core asset allocation, such as with the Endowus Global model portfolios should always anchor any investor’s asset allocation and investment portfolio. 

The Endowus Global model portfolios are a series of 6 portfolios that span across the risk spectrum, each with a different mix of equity and fixed income funds to suit your risk tolerance and return expectations. 

They are designed to be efficient broad market portfolios with hundreds of underlying securities across geographies and sectors for general wealth accumulation needs. 

These portfolios were built by the Endowus Investment Office from the ground-up, with Best-In-Class Funds managed by well-regarded fund managers including Capital Group, PIMCO, Pinebridge, Schoders and T. Rowe Price and you can access these funds at the lowest achievable cost through Endowus. 

The portfolios maintain a strategic, long-term, and top-down passive asset allocation, and are optimised further with our automated rebalancing option when your portfolio has drifted away from its target asset allocation. 

Read more: Introducing Global model portfolios: a core investment for everyone

What is a satellite allocation?

Satellite strategies have several characteristics that make them different from core portfolios.

• Firstly, they tend to be more concentrated in nature and narrow in exposure, targeting a certain sector, country or theme.
• Secondly, the investments tend to be tactical or opportunistic investment strategies.
• Finally, the investments tend to be shorter term in nature and may not be held for a long time. 

Satellite portfolios are used to supplement the core portfolios and are an active decision by the investor to provide further diversification opportunities to try to generate alpha, or to express a specific investment view or strategy. This can be done through a single fund or a portfolio of funds.

Most common satellite portfolios could include narrower investment mandates such as regional (e.g. emerging markets or Europe), single country (e.g. China or US), single sector funds (e.g. technology, healthcare or real estate), exposure to certain factors (e.g. value or growth or smart beta) or themes (e.g. megatrends, artificial intelligence, or water). Diversifying beyond public markets to private markets or other asset classes is also a common satellite strategy.

Investors should bear in mind that satellite investing involves taking on active risk by concentrating higher allocation to a certain asset class, region, or sector, which may result in higher volatility than a strategic asset allocation.

Endowus Satellite Portfolios enhancing flexibility and choice

Endowus Hong Kong offers a suite of Satellite Portfolios including Global Technology, China Equities, Future Trends and Sustainability - Equities to complement their Core Portfolios without having to select from thousands of individual funds.

These Satellite Portfolios are carefully curated, constructed, and actively monitored by the Endowus Investment Office to make the portfolio customisation process easier for our clients. 

We focus on optimising the risk-adjusted returns, diversifying across investment styles and managers, and lowering costs at the individual fund and portfolio level.

Why do many people end up with satellite-satellite instead of core-satellite?

Some investors invest themselves through direct exposure to certain funds, such as unit trusts or exchange traded funds (ETFs), or single stocks and bonds. However, in doing so they often chase after the latest fad or popular sectors, countries, or funds with good short-term performance.

Through banks, brokers, or financial advisors, we are often “pushed” products – ETFs (many of which are active and narrow active funds these days), unit trusts, or investment-linked insurance products – which are often high-cost, ridden with misaligned kickbacks and sales commissions, that might not be the most suitable for one’s goals or risk appetite.

It is interesting to note that some digital wealth platforms or robo-advisors might advise a satellite portfolio as clients' core strategy, with active asset allocations or heavy overweights in certain countries or sectors. In addition, they often compound initial satellite portfolios with even more satellite portfolios, thereby creating a satellite-satellite strategy instead of a core-satellite strategy.

The adviser you choose is important and will determine your ultimate strategy, and therefore your success as an investor.

What's the right way to use Endowus Satellite Portfolios?

As mentioned above, we must always start from the point of view that everybody is different, with different risk appetites and different goals for their investments.

Some investors may not even require satellite portfolios, while for some it might be a 10% allocation while others with a higher risk appetite could be an allocation of 50%. 

Needless to say, it is important to look at one’s overall holdings holistically. It is easy to lose sight of the overall total picture or how these various goals and portfolios are working together towards your common financial goals.

The Endowus Hong Kong platform was created to provide you with a bird’s eye view of your overall portfolio and also allow you to view your wealth by goal or funding source. 

You can utilise our pre-constructed Endowus Satellite model portfolios, or create your own satellite portfolio using Endowus Fund Smart, a powerful, low-cost platform that offers over 200 Best-In-Class Funds, where you can save 50% or more on your investment costs.

Read more:

• Introducing Endowus model portfolios — curated with Best-In-Class Funds for core-satellite strategies
• Introducing the Global Technology model portfolio: ride the wave of tech innovation
• Introducing the Future Trends model portfolio: invest in the biggest forces of change
• Introducing the China Equities model portfolio: capture Greater China’s high growth potential

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Risk Warnings

Investment involves risk. Past performance is not an indicator nor a guarantee of future performance or returns. Projected performance or returns is not guaranteed to materialise. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, and you may not get the full amount you invested. 

Rates of exchange may cause the value of investments to go up or down. Individual stock performance does not represent the return of a fund.

General risk warnings relating to collective investment schemes 

Before making an investment decision, you are reminded to refer to the relevant prospectus/ offering document for specific risk considerations and related fees and charges.

Funds are not a bank deposit and not capital guaranteed, and is subject to investment risks, including the possible loss of the principal amount invested.  

Some of the funds also involve derivatives. Do not invest in them unless you fully understand and are willing to assume the risks associated with them.

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