DWS Multi Opportunities TFC |



by Thomas De fauw

DWS Multi Opportunities continues to benefit from a strong portfolio management team and a proven approach. We maintain our Above Average People and Process ratings. Henning Potstada has been at the helm of the strategy since 2009. Over the past few years, however, he has handed over control to other key members in the strong multi-asset total return team founded by Klaus Kaldemorgen in 2011. DWS announced in April 2023 that Thomas Graby, the team’s risk management specialist and lead manager of the DWS Conservative Opportunities strategy, will take the reins beside Potstada as co-lead. This isn’t a surprising move given Potstada’s increased workload, which includes heading the broader global multi-asset team. Kaldemorgen will stay with DWS beyond the end of 2024 but is reducing his commitments over an unspecified time frame. Christoph Schmidt, lead manager of the DWS ESG Dynamic Opportunities strategy, was appointed to lead DWS’ multi-asset total return team in 2021 and joined Kaldemorgen as co-lead on the team’s flagship DWS Concept Kaldemorgen strategy in 2022. We draw additional comfort from the experience and collaboration within the growing team of 10 portfolio managers, analysts, and risk managers. Potstada has considerable leeway in this flexible-allocation strategy and has outperformed the EUR flexible global-allocation Morningstar Category average between February 2009 and the end of August 2024 with better downside-capture ratios. However, because of Potstada's relatively weaker stock-selection results since 2015—mainly owing to his value bias—the portfolio management responsibilities have been shared with Schmidt, who is now in charge of equity selection, and Graby, who has overseen the safe-haven bucket since May 2020. The challenges with stock selection have left the strategy trailing the Morningstar Euro Moderate Target Allocation Index category benchmark since inception. The team has developed a distinct approach over time. The managers have added value through their top-down allocation and by identifying investment themes. Unlike the team's flagship fund, DWS Concept Kaldemorgen, this fund does not adhere to a risk target. Equity exposure is flexible and has ranged between 10% and 65% historically. Because of its fund-of-funds structure, it has to invest a minimum of 51% in funds. Usually, in-house funds or exchange-traded funds are used to avoid double-charging and to allow the team access to portfolio holdings daily. |
Morningstar Pillars | |
People | Above Average |
Parent | Average |
Process | Above Average |
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