Investment Insights

Waystone Risk‑Managed SAA Review

m

Contents

An update from the M&G Life Investment Office (LIO) detailing the recent Strategic Asset Allocation (SAA) changes that have been implemented across the Waystone Risk Managed Active and Risk Managed Passive fund ranges.

The Long-Term Investment Strategy team within LIO are responsible for carrying out the SAA reviews for all of our multi-asset funds. Key to this are their own capital market assumptions for the expected returns, volatilities and correlations for all of the underlying asset classes.

Equities

  • Increased overall equity exposure across all funds except Risk Managed Passive 1 and 2.
  • Small shift in allocation from US to European equities to reflect the improved relative prospects between the two geographical areas in the current conditions.
  • The allocation to Indian equities was first introduced in November 2021. Now that this exposure has been fully integrated into the funds, we are in a position to increase it further, to reach the optimal level within our portfolios.

Fixed Income

  • A slight reduction has been made to the US Fixed Income allocation to support an increased exposure to European Fixed Income, which currently offers a more compelling investment opportunity.
  • In addition, we have implemented a meaningful decrease in our Global High Yield allocations in response to persistently compressed risk premiums. The proceeds have been used to diversify our Asia Fixed Income exposure by introducing China Onshore Bonds, enhancing geographic diversification.

Real Estate, Alternatives and Other Strategies

  • We have further diversified our alternatives allocation by introducing Commodities, which are expected to play a key role in enhancing portfolio resilience amid a de-globalising market landscape.
  • Our commitment remains focused on broadening the asset mix to include investments with tangible cash flows - providing effective diversification, particularly in inflationary environments.
  • We are building positions in strategies that exhibit low correlation to the economic cycle, such as volatility arbitrage, cross-asset class momentum and royalty based investments. These offer differentiated sources of return to the rest of the portfolio.

Asset Allocations

The headings below show the new allocations by asset class for the Risk Managed Active and Passive funds from 01 June 2025.

Related Insights

Asset Class

RMA1

RMA2

RMA3

RMA4

RMA5

Equity

14.01% (+1.75%)

25.03% (+1.55%)

37.03%(+1.30%)

48.00%
(+1.55%)

60.00%
(+2.40%)

UK

4.13%

(+0.54%)     

7.38%

(+0.50%)       

10.92%   

(+0.45%)     

14.16%

(+0.55%)       

17.70% 

(+0.82%)      

 Europe

1.89%

(+0.36%)

 

3.38%

(+0.44%)

5.00%

(+0.53%)

6.48%

(+0.67%)

8.10%

(+0.90%)

North America

2.35%

(+0.08%)

4.19%

(-0.15%)

6.20%

(-0.41%)

8.04%

(-0.55%)

10.05%

(-0.61%)

Japan

1.05%

(+0.13%)   

1.88%

(+0.12%)      

2.78%          

(+0.10%)

3.60%           

(+0.12%)

4.50% 

(+0.18%)        

 Asia

2.10%

(+0.26%)

3.75%

(+0.23%)

5.55%

(+0.20%)

7.20%

(+0.23%)

9.00%           

(+0.36%)

China

0.67%

(+0.11%)    

1.19%      

(+0.13%)

1.76%          

(+0.15%)

2.28%          

(+0.19%)

2.85%          

(+0.26%)

India

0.49%

(+0.09%)

0.88%

(+0.10%)

1.30%

(+0.12%)

1.68%

(+0.15%)

2.10%

(+0.20%)

Emerging Markets

0.63%

(+0.09%)

1.13%

(+0.09%)

1.67%

(+0.09%)

2.16%

(+0.12%)

2.70%

(+0.17%)

Middle East and Africa

0.70%  

(+0.09%) 

1.25%      

(+0.08%)

1.85%           

(+0.06%)

2.40%          

(+0.08%)

3.00%          

(+0.12%)

Alternatives

3.05%

3.60%

4.15%

5.10%

6.05%

Infrastructure

1.83%

(-0.53%)

2.16%

(-0.61%)

2.49%

(-0.70%)

3.06%

(-0.84%)

3.63%

(-0.98%)

Private Equity

0.61%

(-0.08%)

0.72%

(-0.11%)

0.83%

(-0.13%)

1.02%

(-0.18%)

1.21%

(-0.23%)

Commodities

0.61%

(+0.61%)

0.72%

(+0.72%)

0.83%

(+0.83%)

1.02%

(+1.02%)

1.21%

(+1.21%)

Other Strategies

0.60% 

0.70%      

0.80%           

1.00%          

1.20%           

Other Factors

0.24%

(/)

 

0.28%

(/)

0.32%

(/)

0.40%

(/)

0.48%

(/)

Tactical Asset Allocation

0.36%

(/)

0.42%

(/)

0.48%

(/)

0.60%

(/)

0.72%

(/)

Real Estate

4.60% 

 

5.95%      

6.80%        

7.65%          

9.00% 

UK

2.76%

(/)

3.57%

(/)

4.08%

(/)

4.59%

(/)

5.40%

(/)

Europe

0.69%  

(/)   

0.89%       

(/)

1.02%           

(/)

1.15%           

(/)

1.35%          

(/)

Asia

1.15%

(/)   

1.49%      

(/)

1.70%          

(/)

1.91%          

(/)

2.25%          

(/)

Fixed Income

73.53%

(-1.75%)

61.46%

(-1.55%)

48.82%

(-1.30%)

36.51%

(-1.55%)

22.72%  

(-2.40%)

UK Investment Grade

23.52%

(-1.12%)  

19.07%      

(-0.32%)

14.63%          

(+0.11%)

10.59%

(+0.12%)

6.37%

(-0.29%)

EU Investment Grade

6.62% 

(+0.97%)  

5.23%

(+0.66%)

3.90%

(+0.40%)

2.74%

(+0.26%)

1.59%

(+0.15%)

US Investment Grade

12.13%

(-0.48%)

9.84%

(-0.56%)

7.56%

(-0.45%)

5.48%

(-0.52%)

3.30%

(-0.66%)

UK Government

4.41%

(-0.11%)

3.69%

(-0.09%)

2.93%

(-0.08%)

2.19%

(-0.09%)

1.37%

(-0.14%)

US Government

4.04%

(-0.47%)

3.38%

(-0.40%)

2.68%

(-0.32%)

2.01%

(-0.28%)

1.25%

(-0.26%)

Asia

14.33%

(+0.04%)

11.99%

(+0.01%)

9.51%           

(/)

7.12%

(-0.11%)

4.44%

(-0.34%)

China

0.74%

(+0.74%)

0.62%

(+0.62%)

0.49%

(+0.49%)

0.37%

(+0.37%)

0.23%

(+0.23%)

Convertibles

1.84%

(-0.04%)

1.54%

(-0.04%)

1.22%

(-0.03%)

0.91%

(-0.04%)

0.57%

(-0.06%)

Global High Yield

1.50% 

(-1.16%)  

1.50%      

(-1.62%)

1.50%          

(-1.79%)

1.30%          

(-1.67%)

0.90%          

(-1.23%)

Emerging Market Debt

4.40%

(-0.11%)

4.60%

(+0.20%)

4.40%

(+0.38%)

3.80%

(+0.41%)

2.70%

(+0.22%)

Cash

4.25%

3.25%

2.50%

1.75%

1.00%

Asset Class

RMP1

RMP2

RMP3

RMP4

RMP5

Equity

15.84%

(-1.65%)

26.92%

(-0.75%)

38.94%

(+0.15%)

50.39%

(+0.15%)

62.85%

(+0.65%)

UK

4.68%

(-0.44%)

7.94%

(-0.15%)

11.49%

(+0.14%)

14.87%

(+0.17%)

18.54%

(+0.35%)

Europe

2.14%

(/)

3.63%

(+0.24%)

5.26%

(+0.51%)

6.80%

(+0.65%)

8.48%

(+0.87%)

North America

2.65%

(-0.67%)

4.51%

(-0.75%)

6.52%

(-0.85%)

8.44%

(-1.11%)

10.53%

(-1.29%)

Japan

1.19%

(-0.18%)

2.02%

(-0.14%)

2.92%

(-0.11%)

3.78%

(-0.14%)

4.71%

(-0.14%)

Asia

2.38%

(-0.21%)

4.04%

(-0.06%)

5.84%

(+0.10%)

7.56%

(+0.12%)

9.43%

(+0.22%)

China

0.75%

(/)

1.28%

(+0.09%)

1.85%

(+0.18%)

2.39%

(+0.23%)

2.99%

(+0.31%)

India

0.55%

(-0.02%)

0.94%

(+0.03%)

1.36%

(+0.08%)

1.76%

(+0.11%)

2.20%

(+0.15%)

Emerging Markets

0.71%

(-0.06%)

1.21%

(-0.01%)

1.75%

(+0.05%)

2.27%

(+0.06%)

2.83%

(+0.09%)

Middle East and Africa

0.79%

(-0.07%)

1.35%

(-0.01%)

1.95%

(+0.05%)

2.52%

(+0.06%)

3.14%

(+0.09%)

Alternatives

1.20% 1.70% 2.20% 2.70% 3.20%

Infrastructure

0.96%

(-0.24%)

1.36%

(-0.34%)

1.76%

(-0.44%)

2.16%

(-0.54%)

2.56%

(-0.64%)

Commodities

0.24%

(+0.24%)

0.34%

(+0.34%)

0.44%

(+0.44%)

0.54%

(+0.54%)

0.64%

(+0.64%)

Real Estate

1.50% 2.20% 2.90% 3.35%

3.80%

UK

0.90%

(/)

1.32%

(/)

1.74%

(/)

2.01%

(/)

2.28%

(/)

Europe

0.60%

(/)

0.88%

(/)

1.16%

(/)

1.34%

(/)

1.52%

(/)

Fixed Income

77.15%

(+1.65%)

65.96%

(+0.75%)

53.44%

(-0.15%)

41.82%

(-0.15%)

29.15%

(-0.65%)

UK Investment Grade

28.95%

(-0.51%)

24.90%

(-0.04%)

20.31%

(+0.21%)

15.78%

(+0.68%)

10.06%

(-0.22%)

EU Investment Grade

11.54%

(+1.76%)

8.90%

(+0.75%)

6.95%

(+0.52%)

5.23%

(+0.40%)

4.08%

(+0.80%)

US Investment Grade

15.44%

(-0.43%)

13.35%

(-0.17%)

10.42%

(-0.57%)

7.84%

(-0.66%)

5.25%

(-0.71%)

UK Government

5.02%

(+0.11%)

4.29%

(+0.05%)

3.47%

(-0.01%)

2.72%

(-0.01%)

1.89%

(-0.04%)

US Government

4.63%

(-0.28%)

3.96%

(-0.28%)

3.21%

(-0.28%)

2.51%

(-0.22%)

1.75%

(-0.19%)

Asia

6.56%

(+1.27%)

5.61%

(+1.04%)

4.54%

(+0.79%)

3.55%

(+0.62%)

2.48%

(+0.39%)

China

0.77%

(+0.77%)

0.66%

(+0.66%)

0.53%

(+0.53%)

0.42%

(+0.42%)

0.29%

(+0.29%)

Global High Yield

0.77%

(-0.74%)

0.99%

(-0.97%)

1.07%

(-1.08%)

1.05%

(-1.05%)

0.87%

(-0.91%)

Emerging Market Debt

3.47%

(-0.30%)

3.30%

(-0.29%)

2.94%

(-0.28%)

2.72%

(-0.32%)

2.48%

(-0.06%)

Cash

4.25%

3.25%

2.50%

1.75%

1.00%

Source: T&IO as at 01.06.2025 – please note not all figures may tally to 100% due to the effects of rounding.

Outlook

We have entered a new and increasingly uncertain economic regime, characterised by shorter and more volatile cycles. In this environment, the importance of robust diversification across asset classes and regions is heightened.

The global economic environment has shown resilience; however escalating geopolitical tensions and persistent trade uncertainties may begin to weigh on market sentiment. Recent developments between Iran and Israel have elevated risk levels, while delays in implementing tariffs at the scale initially proposed, have provided only temporary relief. We anticipate that markets will remain highly responsive to further geopolitical and policy shifts.

Although private markets have encountered headwinds in recent years, we see meaningful reasons for optimism as the base effects that have helped drive inflation lower over the past year begin to fade.

While fixed income and equities can continue to act as diversifying components within portfolios, the ongoing threat of inflation and elevated financial risks reinforce the appeal of real assets. We maintain our commitment to a broad and balanced mix of asset classes that generate tangible cash flows, offering genuine diversification and low correlation to the economic cycle – especially in inflationary regimes.

This content has been prepared by M&G Life Investment Office (LIO) for information purposes only and does not contain or constitute investment advice. Information provided herein has been obtained from sources that LIO believes to be reliable and accurate at the time of issue but no representation or warranty is made as to its fairness, accuracy, or completeness. The views expressed herein are subject to change without notice. Neither LIO, nor any of its associates, nor any director, or employee accepts any liability for any loss arising directly or indirectly from any use of this document. The value of investments and any income from them may go down as well as up and are not guaranteed. Investors may get back less than the original amount invested and past performance information is not a guide to future performance.

‘M&G Life Investment Office (LIO)’ includes the team formerly known as Prudential Portfolio Management Group (PPMG), Prudential Portfolio Management Group Limited, is registered in England and Wales, registered number 2448335.

M&G Investment Management are the investment managers for the WS Prudential Risk Managed Active and Risk Managed Passive Funds. They make the relevant adjustments to the portfolios based on LIO recommendations.

Follow us on LinkedIn

Follow us on LinkedIn where you will be the first to see any news, views or support we think matters.

LinkedIn Logo