St. James’s Place (SJP) has expanded its multi-asset Polaris range with the addition of four new risk-rated, funds-of-funds. The Polaris Multi-Index range will use SJP’s active asset allocation expertise and invest solely in index- tracking strategies.
The Polaris Multi-Index funds will be available to SJP clients later this month. This will provide SJP advisers and clients with greater choice, expanding SJP’s multi-asset toolkit and sitting alongside the existing Polaris range to offer further flexibility and diversification.
Asset allocation decisions will be actively managed by SJP’s in-house investment team led by Justin Onuekwusi, Chief Investment Officer, with the lead fund managers Robin Ellis, Director of Portfolio Management and Hamish Gibberd, Multi Asset Portfolio Manager overseeing portfolio construction.
To support the launch, SJP has selected State Street Investment Management to develop 14 underlying index tracking funds, which will form the building blocks of the new Multi-Index range.
Each of the Polaris Multi-Index funds is differentiated by its equity exposure:
- Polaris Multi-Index 1 – The lowest-risk option in the range, investing approximately 40% in equities. It is suited to clients who prefer lower levels of risk.
- Polaris Multi-Index 2 – A balanced portfolio with around 60% in equities, offering moderate growth potential with the second-lowest level of risk.
- Polaris Multi-Index 3 – Targets a higher growth profile by allocating roughly 80% to equities, designed for clients comfortable with a relatively high level of risk.
- Polaris Multi-Index 4 – The highest-risk option, investing close to 100% in equities. It is aimed at long-term investors seeking higher returns and willing to accept greater risk in pursuit of growth.
Polaris Multi-Index funds will be competitively priced at 0.20%.
Tom Beal, Group Investment Director at St. James’s Place, said: “This new range broadens our offering by giving clients and Partners access to a wider selection of competitively priced solutions designed to support their long-term financial goals. Some investors want to complement or diversify their active fund exposure, while others may prefer a more straightforward option. For many, cost is also a key factor, and index-trackers provide a lower-cost alternative. Our aim is to evolve our proposition, so it caters to the full spectrum of our clients’ needs.”
Justin Onuekwusi, Chief Investment Officer at St. James’s Place, said: “At SJP we believe in giving clients genuine choice and in building muti-asset solutions that stand the test of time. Polaris has been a great foundation, bringing together world-class managers with our own global asset allocation views, growing into one of the UK’s largest and most successful multi-asset ranges.
“But we can’t stand still. The launch of our new Polaris Multi-Index funds is the natural next step in the development of our product offering. We are applying the same investment discipline and medium-term active asset allocation views but now combining this with the efficiency of index-tracking to complement the existing multi-asset proposition.
“Alongside Polaris and InRetirement, the Multi-Index range represents our continued commitment to innovation, diversification, and resilience, ensuring our clients benefit from a proposition that is built to evolve with the world around us.”
Ann Prendergast, Executive Vice President and Head of the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region at State Street Investment Management, said: “We are delighted to expand our partnership with St. James’s Place with the launch of their Polaris Multi-Index range. These new funds build on our existing collaboration on the SJP InRetirement and Polaris ranges, combining SJP’s asset allocation insight with State Street Investment Management’s indexing products.”
