Interview: Andrew Limberis, Omba Advisory and Investments
We spoke to Andrew Limberis, Investment Manager at Omba Advisory and Investments to discuss their fund selection and ETF investment.
Andrew Limberis has been with Omba since 2017 after previous experience with EY at which he performed a number of different roles. At Omba, Limberis is responsible for managing discretionary portfolios for high net worth individuals and the firm’s UCITS fund.
Who are Omba?
Omba manages money for High Net Worth investors and Family Offices and offers expert investment advice. They specialise in ETFs, building and managing global low-cost ETF portfolios in a professional and transparent manner. ETFs (exchange-traded funds) have become a key buzzword in the investment world – similar to mutual funds, ETFs are investment vehicles which can be bought and sold throughout the day on stock exchanges and help consumers gain broad diversification at a lower cost to traditional products.
The potential of ETFs
ETFs are starting to be more widely recognised in recent years and are becoming the preferred investment method for many. Whilst innovation and investment range scope has increased for ETF product offerings, many active funds have remained stagnant with higher fees not necessarily reflecting better performance which has helped facilitate the growth of the ETF industry. There are many benefits to ETFs including instant diversification, tax efficiency, liquidity, lower costs and ability to invest in specific sectors. They also offer ample flexibility in that they offer the option to purchase in small amounts and have a wide range of alternative investments available.
Are there gaps in the ETF offerings?
The ETF market is not yet perfect with some key improvements needed to be made when it comes to ETF providers – as a relatively new sector, there is still some work to be done when it comes to the provision of data and insights into how client ETFs can be improved. Thus, at an analytical level, there are more factors that could and should be explored. Additionally, changes can be made from a capital markets position in order to facilitate ETFs which would subsequently improve execution and offer lower costs for clients.
What ETF products would you like to see more of in the future?
There is plenty of progress to be made in the ESG sector so we are keeping a close watch on the development of this, especially in relation to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and how companies balance environmental factors with their commitment to society and government policy. As this becomes more of a priority, we will hopefully see this reflected in the offerings of ESG products (both in equity and fixed income markets).
We also look forward to the globalisation of ETF, currently only really adopted in the US and broadly across Europe. As ETFs become more ubiquitous we hope to see them in more of the world’s major markets to help more investors gain global diversification to markets at a lower price point.
Headquartered in London Omba are independently owned and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom, FSCA in South Africa and as an investment manager of an Irish UCITS fund by the Central Bank of Ireland.
