Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund - INVEST Worldwide
Transcription
Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund - INVEST Worldwide
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS Merrill Lynch Investment Solutions – Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) January 2012 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS Important Note: Investors are urged to seek independent advice and to conduct their own due diligence processes regarding the legal, regulatory, tax or financial implications of any investment. These should include investigations regarding the suitability of the product to meet their Investment objectives, parameters and constraints, the investment rationale of the product, and the personnel and procedures employed by the Investment Manager to the SubFund. They should also include assessment of the operational aspects of the Sub-Fund, and the relevant legal, regulatory, tax and similar framework. Investors are urged to review these findings on a regular and ongoing basis, as circumstances may change. Please note that the Sub-Fund is not approved for retail distribution in all jurisdictions - we invite you to contact MLIS to receive the current status. Please also note that this presentation is not approved for distribution to retail investors. Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 41-44 for Important Disclosures. 2 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS 3 Marshall Wace – A Leading Global Equity Long/Short Manager • Founded in 1997 by Paul Marshall and Ian Wace. The business remains privately owned. • Investment management operations in all 3 major time zones. • More than fourteen years of exceptional investment performance with consistent commitment to the interests of investors and no gates imposed or NAVs suspended by any funds managed by Marshall Wace. • Founder signatory of the Best Practice Standards set out by the Hedge Fund Standards Board. • Robust global infrastructure and compliance procedures as evidenced by the Moody’s Operational Quality “OQ1” Rating awarded to certain of the funds managed by Marshall Wace. Hong Kong Greenwich, Connecticut Opened in July 2004 Portfolio management North and Latin American trading TOPS contributor management Americas risk management Operations Global financial management Americas investor relations and marketing Employees: 18 Opened in October 2006 Portfolio management Asian and Financial fundamental investment teams Pan-Asia trading LONDON HEADQUARTERS Opened in 1997 Portfolio management & optimisation Management of fundamental long/short strategies European trading TOPS contributor management Global risk management Operations Investor relations and marketing Finance, accounting and technology Legal, compliance and human resources Employees: 106 Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. TOPS contributor management Asia risk management Operations Incorporates MW GaveKal Asia - a joint venture between Marshall Wace and GaveKal established in June 2008 Employees: 29 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS Merrill Lynch Role as Sponsor • Merrill Lynch has established a Luxembourg Sicav (Merrill Lynch Investment Solutions), approved by the Luxembourg regulator – CSSF • Merrill Lynch International acts as Sponsor for the Sicav and as such has the following duties: – Appointment of custodian and administrator – Obtaining approval from the CSSF for the Sicav and related Sub-Funds – Payment of fees and expenses connected with the management and operation of the Fund – Risk monitoring and compliance reporting for the Fund in accordance with UCITS regulations – Trade monitoring and reconciliation of NAV levels as provided by the administrator (Société Générale Securities Services Luxembourg) • Marshall Wace LLP is the Investment Manager for the first sub-fund of the Sicav • Further sub-funds are being added to the Sicav Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. 4 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS MW TOPS: the Opportunity 5 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS MW TOPS (Trade Optimised Portfolio System) – The Opportunity MW TOPS optimises and exploits the high conviction ideas from a broad range of leading sell-side market participants. • The European TOPS strategy has delivered considerable outperformance of European equity market1 since inception with lower volatility • Pioneers in the alpha capture space, with over 10 years experience • Capturing information flow from ca. 1,200 market participants2 across ca. 40 countries on average during Q4 2011 • One of the largest proprietary single stock databases in the world, containing over 1.8 million individual trade ideas3 • Dedicated global team of 38 people, with 10 quantitative research analysts3. Regional trading offices in London, Hong Kong and Greenwich, Connecticut • Cutting-edge information and risk management systems and strong compliance framework Key Benefits 1 • MW TOPS is a systematic process which drives portfolio construction • MW TOPS equity portfolios are highly diversified • MW TOPS is a liquid, large-cap oriented strategy • MW TOPS strategies utilise limited leverage • Relatively high levels of turnover facilitate the extraction of idiosyncratic returns and mitigate unwanted risks • MW TOPS employs a disciplined, real-time portfolio and risk management process • MW TOPS has limited key man risk As measured by the MSCI AC Daily TR Net Europe Local Index 2 Includes users with read only access 3 As at 31 December 2011 Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. 6 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS Merrill Lynch Investment Solutions – Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) Fund Characteristics and Key Benefits 7 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS MLIS Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) Fund Characteristics Investment Objective To provide consistent absolute returns primarily through investing in global equities. The Fund aims to achieve this by capturing the alpha residing in the stock ideas of contributor sales people in investment banks, research boutiques and local brokers worldwide. The MLIS Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) targets an annualised Sharpe ratio of 1-2 within a low volatility range of 3-5%. MLIS MARSHALL WACE TOPS UCITS FUND (MARKET NEUTRAL) UCITS Luxembourg Fund Sector Exposure normally <12.5% NAV • Highly regulated – investor protection and risk diversification Country Exposure normally <12.5% NAV • Daily liquidity Mid-Cap Exposure normally <20% NAV • Transparency – daily confirmed NAVs, monthly factsheets Single Factor Exposure normally <15% of upper volatility band Net Market Exposure • Regulated service provider and independent risk monitoring +/- 15% NAV Emerging Market Exposure normally <5% NAV Single Stock Exposure normally <3% NAV • Price verification and accounting – done by third parties • Fiscal advantages versus traditional offshore funds in certain jurisdictions The above represents indicative maximum exposures. Regional Coverage Global, developed market focus Investment instruments Listed equities, Equity related instruments, Index futures Liquidity On average 98% of the portfolio can be liquidated in one day Concentration Highly diversified portfolio of approximately 1500-2500 names. Max. holding in a single stock normally <3% of NAV Turnover* 2-4 times per month * Turnover = (Purchases+Sales in securities)-(Subscriptions-Redemptions in fund) (Average of total fund assets x2) Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. 8 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS 9 MLIS Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) Net Performance Since Inception Cumulative Performance (31 Dec 2007-30 Dec 2011) 10% 0% -10% -20% -30% -40% -50% MLIS Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) Class A EUR Acc. MSCI AC Daily TR Net Europe Local Index HFRX Equity Market Neutral Index (US$) Long-Term Performance Jan 31 Dec 2007-30 Dec 2011 M LIS M arshall W ace TOPS UC ITS F und (M ark et N eutral) C lass A EUR Acc. HF RX Equity M ark et N eutral Index (US$) M ar Apr M ay Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct N ov Dec C alendar Total Return Y ear 2008 0.76% 2.22% -1.55% 0.48% 1.99% 2.60% -3.31% -0.97% -7.07% -0.68% 0.47% 1.06% -4 .3 4% 2009 1.70% 0.31% 0.74% 0.21% 1.08% 0.61% -0.12% 0.75% 1.74% -0.42% -0.32% 0.30% 6 .7 6 % 2010 0.57% 0.22% 0.46% 0.27% -1.74% -0.96% 0.28% -0.20% 0.25% 0.56% -0.07% 0.70% 0 .3 0 % 1.38% 0.34% 0.24% 0.31% 0.27% -0.07% 0.52% -2.27% 0.77% 0.63% 0.57% 0.76% 3 .4 6 % -11.67% -0.04% -2.56% 6.08% 1.18% -9.71% -2.26% 1.74% -12.10% -14.28% -5.06% 0.61% -40 .3 4 % 2011 2008 M SC I AC Daily TR N et Europe Local Index F eb 2009 -6.17% -9.01% 3.98% 13.01% 4.93% -2.12% 9.32% 5.80% 4.05% -2.52% 1.85% 4.98% 2 9.24 % 2010 -3.52% 0.32% 7.02% -1.71% -5.92% -2.49% 6.00% -2.14% 5.35% 3.08% -3.22% 5.48% 7 .4 0 % 2011 1.85% 2.13% -1.59% 2.93% -1.35% -1.55% -4.25% -9.59% -4.90% 7.82% -1.19% 0.60% -9 .7 2% 2008 -2.75% 0.79% 2.05% 1.03% 0.23% 1.02% -0.03% -1.91% -0.24% 0.19% 0.69% -2.13% -1 .1 6% 2009 0.01% -0.95% -1.56% -1.45% 1.44% -0.97% -1.11% -0.61% -1.24% 0.48% 0.99% -0.67% -5 .5 6% 2010 -0.49% 1.55% -0.04% -0.38% 2.08% -0.77% 0.12% -3.78% 1.78% 0.63% 2.41% -0.34% 2 .6 4 % 2011 -0.36% 1.60% 1.55% -0.48% -0.50% 0.89% -0.51% -2.46% -3.18% 0.60% -0.19% 0.12% -2 .9 8% Note: Return figures in the above table are net of all fees. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results Source: Marshall Wace LLP /Morgan Stanley Capital International Inc. (“MSCI”)/Bloomberg/Bank of America Merrill Lynch/Hedge Fund Research Inc. (“HFR”) Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. 5.97% -25.24% -7.05% NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS 10 MLIS Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) Constant Portfolio Evolution – Reduced Correlation with Market Relatively high degrees of turnover contribute to a reduction in correlation with the market • The constant submission of fresh ideas the TOPS portfolios evolve with changing market conditions. This is an important dynamic of risk management as contributors seek to identify new opportunities for alpha delivery. MLIS Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) Portfolio Evolution Portfolio Overlap 120% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 80% 60% 60% 60% 64% 51% 48% 41% 40% 64% 62% 62% 51% 41% 48% 20% 0% Oct-11 3 Oct 11 Portfolio Nov-11 1 Nov 11 Portfolio Dec-11 1 Dec 11 Portfolio Jan-12 3 Jan 12 Portfolio Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. As at 3rd January 2012, only 41% of positions overlap with those held on 3rd October 2011 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS 11 MLIS Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) Limited Correlation to Market and Peer Strategies The strategy exhibits minimal correlation with the market1,2 or with other market neutral hedge fund strategies3,2 15% 2.5% Correlation: +0.1695 10% 5% 0% -15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% -5% -10% 15% M LIS Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) Cl ass A EUR Acc. Net Daily Returns (Y-Axis) M LIS Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) Cl ass A EUR Acc. Net Daily Returns (Y-Axis) Correlation: +0.0071 1.5% 0.5% -2.5% -15% M S CI AC Daily TR Net Europe Local Index Daily Return (X-Axis) -1.5% -0.5% 0.5% 1.5% -0.5% -1.5% -2.5% H FRX Equity Market Neutral Index (US$) (X-Axis) Note: Market Neutral TOPS is a constituent of the HFRX Equity Market Neutral Index MSCI AC Daily TR Net Europe Local Index Analysis based on daily data from 31 December 2007 to 30 December 2011 3 As measured by the HFRX Equity Market Neutral Index 1 2 Source: Marshall Wace LLP /Morgan Stanley Capital International Inc. (“MSCI”)/Bloomberg/Bank of America Merrill Lynch Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. 2.5% NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS MLIS Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) Active Management of Market Exposure Management of GME in Response to Alpha Regime Indicator 300% 5 240% 4 180% 3 120% 2 60% 1 0% 0 MLIS Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) Daily Estimated GME (LHS) European Alpha Regime Indicator (RHS) Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. 12 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS 13 MLIS Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) Capital Preservation During Periods of Market Stress C um ulative Performance (31 Dec 2007-30 Dec 2011) Inception of Financial Crisis 31 Dec 2007-31 Mar 2008 Return Volatility Fund* +1.40% 5.39% Market^ -13.97% 28.80% 10% Sovereign Crisis 31 Mar 2010-30 Jun 2010 Return 0% -10% Volatility Fund* -2.43% 2.48% Market^ -9.83% 27.54% -20% -30% -40% Good Recovery as Financial Crisis Reaches its Nadir 30 Sep 2008-28 Feb 2009 Return Resurgence of Global Economic Instability 30 Jun 2011-30 Dec 2011 -50% Volatility Fund* +2.87% 3.31% Market^ -30.10% 46.86% Return -60% Volatility MLIS Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) Class A EUR Acc. Fund* +0.95% 2.67% MSCI AC Daily TR Net Europe Local Index Market^ -11.77% 28.67% * MLIS Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) Class A EUR Acc. ^ As measured by the MSCI AC Daily TR Net Europe Local Index. Source: Marshall Wace LLP /Morgan Stanley Capital International Inc. (“MSCI”)/Bloomberg/Bank of America Merrill Lynch Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS MW TOPS 14 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS 15 MW TOPS Investment Process & Compliance Overview A unique, systematic, global investment process to extract and monetise value from the sell-side community Marshall Wace Country Specialists Sector Specialists Strategists Local brokers Global investment banks Broker Compliance Procedure MW TOPS Team Idea Collection Idea Collection and Analysis Unique approach to stock selection driven by analysis of virtual portfolios in the TOPS database and optimisation Portfolio Construction Real time optimisation and position sizing based on contributor conviction and MW analysis of contributor performance Marshall Wace Proprietary Web Based Delivery Pipe Order Management and Execution Proprietary algorithmic trading systems designed for high transactional throughput MW TOPS Team Review Procedure Post-Trade Review Procedure (MW Compliance Function) Broker Environment Risk Management Industry leading proprietary real-time risk management platform Independent risk monitoring and performance measurement unit Idea Collection and Compliance • • • • • Full electronic audit trail - the process provides an electronic audit trail for all ideas submitted through the TOPS system. All ideas are screened by Marshall Wace - all ideas submitted through TOPS are subject to the TOPS investment team’s review procedures and a compliance review, whether acted upon or not. Extensive use of technology - Marshall Wace uses word recognition software to facilitate additional efficient compliance screening. Ability to return path information flow - Marshall Wace makes available to brokers’ compliance departments files detailing contributions from their employees. These include the time stamp of idea flow and the investment rationales as supplied to Marshall Wace. Compliance review in real-time - account manager and compliance teams may also have special access to the TOPS website allowing them to view all user actions, submissions and rationales in real-time. Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS 16 Contributor Base Unique access to market breadth and stock depth •On average during Q4 2011, Marshall Wace was polling 316 sell-side organisations and 1,169 individuals in real-time •70% from boutiques, sector specialists, local brokers •30% from global investment banks •Salespeople from ca. 40 countries •Stock universe: most liquid 2000-3000 equities around the world Europe Total 110 Houses 414 Individuals UK 11 Houses Benelux 3 Houses Scandinavia 6 Houses Poland 1 House Ireland 2 Houses Germany 12 Houses Italy 6 Houses France 5 Houses Switzerland 5 Houses Spain 8 Houses Pan-European and Other Generalists 25 Houses Asia Total 65 Houses 506 Individuals Non-Japan Asia 20 Houses Canada 13 Houses Turkey 5 Houses USA 116 Houses Greece 1 House Israel 1 House Americas Total 141 Houses 249 Individuals Japan 28 Houses China 5 Houses India 15 Houses Latin America 11 Houses Asia Pacific 5 Houses Korea 13 Houses Taiwan 7 Houses EMEA Generalists 7 Houses Hong Kong & China 19 Houses ASEAN 12 Houses South Africa 5 Houses Australia 21 Houses New Zealand 1 House Note: Houses are double counted if they contribute to more than one TOPS strategy. “Individuals” are classified as all users, including those with read only access, within the TOPS system. Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS 17 Powerful Alpha Generation by Contributors -40% 100% 90% % of C ontributors The above analysis includes the annualised alpha generation of contributors who have been in the system for at least 6 months Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. -20% % of Contributors 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 20% 10% 0% 100% 10% -10% % o f C ontributors 80% 20% -30% -80% 70% 60% 30% 0% 100% -10% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Alpha by Contributor ( ro lling 3 year data to 31 Dec 2011) 10% 0% 100% 90% 80% 70% 20% -20% -60% -100% Alpha by Contributor (rolling 3 year data to 31 Dec 2011) -40% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% -20% Japan TOPS Contributors 40% 60% 20% % of Contributors 30% Asia TOPS Contributors 30% 0% Alpha by Contributor (rolling 3 year data to 31 Dec 2011) -50% % of C ontributors 40% 40% 50% -40% -50% Americas TOPS Contributors 40% -30% -40% 80% 0% -10% -20% -20% -30% 100% 10% 20% 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 20% 10% 10% 30% 0% 20% 0% Alpha by Contributor (rolling 3 year data to 31 Dec 2011) 30% -10% European Sector Specialists 40% 30% European Generalists and Country Specialists 40% Alpha by Contributor (rolling 3 year data to 31 Dec 2011) Distribution of alpha by TOPS contributors in the 3 year period to 31 December 2011. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS Assessment of Contributor Performance and Behavioural Characteristics Team: Dedicated TOPS team of 38 people globally, including 10 quantitative research analysts Identifying the Repeatable Element of Contributor Performance: Skill Investment Performance - Alpha - Risk - Hit Rate Behaviour Bias Tendency - Disposition Bias - Anchoring Bias Contributor Performance Proprietary Database with Unique Informational Content • Average activity/contributor: 3-5 hours/day* • Tenure in TOPS: Averages 3-4 years per individual • Idea submission: 600-900 ideas per day globally • Time horizon: Typically 3-100 days • Dataset: contains over 1.8 million individual trade ideas * Time spent logged into the TOPS Contributor website per day - Website activity - Logins - No. of ideas Personal - Tenure in TOPS - Tenure in Industry Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. 18 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS 19 Alpha and Portfolio Construction Alpha Construction - through multi-dimensional quantitative analysis of contributor skill set and behaviour Portfolio Construction - Optimisation Contributor Ideas Dynamic Optimisation ContributorLevel Information Interaction Information Other Information Skill Level Decay Rate Rationale Activity Type (New, Add, Reduce, Close) Long/Short Other contributors with views/ recent activity in the same stock Idea correlation Profile co-incidence Crowded trades/herding Volatility Trading volume Stock returns Fundamentals Corporate Actions/Events Prior view of alpha per stock, per contributor Updated view of alpha per stock Updated view of alpha per stock Alpha Stock Alpha Forecast Blended over all alpha sources (e.g. multiple contributors) Long Short Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. + Risk Control + Transaction Costs / Market Conditions Highly Diversified & Liquid Portfolio NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS 20 Risk Management Function Oversight and Control • Independent risk management and advisory function • Targeting of idiosyncratic/stock specific risk • Proprietary monitoring, alerting and tracking engine with real-time portfolio risk profiles built using multiple fundamental factor and statistical based models to ensure multi-sourced risk and return • Third party models incorporated into the platform include Axioma and Nomura Pre-trade Portfolio Construction Post-trade Analytics Research • Regulatory constraints • • Predicted vs. realised volatility • • Security level trade status Pre-trade analysis of projected impact on portfolio • Risk attribution Volatility and correlation forecasting • Fully configurable “what if?” scenarios • Daily VaR and volatility • Custom risk models • Ex-ante stress tests and scenario simulations • Derivative modelling • Real-time factor attribution • Conviction optimisation • Targeted level of risk • Strict sector, country, market cap exposure and liquidity limits • Auto-hedge functionality (beta, sector or country neutrality) • Intra-day exposure monitoring Team • CRO – Ian Wace • Head of Risk and Performance Measurement – Christian Szylar • 4 risk and performance analysts Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS 21 Alpha Regime Indicator • Real-time traffic-light risk indicators covering a range of proprietary TOPS-specific and market driven risk metrics aim to identify regimes in which risk taking is likely to be more or less rewarded and inform the management of gross market exposure – Includes “external” risk metrics such as dispersion, volatility, correlation and bid-offer spreads – And “internal” TOPS-based metrics such as contributor performance, risk appetite, success ratios and idea frequency Alpha Regime Indicator system has facilitated pre-emptive risk reduction during periods of heightened volatility and market stress with the aim of preserving investor capital 5 100 4 80 3 60 2 40 1 20 0 0 02/11/2007 18/12/2007 31/01/2008 11/03/2008 22/04/2008 03/06/2008 11/07/2008 20/08/2008 29/09/2008 06/11/2008 16/12/2008 29/01/2009 10/03/2009 22/04/2009 02/06/2009 10/07/2009 19/08/2009 01/10/2009 10/11/2009 21/12/2009 02/02/2010 29/03/2010 18/05/2010 29/06/2010 09/08/2010 20/09/2010 28/10/2010 13/12/2010 21/01/2011 04/03/2011 15/04/2011 30/05/2011 08/07/2011 17/08/2011 26/09/2011 03/11/2011 13/12/2011 • European Alpha Regime Indicator (LHS) The analysis provided above is intended for illustrative purposes only and is not a guide to the current risk indicators for any TOPS portfolio Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. VIX Index (RHS) NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS 22 Execution Strength in quantitative trading to deliver alpha at low cost 100% • High level of electronic execution and algorithmic trading globally 95% System determines whether the trade is processed electronically or routed onto the high-touch blotter • Quantitative trading models assess in real time the optimal % of trading volume to execute while minimising market impact • Dynamic position sizing and time-varying transaction cost management (especially important in lower volume environments) 90% 85% 80% Val ue • I n crease in Automated Execution 75% 70% • Reduced slippage costs through forecasting and optimisation of intraday alpha, volume , spread, volatility and correlation 65% • Systematic framework in place to allow for further quantitative improvements 55% 60% 50% • Dedicated global trading team of 10 • In 2010 and 2011 Marshall Wace was winner of the Financial News “IT Department of the Year – Buy Side” award ORDER Internal Crossing Mid-point cross, typically no cost/commission associated Netting Participation control (aggression to not exceed 20% of the volume when automated) Trade Schedule Dynamic in nature • Impact estimate • Alpha forecasting • Volatility, volume, spread & time of day forecasting • Risk model incorporation Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. Broker Selection High Touch Incorporation • Indication of interest • No electronic market NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS Appendix 23 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS 24 December 2011 Exposures • Structural portfolio diversification minimises any significant position, sector or country exposure • The breadth and style diversity of the alpha source among contributors ensures the polling mechanism is not biased towards any particular factor • No single position dominates return profile • Exceptional portfolio liquidity driven both by constraints on contributor input and risk management parameters Sector Exposures as at 30th December 2011 Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund Exposures by Sector Automobiles & Components Banks Capital Goods Commercial & Professional Services Consumer Durables & Apparel Consumer Services Diversified Financials Energy Financials Food & Staples Retailing Food Beverage & Tobacco Health Care Equipment & Services Household & Personal Products Insurance Materials Media Pharmaceuticals Biotechnology & Life Sciences Real Estate Retailing Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment Software & Services Technology Hardware & Equipment Telecommunication Services Transportation Utilities Other‡ Total Country Exposures as at 30th December 2011 Longs as % Shorts as % NAV NAV 4.41% 5.65% 9.87% 2.05% 3.24% 3.14% 3.44% 9.99% 0.00% 2.21% 4.35% 3.75% 1.18% 4.65% 10.15% 4.76% 4.83% 2.18% 5.27% 2.24% 6.91% 2.83% 3.24% 4.42% 4.71% 5.95% 115.40% -2.40% -6.38% -10.89% -1.20% -3.78% -1.87% -3.85% -8.63% 0.00% -2.82% -6.05% -2.16% -1.10% -2.25% -12.11% -2.74% -4.05% -3.30% -5.11% -1.97% -2.64% -4.31% -3.65% -2.37% -6.57% -5.53% -107.73% Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund Exposures by Country Africa/Middle East Developed Asia Latin America North America Other Asia West Europe Other‡ Total Fund Portfolio Liquidity (Days to liquidate – December 2011) Longs as % Shorts as % NAV NAV 1.86% 27.57% 0.14% 30.21% 5.31% 49.51% 0.79% 115.40% 1-5 days 0.6% -1.01% -25.81% -0.21% -29.18% -4.94% -40.55% -6.04% -107.73% 0-1 day 99.4% ‡ Positions with no specific category Source: Bank of America Merrill Lynch Market Capitalisation Analysis as at 30th December 2011 Source: Bank of America -80% -60% -40% -20% 0% Source: Marshall Wace LLP /Morgan Stanley Capital International Inc. (“MSCI”)/Bloomberg/Bank of America Merrill Lynch Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Merrill Lynch NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS Merrill Lynch Investment Solutions – Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) Terms Institutional Share Classes (Sub-Fund of the Merrill Lynch Investment Solutions SICAV) Investment Manager Marshall Wace LLP Sponsor Merrill Lynch International Investment Strategy Market Neutral - Long/Short Equity Strategy Launch Date November 2007 Domicile Luxembourg Share Classes Accumulation and Income Shares Currency Denomination Euros (Acc. & Inc.), Sterling (Acc. & Inc.) and US$ (Acc.) Issue Price €100 / £100 / US$100 Minimum Subscription €1m / £1m / US$1m Dealing Daily Valuation Day Every day that is a Banking Day Subscription Deadline 12pm Luxembourg time; 2 Banking Days prior to the relevant Dealing Day Redemption Deadline 12pm Luxembourg time; 2 Banking Days prior to the relevant Dealing Day Investment Management Fee (A Shares) 1.75% p.a. Investment Management Fee (B Shares) 1.50% p.a. Performance Fee (A Shares) 25% of the outperformance above EONIA® Total Return Benchmark1 Performance Fee (B Shares) 20% of the outperformance above High Water Mark Sales Charge None Redemption Charge None Operating and Administrative Expenses 0.30% p.a. 1 See Important Disclosures in final pages for definition Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. 25 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS 26 Service Providers Transfer Agent (Soc Gen European Fund Services) Merrill Lynch Investment Solutions Sponsor (MLI) SICAV Sponsor Agreement Transfer Agency Agreement ISDA Counterparty (MLI) Administrator (Soc Gen Securities Services) ISDA Agreement UCITS Fund Administrator Agreement (MW TOPS UCITS) Created as a sub-fund under MLIS SICAV ISDA Agreement Custody Agreement Investment Management Agreement Custodian ISDA Counterparty (Deutsche Bank) Give Up Agreement (Soc Gen Bank and Trust) Sub-Custody Agreement Investment Manager Sub-Custodian (Marshall Wace) (ML) Give Up Agreements Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. ETD Brokers NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS MW TOPS Website Website: Rendered in multiple languages. Note: This website is not accessible to the public Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. 27 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS MW TOPS Portfolio Note: This website is not accessible to the public Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. 28 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS Key Personnel • Anthony Clake – MW TOPS Global Product Manager Anthony Clake has been responsible for the evolution of the TOPS strategies since their inception in 2001. As the Global Portfolio Manager for TOPS, he has overseen the geographic expansion of this investment process across Europe, Asia, North and South America as well as Emerging Markets. In recognition of his contribution to the development of Marshall Wace Anthony was made a partner in 2004. Anthony joined Marshall Wace in August 2001 directly from university following consultancy work with the company during 1999 and 2000. Previously he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Queen's College, Oxford. He was elected to the Gibbs scholarship for obtaining the highest marks awarded in preliminary and final examinations. • Alan Hofmeyr – Head of Quantitative Research Alan Hofmeyr joined Marshall Wace in 2008 and is Head of Quantitative Research. Alan joined the firm from Lehman Brothers, where he was head of the Quantitative Portfolio Advisory team, with responsibility for advising quantitative asset managers on key elements of the investment process, including alpha generation, risk modelling and portfolio construction. Alan holds an MBA in Finance with Distinction from the London Business School and a BA (Hons) in Economics from the University of Nottingham. • Christian Szylar – Head of Risk and Performance Measurement Christian Szylar joined Marshall Wace in 2010 as Head of Risk and Performance Measurement to further enhance the risk management framework and risk reporting practices of the firm. Before joining Marshall Wace, Christian worked at Kinetic Partners where he headed a Risk and Valuation team, monitoring and reporting on areas such as market risk, OTC valuation, investment restrictions, liquidity, counterparty risk and performance measurement. Prior to this, he was Managing Director of RBS Portfolio Risk Services, where he developed a portfolio of risk management services tailored to asset managers and was also a Vice President at Mizuho Financial Group. Christian has advised a number of financial institutions on how best to implement efficient risk management process for both UCITS and hedge funds. He recently published his latest book entitled Risk Management under UCITS – New Challenges for the Fund Industry. Christian holds a PhD in Management Science and specialised in Finance and Corporate Strategy at MIT/Sloan School of Management. He has studied Banking Law and participated in a number of Harvard Economics programmes. In addition, he has taught various Masters degrees at the Universities of Toulouse and Nancy II, heading the MBA programme in Luxembourg for the latter. Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. Please refer to pages 30-33 for Important Disclosures. 29 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS 30 IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Unless otherwise stated, returns are after trading costs, administration, management and incentive fees (“Net”). • Alpha, Europe For the European TOPS strategy, the benchmark for Alpha calculation is the MSCI Europe All Country Total Return Index (with net dividends). The MSCI Total Return Indices measure the market performance, including price performance and income from dividend payments. MSCI's Daily Total Return (DTR) methodology reinvests dividends in indices the day the security is quoted ex-dividend (xd-date). Dividends are not considered in price indices. This series approximates the minimum possible dividend reinvestment. The dividend is reinvested after deduction of withholding tax, applying the rate to non-resident individuals who do not benefit from double taxation treaties. MSCI uses withholding tax rates applicable to Luxembourg holding companies, as Luxembourg applies the highest rates. The Fund is not restricted to investing in those securities which comprise the above index, their performance may or may not correlate to the index, and they should not be considered proxies for the index. • Alpha, US For the Americas TOPS strategy, the benchmark for Alpha calculation is the MSCI Americas Total Return Index. The MSCI Americas Total Return Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure equity market performance in North and South America. MSCI Total Return Indices measure the market performance, including price performance and income from dividend payments. The Fund is not restricted to investing in those securities which comprise the index, its performance may or may not correlate to the index, and it should not be considered a proxy for the index. • Alpha, Asia For the Japan TOPS strategy, the benchmark for Alpha calculation is the TOPIX Total Return Price Index a capitalisation-weighted index of all the companies listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. For the Pan-Asia TOPS strategy the benchmark for Alpha calculation is the MSCI Daily TR Net AC Asia Pacific Local Index. This index is a capitalisation weighted index that monitors the performance of stocks from the Asia Pacific region excluding the country of Japan. The Fund is not restricted to investing in those securities which comprise the indices, its performance may or may not correlate to the indices, and it should not be considered a proxy for the indices. • Sharpe Ratio The Sharpe ratio is calculated by subtracting the risk free rate from the rate of return for a portfolio, and dividing the result by the Standard Deviation of the portfolio returns Risk Free Rate of Return used is EONIA Sharpe Ratio = (Total Period Return – Risk Free Rate over Period) Standard Deviation over Period • Eonia® (Euro OverNight Index Average) is an effective overnight rate computed as a weighted average of all overnight unsecured lending transactions in the interbank market initiated within the euro area by the contributing panel banks. • MSCI data MSCI data is owned and copyrighted by Morgan Stanley Capital International Inc., Copyright ©2012. All rights reserved. Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. 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Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. 31 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES Additional Information Regarding Investing in the Marshall Wace TOPS UCITS Fund (Market Neutral) (The “Fund”) Any offering of the Fund can be made only by means of delivery of the Fund’s prospectus and applicable supplement (together, the “Prospectus”), which contain material information not contained herein, including a discussion of the terms of investment and information regarding investment risks and conflicts of interest. Any representation to the contrary is not permitted. In the event of such offering, the information in this document will be superseded, amended and/or supplemented in its entirety by the Prospectus. The Prospectus should be carefully reviewed prior to any determination to invest in the Fund and any investment decision with respect to the Fund should be made solely upon the information contained in the Prospectus. No information in this document should be construed as providing financial, investment or other professional advice in relation to the Fund. The information contained herein is for the sole use of the intended recipient and may not be copied or otherwise distributed or published. An investment in the Fund is speculative, involves substantial risks and is not appropriate for all investors. Any investor interested in investing in the Fund should conduct its own investigation and analysis of the Fund and should consult its own professional advisers as to the risks involved in making such an investment. An investment in the Fund is expected to have limited liquidity. No secondary market is expected to develop for the Shares. A significant or total loss of investment could occur. Foreign currency denominated investments are subject to fluctuations in exchange rates that could have a positive or adverse effect on an investor’s return. Neither the past performance of Marshall Wace LLP nor any of the TOPS strategies is indicative of future results of the Fund. Any projections or analysis provided to assist the recipient of this presentation in evaluating the matters described herein may be based on subjective assessments and assumptions and may use one among alternative methodologies that produce different results. A variety of market factors and assumptions may affect this analysis, and this analysis does not reflect all possible loss scenarios. There is no certainty that the parameters and assumptions used in this analysis can be duplicated with actual trades. Accordingly, any projections or analyses should not be viewed as factual and should not be relied upon as an accurate prediction of future results. The indices for which information is presented in this document may or may not hold substantially similar instruments to those that the Fund holds. Indices reflect passive returns whereas the Fund is a managed investment that charges fees. Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. 32 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO RETAIL INVESTORS IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES Selling Restrictions and Investment Risks DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTIONS: The Fund may only be offered and distributed to investors in accordance with all relevant local laws and regulations. The distribution of this brochure and the offering or purchase of Shares may be restricted in certain jurisdictions. This brochure does not constitute an offer of or invitation or solicitation to subscribe for or acquire any Shares in any jurisdiction. Persons receiving a copy of this brochure in any jurisdiction may not treat this brochure as constituting an offer, invitation or solicitation to them to subscribe for Shares notwithstanding that, in the relevant jurisdiction, such an offer, invitation or solicitation could lawfully be made to them without compliance with any registration or other legal requirement. It is the responsibility of any persons in possession of this brochure and any persons wishing to apply for Shares to inform themselves of, and to observe, all applicable laws and regulations of any relevant jurisdiction. Prospective applicants for Shares should inform themselves as to the legal requirements of so applying, and any applicable exchange control regulations and taxes in the countries of their respective citizenship, residence or domicile. The Shares have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any of the states of the United States. The Shares may not be offered, sold or delivered directly or indirectly in the United States or to or for the account or benefit of any U.S. Person. The Fund has not been and will not be registered under the United States Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. INVESTMENT RISKS: There has not been and will not be a public offering of the Shares in the United States. Investment in the Fund carries substantial risk. There can be no assurance that the investment objectives of the Fund will be achieved and investment results may vary substantially over time. Investment in the Fund is not intended to be a complete investment programme for any investor. Investment in the Fund is intended for experienced investors who are able to understand and accept the risks involved. A prospective investor should appreciate that the value of any investment, and any income from any investment, may go down as well as up and that an investor’s capital is at risk and the investor may not receive back the amount invested. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Persons considering investing in the Fund should read the risk disclosure in the Prospectus. Merrill Lynch International registered address is Merrill Lynch Financial Centre, 2 King Edward Street, London EC1A 1HQ. Source: Marshall Wace LLP Confidential to recipient; not for reproduction or redistribution. 33