HEAD-TO-HEAD: Franklin Templeton versus Loomis Sayles

123456

Manager review

Grant Bowers has been with Franklin Templeton since 1993, and joined the firm’s equity team five years later, after working as fixed income analyst.

He has covered several sectors, including telecoms, media, publishing, transportation, and business services, and started on the US equity growth strategy in 2007.

“Bowers has been a Franklin man throughout his career, and has long experience,” said Poole.

“He is especially good and spotting, nurturing and retaining talent,” he said.

Bowers is supported by deputy manager Sara Araghi, who was appointed to the role in May 2016.

Araghi is also a longtime Franklin employee, having joined in 2003, and specialises in media and entertainment, cable and satellite, and apparel and footwear manufacturer industries, according to Morningstar.

She is a member of the Franklin Small Cap Growth team, “so she provides expert input into small cap stock selection for the US Opportunities fund,” said Poole.

In addition, the managers are supported by the firm’s equity team of around 40 analysts who average 18 years of industry experience.

Turning to the Loomis Sayles product, Aziz Hamzaogullari has run the strategy since May 2010, when he joined the firm from Evergreen Investments.

At Evergreen (later bought by Wells Fargo), he was made director of research in 2003 and portfolio manager in 2006, and ran the Omega and Large Company Growth funds with the same approach he employs at Loomis Sayles, according to Morningstar.

A team of six experienced analysts and one associate analyst backs Hamzaogullari, three of whom – Brian Coyle, Peter Linnard, and Rayon Ward — have worked on the strategy with him since he was at Evergreen.

“Hamzaogullari has been working on the US growth strategy for a long time, and is considered a star fund manager,” said Poole.

“His abilities have been well-developed from an extensive period as an analyst,” he added.

In fact, at Loomis Sayles, each analyst must complete a two-year in-house training programme before they begin their coverage.

“Hamzaogullari has built his team gradually, and there have been no departures since the fund’s inception in 2016,” said Poole.

123456