The new research portal bringing fund ratings and portfolio reporting together

Deciding which funds and ETFs belong on an approved product list, and which deserve a place in a particular client’s portfolio, will always be one of the more demanding challenges in advice. Research reports, rating changes and market commentary tend to arrive through different channels, and the task of bringing them together and analysing their implications can become onerous and fragmented.

A new offering from Genium Investment Partners is designed to make that task simpler. The firm has launched GeniumIQ, a research portal built to give financial advisers and licensees access to all of Genium’s recommendations and insights in one place.

Tim Murphy, co-CEO and head of research at Genium, said the portal is a response to growing demand for the firm’s independent research.

The portal

Built specifically for advice businesses, GeniumIQ brings together fund and ETF research rating reports, market commentary, rating updates and investment insights in what the firm describes as one contemporary, easy-to-navigate solution. Advisers can use it to assess a range of investment opportunities, risks and manager capabilities without unnecessary complexity or noise.

For practices that use Genium’s consulting services, the portal goes a step further. Custom versions of GeniumIQ will also include their portfolio and SMA reporting, so the research behind a portfolio sits alongside the reporting on how that portfolio is positioned.

“GeniumIQ makes our independent research easier to access and faster to use. By distilling our analysis into clear, practical insights, we are helping advisers focus on the issues that matter most when making investment decisions”, Murphy notes.

The value of a single portal lies as much in time saved as in the content itself. A rating update that sits next to the original report and the latest market commentary is easier to act on, whether the question at hand is a change to an approved product list or a conversation with a client about why a holding remains appropriate.

The research

Genium’s research process focuses on a highly curated list of funds, selected on an invitation-only basis by the firm’s research team, each of whom has more than 20 years’ experience. Each fund receives an assessment across five pillars: Parent, People, Process, Price and Performance. A dedicated ESG assessment accompanies it.

The research, ratings and insights then become concise, actionable reports. These reports focus on what matters. Each report highlights the key strengths, risks and considerations of a fund so that advisers can quickly identify the issues needed to make a decision.

That emphasis on brevity suits the way many advisers work through research, often between client meetings or ahead of an investment committee, where a clear account of the strengths and risks is more useful than a lengthy document.

A research arm built on consulting

Genium has built its research capability on a longer history in consulting. Founded in 2013, the firm is a full-service research ratings, asset consulting and investment management business. It expanded into research ratings in 2024, and was among the first retail investment consultants in Australia to offer advisers and licensees a customised approach to outsourcing investment services.

That consulting heritage helps explain the shape of the new portal, which serves both advisers who use Genium’s ratings to inform their own decisions and those who outsource part of their investment process to the firm. According to Murphy, demand for the research from advisers and licensees has been building quickly.

“We’re seeing rapidly growing demand from advisers and licensees for our independent research as our coverage approaches 200 funds across all asset classes, and GeniumIQ is our modern technology solution to help meet that demand and assist advisers in making timely and informed investment decisions.”

With coverage now nearing 200 funds, GeniumIQ gives advice businesses another way to bring independent research into their day-to-day investment decisions. When reviewing an approved product list or preparing for a round of client reviews, having ratings, commentary and portfolio reporting together in one place should make the work a little lighter.