Prime Value celebrates 27 years of growth for investors
Boutique multi-award-winning investment house, Prime Value Asset Management, has notched up 27 years of delivering investment returns for investors with the Prime Value Growth Fund, which invests in Australian equities, launched during April 1998.
Fast forward to 2025 and the manager now offers a suite of quality investment funds, managing $3 billion in assets as part of its investment group, which includes property specialist, Shakespeare Property Group. Together, the funds have delivered for investors across investments as diverse as Australian equities (small and large cap), dairy farms, hotels, income investing, citrus, and retirement living.
Prime Value showed its prowess in Australian equities early, winning the coveted Money Management Fund Manager of the Year Award in 2005 and 2006.
The Prime Value equities funds continue to deliver today. The small cap Prime Value Emerging Opportunities Fund is currently rated “highly recommended” by Zenith Investment Partners, has delivered 11.8% per annum net of fees for the year to 31 January 2025, and 11.5% per annum net of fees since inception in 2015. It has outperformed the Small Ordinaries Accumulation Index for each of the last seven calendar years.
Prime Value was crowned winner of the highly competitive Australian Equities – Small Cap Award at the Zenith Fund Awards in 2022, and was a finalist in 2023.
Returns have been consistently strong across all funds: The Prime Value Opportunities Fund, which invests across the ASX, has returned 14.3% per annum net of fees for the year to 31 January 2025, and 10.1% per annum net of fees since inception in 2012; the income-focussed Prime Value Equity Income (Imputation) Fund has returned 13.6% total return for the year to 31 January 2025 – increasing to 15.2% with franking credits. The Fund has delivered 10.0% per annum total return since inception in 2001, which increases to an impressive 12.1% per annum when accounting for franking credits.
While equities will always be central, Prime Value saw an opportunity to add value for investors via other asset classes, including alternative assets, around 2014.
Key to this expansion is finding investments which play to Prime Value’s strengths, creating a high conviction product suite which can offer investors something of real value.
“We’re always on the lookout for high performing funds where active management makes a big difference”, says Yak Yong Quek, CEO and co-founder of Prime Value Asset Management.
Quek says the group has built strength in its diverse offering, attracting some of Australia’s most talented asset managers. “We have a strong conviction that our active boutique approach can add value for investors across different asset classes.”
He said Prime Value’s investments in retirement living are a case in point. “Retirement living is a growth sector offering investors reliable cashflows.
“Australia’s ageing population, combined with ongoing housing supply shortages, is driving strong demand for retirement villages.”
Prime Value Asset Management’s first retirement living fund was launched in 2020, comprising four villages and 834 dwellings, posting an IRR to date exceeding 20% with both solid income and capital growth.
Hotels have also proven compelling for the manager, with the Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort, owned by sister company Shakespeare Property Group, recently winning Bronze in the 4-4.5 Star Deluxe Accommodation category at the 2024 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. The resort also won Gold in the 4-4.5 Star Deluxe accommodation category at the Queensland Tourism Awards in late 2024.
Last year, Shakespeare purchased one of Sydney’s best boutique hotel opportunities, the heritage Hotel Woolstore 1888 based at Darling Harbour. Other hotels owned by the group include the Pullman Cairns International, Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort, and Peppers Marysville.
Prime Value is also building strength in specialist agriculture funds, owning some of Australia’s best dairy farming country, including significant holdings in northwest Tasmania and southwest Victoria.
“We set out to build a quality dairy farming portfolio in 2019, and have built a dairy business with 10,000 dairy cows on some of the best dairy producing land in Australia”, Quek said.
“We’re now seeing the rewards from investment in the region, with dairy production up significantly, and more growth expected to come.”
One of Prime Value’s dairy farms was recently endorsed as one of the top milk producers in Australia, being awarded the Diamond Award at the Milk Quality Awards.
As for what’s next, Quek said Prime Value would continue to be selective and play to its strengths. “We have built a quality team and business with competitive advantages, which puts Prime Value in a great position for future growth.
“We will continue to look for new investments in assets with good opportunities for future returns, where we can manage the risk.”
One thing which will always ring true is Prime Value’s passion for stewardship and building wealth together. “We are in it for and with our investors, which is a unique and powerful force”, Mr Quek said.