PPM’s Global Equities Growth SMA retains 4.25/5 stars for second consecutive year; Australian Equities Growth SMA maintains 3.75/5 as governance and team milestones acknowledged

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – [April 8, 2026] – Private Portfolio Managers Pty Limited (PPM), a boutique investment manager with a long-standing history of delivering consistent performance for clients, today announced that SQM Research has reaffirmed the ratings for both of its managed account strategies following their annual review.

The Global Equities Growth SMA has retained its 4.25 out of 5 star rating — classified as High Investment Grade — while the Australian Equities Growth SMA has maintained its 3.75 out of 5 star rating, classified as Investment Grade. The ratings follow PPM’s inaugural SQM assessment in March 2025.

“Having our ratings reaffirmed in only our second year of SQM assessment reflects the consistency and discipline that has underpinned our investment process for decades,” said Hugh MacNally, Executive Chair and Chief Investment Officer at Private Portfolio Managers. “We are particularly pleased that SQM has recognised the meaningful progress we have made across our team, governance structure and succession planning over the past twelve months — alongside what has been a very strong period of investment performance.”

In its 2026 review, SQM Research noted a number of positive developments at PPM since the inaugural ratings, including the formalisation of a Co-Portfolio Manager structure for the domestic strategy, the appointment of Franklin Djohan as Backup Portfolio Manager for the global strategy, and the addition of Sukriti Arora as a dedicated Data Analyst. SQM also acknowledged the appointment of Andrew Dyer as an independent non-executive director and the initiation of an ownership transition to next-generation staff — both viewed as meaningful steps in the long-term governance of the business.

On the performance front, the Global Equities Growth SMA delivered a 1-year return of +22.34% to December 2025, outperforming both its benchmark and the peer average, with alpha of +9.80% over the period. Risk-adjusted returns, as measured by Sharpe and Information ratios, remain materially above peer averages across all timeframes.

“The reaffirmation of our ratings, combined with strong recent performance, gives us real confidence as we continue to grow our managed account offering,” said Warren Jones, Head of Financial Adviser Distribution at PPM. “We are committed to the same disciplined investment process that has served our clients well for thirty years, and these ratings reflect that commitment.”

Both PPM strategies are available on the HUB24 platform, with the Global Equities Growth SMA also now accessible via Netwealth following PPM’s expansion to that platform in 2026.

According to SQM Research’s rating scale:

• The 4.25 star rating for the Global Equities Growth SMA is classified as “High Investment Grade,” indicating considerable potential to meet investment objectives over the medium to long term.
• The 3.75 star rating for the Australian Equities Growth SMA is classified as “Investment Grade,” indicating potential to meet investment objectives over the medium to long term.

If you are interested in learning more about PPM’s SQM-rated managed accounts please contact:

Warren Jones
Head of Financial Advisor Distribution
email: wj@ppmfunds.com

Mobile: 0422 819 116

About PPM

Founded in 1995, Private Portfolio Managers Pty Limited (PPM), is a privately owned boutique investment manager with a well established track record of constructing high conviction Australian Equities, Global Equities and Multi-Asset portfolios for our clients and their financial advisers. Our investment objective is to grow our clients’ portfolios over the long term using a disciplined & well researched investment process which seeks protection of capital with risk assessed tax effective returns. PPM offers Individually Managed Account (IMA) and Separately Managed Account (SMA) investment solutions across a number of broad investment strategies including balanced, income and growth style portfolios. For more information about PPM and our services please visit our website at www.ppmfunds.com.

About SQM Research ratings:

The ratings contained in this document are issued by SQM Research Pty Ltd ABN 93 122 592 036 AFSL 421913. SQM Research is an investment research firm that undertakes research on investment products exclusively for its wholesale clients, utilising a proprietary review and star rating system. The SQM Research star rating system is of a general nature and does not take into account the particular circumstances or needs of any specific person. The rating may be subject to change at any time. Only licensed financial advisers may use the SQM Research star rating system in determining whether an investment is appropriate to a person’s particular circumstances or needs. You should read the product disclosure statement and consult a licensed financial adviser before making an investment decision in relation to this investment product. SQM Research receives a fee from the Fund Manager for the research and rating of the managed investment scheme.