Rochford designs and operates bespoke currency overlay programmes for asset managers, super funds, private equity, credit and infrastructure investors — protecting portfolio returns from FX volatility while preserving liquidity and alignment with mandate objectives.
An overlay isolates foreign-currency risk from the underlying investment decision. The asset manager retains full responsibility for the portfolio. Rochford manages the hedge — mandate design, sizing, execution, rolls, liquidity, mark-to-market and reporting — under a documented programme aligned to the fund's KPIs (key performance indicators).
Our overlay products protect investors from adverse FX moves without forcing the asset manager to dilute returns through inefficient hedging or hold excess cash collateral. We manage fund liquidity and basis risk via mandate design, execution discipline and counterparty management — the work a specialist treasury advisor is built for.
Discuss your mandateMandate design starts with two inputs: the underlying investment profile (asset class, beta, liquidity, currency correlations, credit quality) and the investor's stated objectives (volatility tolerance, performance benchmark, uncorrelated alpha appetite). The output is one of four mandate types — each with a different posture toward risk and alpha.
| Strategy | Primary objective | Best suited to | Key trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passive Rules-based | Remove a set percentage of currency exposure on a periodic basis. | Funds where the primary objective is removing FX as a return driver. | Can be liquidity consumptive. |
| Passive-plus AUD (Australian dollar) funds only | Passive under normal conditions, with a vol/macro trigger that reduces hedging in major drawdown events. | AUD-denominated funds where liquidity strain during crises has been historically painful. | Trigger calibration is critical — false positives reduce protection. |
| Dynamic Risk-modulated | Minimise currency risk by adjusting hedging ratios either side of a neutral level. | Funds wanting active liquidity and risk management. | Potentially more volatile impact on returns and liquidity profile than a pure passive overlay. |
| Active Alpha-seeking | Use the currency exposure of the underlying assets to generate additional alpha. | Funds with a stated currency alpha objective or peer-relative performance target. | Discretionary risk-taking inside agreed limits. Manager skill matters. |
Rochford operates the entire overlay front and middle office workflow — from position management through execution and reporting. The client, custodian and trustee retain back-office responsibilities so that settlement, custody and signatory functions remain fully independent of the advisor.
"Rochford provide AIPX Funds Management a comprehensive solution in establishing and administering the hedging programs behind our hedged unit classes. The team are proactive — providing clear reporting, IC attendance and updates."
"Rochford managed all aspects of establishing and maintaining our currency risk management program. Having confidence that our currency risk is being comprehensively managed allows the team to focus on core areas across operations and asset management."
Currency overlay is a treasury function in which a specialist manager hedges the foreign currency exposure embedded in a portfolio of underlying assets, separately from the management of those assets. The overlay manager designs the hedging programme, executes the FX trades, manages liquidity and margin, and reports against a defined mandate. Currency overlay is typically used by asset managers, superannuation funds, private equity funds and other institutional investors who hold foreign-currency-denominated assets but report or pay distributions in their home currency.
There are four common mandate types. Passive overlay removes a set percentage of currency exposure on a periodic, rules-based basis. Active overlay uses the currency exposure of the underlying assets as a source of additional alpha. Dynamic overlay minimises currency risk by applying hedging ratios either side of a neutral level, adjusted in response to market conditions. Passive-plus overlay is passive under normal conditions but uses a volatility or macro trigger to reduce hedging during major drawdown events such as the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) or COVID, improving the liquidity profile of the strategy. Passive-plus is available for AUD-denominated funds only.
Rochford uses a tri-party structure designed for capital efficiency and segregation of duties. A tri-party Investment Management Agreement is signed between Rochford, the asset manager and the trustee. Bilateral ISDA (International Swaps and Derivatives Association) Master Agreements and Credit Support Annexes sit directly between the trustee and the panel of hedging banks, so the banks have direct access to fund assets and cash collateral is reduced or eliminated. Rochford holds dealing authority from the trustee to instruct FX execution, but does not hold custody of fund assets or derivatives. The client or custodian retains signatory and physical settlement responsibility.
Rochford’s currency overlay services are designed for Australian wholesale clients as defined under section 761G of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). Typical clients include asset managers running hedged unit classes, private equity and credit funds with offshore investments, infrastructure investors, superannuation funds, and corporates managing structural foreign currency exposure on balance sheet.
Rochford is an independent treasury advisor. It does not earn spreads on FX execution, does not sell hedging products and does not take principal positions. Fees are charged on a transparent advisory basis. Banks providing currency overlay typically execute trades themselves and earn the bid-offer spread, which can create a conflict between best-execution for the client and revenue for the desk. Rochford instructs execution across a multi-bank panel through electronic execution platforms so trades are competed for at the point of execution.
Rochford was founded in 2010 and operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 361276. The firm advises on more than A$25 billion of financial market risk across its corporate and institutional client base, with currency overlay representing a core specialisation.
Rochford provides daily position and liquidity reporting, monthly portfolio packs covering hedge ratios, mark-to-market by maturity, counterparty exposure and best-execution outcomes, and bespoke materials for Investment Committee meetings. Mandate compliance, performance against benchmarks and liquidity stress testing are reported as standing items.
We work with wholesale clients across Australia and the broader region. Initial conversations are confidential and no-obligation.
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