Fund-vs-fund · Australasian Equities
Devon Trans-Tasman Fund vs Octagon New Zealand Equities Fund
Both are Australasian Equities funds available to NZ retail investors. Numbers below are sourced from the FMA Disclose register via Sorted Smart Investor and reflect the latest published quarterly fund updates.
Why these two differ
The most material structural difference between these two funds is geographic scope. Devon Trans-Tasman Fund, as its name signals, invests across both New Zealand and Australian equities, with holdings such as ANZ Group Holdings and Goodman Group reflecting that cross-Tasman mandate. Octagon New Zealand Equities Fund concentrates solely on New Zealand-listed companies, making it a narrower, single-market exposure within the same Australasian Equities category. Both funds share an identical growth asset allocation of 98.31% and carry the same risk indicator of 4 on the standard 1–7 scale.
Where the funds diverge more sharply is in five-year returns and fees. Devon reports a five-year return of 6.08% per annum against Octagon's 1.25%, a difference that partly reflects the stronger performance of Australian equities relative to the NZX over that period. Devon's annual fund charge of 1.36% is higher than Octagon's 1.17%, a gap of 19 basis points that compounds over time. Fund sizes are comparable — Devon at approximately NZD 154 million, Octagon at approximately NZD 161 million.
Portfolio concentration differs meaningfully: Octagon holds Fisher & Paykel Healthcare at 14.68%, roughly double Devon's 6.62% position in the same stock, making Octagon more sensitive to that single company's performance. Both funds share Infratil as a top-five holding.
Readers should verify all figures against each fund's current Product Disclosure Statement and latest Quarterly Fund Update on FMA Disclose before making any investment decision.
Comparison generated 2026-07-05 from each fund's FMA Disclose QFU facts as at that date. If the underlying facts change, this narrative is withheld until it is regenerated — the tables on this page always reflect the current data.
What's different at a glance
- Octagon New Zealand Equities Fund charges 0.19% lower in annual fund charges (1.17% vs 1.36%).
- Both are New Zealand PIE funds — investor tax is capped at the Prescribed Investor Rate (PIR), maximum 28%.
Where each fund sits in its cohort
Percentile rank vs all 58 australasian equities funds we've matched on Sorted Smart Investor. Mechanical only — no opinion, no forward-looking view.
Annual fund charge
Lower is better
Devon
1.36%
Highest 9% of cohort
Octagon
1.17%
Upper half of cohort
5-year return p.a.
Past performance — not a predictor
Devon
6.08%
Upper half over 5 years
Octagon
1.25%
Lower half over 5 years
Fund size
Larger = more stable, lower close-risk
Devon
NZ$154m
Upper half by size
Octagon
NZ$161m
Largest 25% in cohort
| Metric | Devon | Octagon | Lower / higher is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fund charge | 1.36% | 1.17% | Lower is better |
| Risk indicator (1–7) | 4 | 4 | Higher = more volatility |
| 5-year return p.a. | 6.08% | 1.25% | Higher is better (past not future) |
| Fund size | NZ$154m | NZ$161m | Larger = more stable, lower close-risk |
| Growth / income split | 98% / 2% | 98% / 2% | More growth = higher long-run return + volatility |
| NZ tax structure | PIE (PIR-capped) | PIE (PIR-capped) | PIE = simpler. FIF = annual return. |
| Currency hedging | — | — | Hedged smooths NZD/foreign FX moves at a small cost. |
| Responsible investment screening | No | No | Specific exclusions live in each fund's SIPO. |
| Available via | Direct | Direct | Platforms accepting retail subscriptions. |
Portfolio overlap
How many top-10 positions both funds hold, and at what weight. Computed from each fund's most recently disclosed top-10 holdings — exact-name matched (Microsoft Corp. = Microsoft Corporation), with a Cash / Cash & Equivalents collapse rule.
Matching holdings
4
of each fund's top 10
Devon weight in shared
21.1%
of Devon Trans-Tasman Fund top 10 is shared
Octagon weight in shared
35.0%
of Octagon New Zealand Equities Fund top 10 is shared
| Holding | Devon | Octagon |
|---|---|---|
 Infratil Ltd NZ | 7.18% | 7.03% |
 Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd NZ | 6.62% | 14.68% |
 Auckland International Airport Ltd NZ | 3.86% | 7.72% |
 Contact Energy Ltd NZ | 3.40% | 5.59% |
"Min weight" = the smaller of the two weights — a conservative read of how much exposure you'd have to that position if you held both funds.
What each fund says it does
Devon
Devon Trans-Tasman Fund
The Fund invests in a select portfolio of well researched companies which are primarily New Zealand and Australian listed companies. The Trans-Tasman Fund is actively managed, which means the holdings and returns may differ considerably from its benchmark.Full Devon Devon Trans-Tasman Fund profile →
Octagon
Octagon New Zealand Equities Fund
The New Zealand Equities Fund invests mostly in New Zealand shares, and can invest in Australian listed shares, where the company has meaningful operations in New Zealand. It aims to achieve long-term returns (before fees, taxes and other expenses) greater than the S&P/NZX50 Gross with Imputation Index.Full Octagon Octagon New Zealand Equities Fund profile →
Documents
Crawled directly from each manager's website. How we record provenance →
Common questions
What's the difference between the Devon Trans-Tasman Fund and the Octagon New Zealand Equities Fund?
Which fund has lower fees, Devon Trans-Tasman Fund or Octagon New Zealand Equities Fund?
How do the 5-year returns compare?
Are both funds PIE-taxed in NZ?
Where can I read the official documents for these funds?
