Defaqto recognition for Waverton MPS with new Diamond Ratings for 2025

We are delighted to announce the renewal of our Gold, 5-Stars and Family 5-Diamond ratings from independent UK financial research company Defaqto for 2025, and the additional recognition of individual MPS Portfolio Diamond ratings for each of our MPS portfolios. These new ratings for 2025 use a risk-adjusted past performance metric, across a 5-year period, to segment models into quintiles. The top 20% of portfolios carry the highest 5-Diamond Rating for 2025 and Waverton have received this recognition for all eligible portfolios.

The Waverton Multi-Asset Income Fund also received a 5-Diamond rating.  

Further Information on Defaqto’s ratings

5 Diamonds for MPS Family & Individual MPS Portfolios

Individual: The new Diamond Ratings follow a methodological approach, first created for individual fund Diamond Ratings in 2014 and made possible for MPS by the release of Defaqto’s whole of market research solution, MPS Comparator, in May 2024.

The peer grouping facilitates the positioning of discretionary MPS portfolios into sectors that permit the Diamond Rating methodology to apply at individual portfolio level. The individual portfolio Diamond Rating methodology applies a quantitative assessment process on all portfolios within a designated peer group. Using a risk-adjusted past performance metric, across a 5-year period, models are segmented into quintiles. The top 20% of portfolios carry the highest 5 Diamond Rating for 2025, against all portfolios in that peer group. All assessments are net of fees, and use discrete performance periods, up to a 5-year maximum, historical performance term.
These individual portfolio Diamond Ratings are designed to highlight the most consistent investment solutions, in the market, based on risk adjusted returns.

Family: Assessing ranges of MPS portfolios, within the overall MPS solution, being offered by a discretionary management firm to the UK Intermediary market. As Fraser Donaldson explains: “The Diamond Rating criteria is designed to highlight those managers with a comparatively strong historical, risk adjusted performance, against a peer group of platform MPS ranges. A 5 Diamond Rating for a range implies that it has shown a high degree of strength, in the context of the metrics being used, against a peer group of approximately 305 MPS ranges rated by Defaqto in 2025.”

5 Stars for DFM Bespoke, DFM MPS on Platform and DFM MPS Direct

Defaqto’s DFM MPS Star Ratings define a fast-growing peer group of providers of Managed (or Model) Portfolio Services (MPS). As is the case for all Defaqto DFM Star Ratings for 2025, this assessment is based on the quality of their MPS solutions using proposition characteristics defined by our expert analysts, against the respective peer group. The Defaqto DFM Bespoke Star Rating classification, rates propositions designed for intermediated clients that require tailored portfolio solutions. The expert analysts use criteria such as a DFM’s assets under management (AUM), and AUM growth, the range of discretionary propositions a DFM Offers to the UK intermediary market, the choice of portfolios and flexibility in portfolio construction available, and the percentage of business from external intermediaries.

Gold for DFM Service Rating

Defaqto experts create Service Ratings based on a wealth of survey feedback from financial advisers. Defaqto collate data on many different aspects of service, and give Gold or Silver Ratings for those providers that earn the highest overall satisfaction scores.

Providers are rated via service satisfaction surveys completed by financial advisers. Defaqto look at several different aspects of service quality and will only rate a product provider once we’ve received a minimum number of responses.

Service Ratings are part of Defaqto’s financial planning software, Engage – an end-to-end solution used by more than 30% of UK advisers.