Merlin Asset Management wins eight PSN Top Guns awards for Q1 2026

Merlin Asset Management said it earned eight PSN Top Guns distinctions for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, including new three-year recognitions for two strategies. The awards mark the firm’s 13th straight year on PSN’s quarterly lists and highlight strong one-year performance across its concentrated growth portfolios.

Why it matters: - Merlin Asset Management’s latest PSN recognition shows the firm’s concentrated growth strategies continued to rank near the top of their peer groups. - The new three-year distinctions for Merlin Dynamic Growth and Merlin Focused Growth suggest the results were not limited to a single strong quarter. - The awards also give Merlin another third-party signal that its approach has worked across both large-cap and small-mid-cap growth markets.

What happened: - Merlin Asset Management announced it was named to the PSN Top Guns List for Q1 2026. - The firm received eight distinctions across three 25-stock strategies in the PSN Large Growth and Small-Mid Growth universes. - The recognition covers the period ended March 31, 2026. - The awards extend Merlin’s run to 13 consecutive years on PSN’s quarterly lists. - Merlin Dynamic Growth and Merlin Focused Growth each earned new 3-year category recognition in the Large Growth Universe.

The details: - Merlin Dynamic Growth (MO25V) earned top-ten recognition for the 1-quarter, 1-year and 3-year periods in the Large Growth Universe. - MO25V returned 60.66% net of fees for the year ended March 31, 2026, versus 22.46% for the Invesco S&P 500 Pure Growth ETF benchmark. - That year-long result was more than 38 percentage points ahead of the benchmark. - MO25V posted a trailing three-year annualized net return of 25.26%, versus 16.24% for the benchmark. - Merlin Focused Growth (MO25M) also earned 1-quarter, 1-year and 3-year distinctions in the Large Growth Universe. - MO25M returned 50.61% net of fees for the year, versus 22.46% for the benchmark. - MO25M posted a trailing three-year annualized net return of 25.51%, versus 16.24% for the benchmark. - Merlin Focus SMID Cap Growth (MSMID25) earned 1-quarter and 1-year recognition in the Small-Mid Growth Universe. - MSMID25 returned 59.68% net of fees for the year ended March 31, 2026, versus 24.10% for its custom blended benchmark. - That full-year result was more than 35 percentage points ahead of benchmark. - MSMID25 returned 8.96% net of fees for the quarter, versus 4.79% for the benchmark. - PSN Top Guns rankings are calculated by Zephyr using proprietary methodology. - PSN ranks products in six proprietary categories across more than 75 universes. - The 1-quarter category covers the top ten strategies in a universe based on quarterly returns. - The 1-year category covers the top ten strategies in a universe based on one-year returns. - The 3-year category applies additional screens for sustained three-year performance. - A methodology overview is available at PSN Top Guns methodology. - More information about Merlin’s strategies is available at Merlin Asset Management.

Between the lines: - The firm’s message centers on consistency, not just a single standout period. - Merlin’s portfolio construction remains highly concentrated, with each strategy holding 25 high-conviction positions. - The PSN results give Merlin a way to frame its process as effective across different capitalization ranges.

What’s next: - Merlin will likely continue using quarterly PSN rankings to market its investment process and track record. - Future performance periods will determine whether the new three-year recognitions hold up over time. - Investors will also watch whether the recent outperformance persists as market conditions change.

The bottom line: - Merlin’s Q1 2026 PSN results strengthen the case that its concentrated growth approach has delivered both short-term and multi-year outperformance.