Investors appear to have shrugged off geopolitical events in Ukraine and Iraq, instead focusing on news that the UK is expected to be the fastest-growing advanced economy in 2014 with GDP at 3.2 per cent, and 2.7 per cent in 2015.
This time of the year is generally quiet – even fund managers are allowed to go on holiday once in a while. However, thanks to our access to bucket-loads of data, we’ve just about got by.
The UK fund manager emulating Warren Buffett – and doing so successfully
FE Trustnet is always keen to highlight lesser-known funds that go under the radar, and with that in mind, we interviewed Keith Ashworth-Lord, manager of the ConBrio Sanford Deland UK Buffettology portfolio.
Performance of fund, sector and index since launch
Source: FE Analytics
Using the investment principles of Warren Buffett, Ashworth-Lord has delivered top-quartile returns in the IMA UK All Companies sector since launch.
Here he discussed his process and the reasons for his success in more detail.
The best- and worst-selling funds of 2014
Funds tend to update their fund flow figures in the second week of the month, so we thought it was the opportune time to look back at the ones that have seen the most inflows and redemptions so far this year.
It was no surprise to see M&G Optimal Income and Standard Life GARS on the best-sellers list, but property made a surprise appearance at the top given how unloved funds specialising in this area have been since the 2007 to 2008 crisis.
Neil Woodford’s departure from Invesco continues to plague the firm’s flagship Income and High Income funds, and high-profile emerging markets funds are also feeling the pinch in light of waning sentiment towards the asset class.
Square Mile: Why M&G Optimal Income & co don’t have a max buy-rating
Mass inflows tend to be welcomed by sales teams, but they can have an adverse impact on performance if not handled or managed properly.
This has led Richard Romer-Lee and his team at Square Mile to omit star manager Richard Woolnough’s M&G Optimal Income, Corporate Bond and Strategic Corporate Bond funds from the AAA-rated list of funds.
Performance of fund and sector since launch
Source: FE Analytics
They are worried that the funds, which have combined assets of more than £30bn, could struggle to match the returns of recent years.
Five “wacky” stocks the star managers are backing in their portfolios
On the topic of fund size, popular fund managers running many billions of pounds are often forced up the market cap scale.
However, the likes of Woodford and Nigel Thomas are still able to add significant value by taking big off-benchmark positions in less familiar companies.
Imperial Innovations, Smurfit Kappa and Essendra are among those that stick out like a sore thumb in otherwise large cap focused portfolios.Richard Buxton: Why this bull market still has plenty to run
In this exclusive interview with the star manager, Buxton (pictured) explained why he thinks the FTSE will break its all-time high before long, and insisted that the softer period of performance over the past 12 months is merely a blip in a longer-running bull market.
