L-R: Taha Lokhandwala, news editor at Investment Adviser, Amelie Shepherd, communications manager at Old Mutual Global Investors, and Richard Romer-Lee, managing director at Square Mile Investment Consulting & Research
The Old Mutual UK Smaller Companies fund is a new entrant to the IA 100 Club Awards, but has proven a success by taking the award on its first outing.
The fund launched in February 2001 and is managed by Dan Nickols, with the aim of providing capital growth by investing in a portfolio of UK smaller companies. The vehicle sits at a risk-reward level of five out of seven, its key investor information document shows.
The vehicle won praise from the judges, with one noting: “Old Mutual has one of the most highly regarded teams for managing UK smaller companies and fund manager Mr Nickols has maintained a strong performance track record, which stretches back over a decade.”
In particular the consistency of the performance was highlighted as a key reason for the fund taking the category title.
The portfolio holds 76 stocks, with the sector breakdown showing the largest weighting towards industrials at 29.2 per cent of the fund. Consumer services accounts for 21.2 per cent, while oil and gas exposure is just 0.4 per cent, the latest factsheet shows.
As a result the top-10 holdings include favourites such as Fever-Tree Drinks, Just Eat and Paysafe, although the largest holding remains less than 5 per cent of the portfolio.
What the judges say
The judges said this fund’s track record, which stretches back over a decade, was simply too strong to ignore.
