UK Smaller Companies win for Standard Life Investments at Investment Week Awards 2008
11 July 2008
Global fund manager, Standard Life Investments today celebrates its win of the 'UK Smaller Companies' category at last night's Investment Week Awards 2008. Designed to highlight and celebrate the very best of breed funds in the UK and off-shore mutual funds market, the awards were held last night (Thursday 10th July) at London's Royal Albert Hall and were attended by over 1000 investment professionals.
Drawn from a short-list of five competing funds1, Standard Life Investments' UK Smaller Companies Fund was selected as the winner by a panel of highly respected investment professionals2 for its robust and consistent performance. Standard Life Investments was also short-listed under the 'UK Income' category for the performance of its UK Equity High Income Fund which is managed by Karen Robertson.
Since launch in January 1997, the UK Smaller Companies Fund has returned 352%, compared to the IMA UK Smaller Companies sector return of 172%3 and has produced top decile performance over six months, one, three, five years and since launch. The annualised return for the fund since launch was 14% versus the sector average of 8.3%3.
Jacqueline Kerr, Head of Mutual Fund Investments at Standard Life Investments, said:
"This is a fantastic result for Harry Nimmo, who this year was rated as Citywire's Number One Fund Manager of the Year and his award-winning4 UK Smaller Companies team. The UK Smaller Companies Fund continues to go from strength to strength, generating impressive returns for investors and maintaining a track record the team can be proud of. During the three year review period for this award for example, the fund returned 64% to investors versus a sector average of 21.5%5.
"Harry and his team work closely and effectively in sharing and using to maximum advantage, their best investment ideas. Their use of Standard Life Investments' matrix system, their adherence to our well established Focus on Change investment process and importantly their regular face-to-face company meetings enable them to realise the untapped potential in the smaller companies market. During a period of market volatility this could, over the medium to long term, represent an excellent opportunity for smaller company investors looking to benefit from a period of more reasonable valuations. I have every confidence that the team will continue to capitalise on these opportunities and deliver for their investors in the smaller companies sector."
1 UK Smaller Companies shortlist - Invesco Perpetual UK Smaller Companies Equity; M&G Smaller Companies; Old Mutual (Dublin) UK Select Smaller Companies and Old Mutual UK Select Smaller Companies
2 Judging Panel - James Smith, Editor of Investment Week; Lawrence Gosling, Editorial Director at Incisive Media; Robert Burdett, Joint Head, Multi-Manager Division, Thames River; Gary Potter, Joint Head, Mulit-Manager Division, Thames River; John Chatfield-Roberts, Director of Jupiter International Group plc; John Husselbee, Chief Executive at North; Mark Dampier, Head of Research at Hargreaves Lansdown; Richard Romer-Lee, Research Director at OBSR
3 Source: Morningstar Workstation, bid-bid, for the period to 1st July 2008 (retail share class)
4Smaller Companies Team Awards - The UK Smaller Companies Fund won the Small Cap Fund of the Year at the Growth Company Awards 2008. The fund won the UK Smaller Companies fund sector category at the Trustnet Awards 2008 in addition to the 'Best Performing Smaller Companies Fund Award' at the PLC Awards 2007. The fund also has a AA rating from Standard & Poor's and AAA ratings from both OBSR and Citywire.
5 Source: Morningstar Workstation, bid-bid, for the period to 1st April 2008 (retail share class)
