8th August 2008
Trustnet - The AFI Magazine launched; Caution not paying
A new quarterly magazine - The AFI Magazine - devoted entirely to analysis and explanation of the unique Adviser Fund Index (AFI) series of Cautious, Balanced and Aggressive indices, has been launched.
It is set to provide answers to questions such as: how does the AFI series work?; what benefits accrue financial advisers using the indices?; and how does this enable investors to make smarter choices?
To download your electronic copy use the link below:
The Old Mutual UK Select Smaller Companies Fund aims to generate long term capital growth through investment in UK smaller companies, where the skilled stock picker can add significant value.
The fund, managed by Citywire AAA rated fund manager Daniel Nickols, is top quartile over 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years and ranked number 1 in the IMA UK Smaller Companies sector since launch in February 2001. The Old Mutual UK Select Smaller Companies Fund is rated AAA by both Standard & Poors and OBSR.
In the recent Professional Adviser Awards 2008, Old Mutual Asset Managers won the Best Smaller Companies Group award.
To find out more visit our website or call us on 0808 100 2715.
Source of performance figures: Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Bid to bid, net income reinvested. Sterling terms. Periods to 01/07/08.
In light of market turmoil experienced over the last year many looked to a Cautious Managed approach as a safe haven. It did gain popularity, with fund launches promoting the objectives of low risk capital preservation.
However, only 9 funds in the sector managed to make any gains over the year. This is not the result investors were after, given the mandates. Furthermore, an unlucky 13 funds posted losses greater than the FTSE 100’s 11.1% over the period, with the biggest loss-maker posting -18.5% over this period - not a very cautious result
As the consensus turns to a view that the credit crisis has hit rock bottom, fund managers have begun to reduce their cash holdings and once again re-invest in equity markets with a hope for an upturn in the coming months.
With the view that the US economy is further along the economic cycle, this market has seen particular interest with fund managers believing that now may be the right time to start buying investments at good value.
The lure of MENA (Middle East and North Africa) has seen the FTSE commit to opening an ME office by early next year, as well as support the launch of the first London-listed Kuwaiti exposure ETF - a product jointly developed by ETF provider Lyxor and Kuwaiti asset manager Coast.
Now the index provider intends to create small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) markets and indices across MENA, in conjunction with the Qatar Financial Markets Authority and Qatari youth investment initiative Silatech. FTSE will then create a complimentary index series covering all of the participating SME markets in the MENA region.
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