Gartmore urges IFAs to switch assets to Global Focus Fund

Globalisation has pervaded many aspects of life and the investment world is no exception with investors recently taking more interest in global equity funds.

Gartmore believes IFAs should consider the Gartmore Global Focus Fund for their clients’ global investments. This impressive fund is AAA rated by Standard & Poor’s along with five star ratings from Standard & Poor’s and Morningstar and is managed by the AA Citywire rated Neil Rogan who has managed the Fund since its launch in January 2001.

The Fund has a dynamic approach to pursuing above-average performance regardless of market conditions, with a typical concentrated stock holding of between 30 and 40 companies made up of the manager and team’s best ideas from the Worlds stock markets. The Fund has beaten the MSCI World Index in every year since launch, has outperformed the IMA Global Growth sector average by 37.5% since launch and is ranked first quartile over 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 years, and since launch.

Neil Rogan, manager of the Fund comments, “Gartmore Global Focus Fund is meant to be a high performance fund. Using an unconstrained, best ideas approach it aims to outperform in different market conditions. It did well in the bear market until April 2003 and it has done well in the bull market since. It has benefited from the use of hedge fund techniques in the investment process such as sell disciplines, the use of tactical holdings and the management of active risk down to the stock level. We have seen increasing demand from investors seeking global funds for their pension assets as well as from IFAs. The SICAV clone of the fund, the Gartmore SICAV Global Focus, has grown to $800m in 2 and half years.”

Paul Feeney, Managing Director and Head of Distribution concluded, “The facts speak volumes. Neil and his team have delivered a stellar performance throughout the history of this fund's existence and we see no reason why this should not continue. We are very proud of Neil and his team; not only have they successfully backed their best ideas, they have delivered.

“Last year we witnessed a seismic event in the Global Equities sector with the creation of the largest fund in the sector following a high profile fund split. Many advisors adopted a wait and see strategy, but six months on, this may be the first opportunity for advisers to assess whether they have their client’s monies in the right Global Fund.”