RLAM launches new UK smaller companies unit trust

Royal London Asset Management (RLAM) has launched a new UK Smaller Companies fund. The UCITS III authorised unit trust, The Royal London UK Smaller Companies Trust, will invest primarily in companies outside the FTSE 350 which the fund manager believes have the potential to deliver strong growth for investors.

The fund launched on 20th July 2007.

The fund will be managed by Senior UK Equity fund manager, Victoria Stewart. Victoria has been in the industry for 13 years and has a wide range of investment experience gained at RLAM, United Friendly Asset Management and Cantrade Investment Management. She is a key member of RLAM’s seven-strong UK Equity team and was appointed lead small cap fund manager across the company’s range of UK equity products in January 2006.

RLAM’s Chief Investment Officer, Robert Talbut, commented: “We are delighted to announce the launch of this new fund as the next step of our continued expansion into the UK equity market. We have a great deal of experience of managing equity portfolios for the Royal London Group and are increasingly offering these skills out to external clients. Victoria is a very talented Small Cap fund manager and I have every confidence in her delivering strong returns with this fund.”

Victoria herself said: “This is an exciting new fund launch for RLAM and for me personally. I’ll be looking for smaller UK companies which I believe have been unnoticed by the market and which have the long-term potential to grow significantly ahead of the wider economy.”

The fund is part of the IMA UK Smaller Companies sector and will be benchmarked against the FTSE Small Cap (ex Investment Trusts) Index.