Strong performance continues across pooled pension range

Standard Life Investments, a leading investment house, saw 78% of its pooled pension fund range outperform their respective peer groups during the first six months of 2007, according to new Russell/Mellon figures.

Of the 23 funds in the range, 18 funds beat the median over the last six months. Six of these funds were top decile and seven funds were top quartile. This includes the Overseas Equity Fund, which is ranked 1st out of 29 funds over six and 12 months, as well as top quartile over three years.

George Walker, Global Head of Institutional Business Development, Standard Life Investments, said: “These performance figures for the first six months of 2007 highlight that our ‘Focus on Change’ philosophy combined with a robust investment process continue to generate strong and consistent returns across the main asset classes. To have outperformance over a three or six month period is pleasing for any investment house and its clients, but to sustain this record over three, five and sometimes even ten years is credit to the people, processes and stability we have in place at Standard Life Investments.

“Particularly pleasing is the strong track records we can now demonstrate in corporate bonds and overseas equities. This highlights our success in replicating the performance of our UK equities team across other asset classes and regions.”

The detail of the survey shows:

8 of the 11 equity funds were top quartile in their respective peer groups over the last six months

The £1.7bn Corporate Bond Fund has produced top decile performance over three and five years, as well as being top quartile over the last six months

The £4.0bn UK Equity Fund, the largest actively managed fund of its kind, has been top quartile over five and 10 years

The £1.6bn Institutional UK Equity Select Fund was ranked 4th out of 74 funds over the last five years, having returned 17.4% per annum during the period. It has consistently outperformed its peer group since launch and has been top quartile over six and 12 months and top decile over three and five years

The UK Equity Unconstrained Fund came 1st out of 115 funds over 12 months