‘A’ rating for SLI’s UK Equity Growth Fund

Leading investment house, Standard Life Investments’ UK Equity Growth Fund has been awarded an OBSR ‘A’ Rating.

The fund, which is managed by Karen Robertson, has produced an impressive and consistent track record of strong risk adjusted returns. Over a three year period for example, it has returned 44% to investors versus a sector average of 28%. In addition, the fund has produced top decile performance over two and three years and has been top quartile over one and six months, one, five, seven, 10, 15 and 20 years (Morningstar, bid-bid for the period to 1/3/08).

Jacqueline Kerr, Head of Mutual Fund Investments at Standard Life Investments, said: “This latest award adds to the strong representation of our mutual fund range already publicly recognised by OBSR - including our Corporate Bond, Higher Income, UK Equity High Income and UK Smaller Companies funds. We are delighted that the performance of the UK Equity Growth Fund in particular and the robust investment process it adheres to has now been recognised by OBSR - one of the leading qualitative investment research companies in the UK retail funds market.”

Karen Robertson, Manager of the UK Equity Growth Fund, said: “I generally hold between 60 – 70 stocks in this fund where value is added primarily through our robust stock selection process. Its success to date is in large part due to the technical analysis, earnings momentum and traditional valuation and analysis measures we employ. Amidst the credit crisis, negative consumer activity and housing markets slowdowns, the UK equities market remains supported by extremely low valuation in terms of earnings, dividend and free cashflow. The market also remains underpinned by strength in the resources sector, with industrial and mining companies continuing to perform well.”