Standard Life Investments GARS Fund breaks £2bn

Standard Life Investments, a leading provider of multi-asset solutions, today announced that its Global Absolute Return Strategies Fund (GARS) has broken the £2bn barrier in assets under management.

Since its launch to the institutional market in June 2006, the fund has attracted over 150 institutional investors spanning a range of blue chip corporate, charity and local authority pension funds. GARS was also opened to retail investors in May 2008 enabling those who invest through SIPP, Bond, ISA and fund platform channels to access the same investment process. It has proven to be Standard Life Investments' best selling mutual fund during 2009.

GARS aims to provide investors with the same returns that have historically been achieved from conventional long-term equity investment but with considerably less uncertainty. Over the three years to 31 December 2009, the fund produced a gross annualised return of 7.9% with a volatility of only 7.3%. Over the same period global equities, denoted by the MSCI World Index, returned 1.2% p.a. with a volatility of 19.2%.

Designed to exploit inefficiencies across global markets and to also access a diverse array of stock picking skill, the fund invests in a combination of traditional investments such as equities, bonds and foreign exchange together with more advanced strategies such as relative value, duration, credit spreads, inflation and volatility strategies.

Euan Munro, Head of Multi-Asset Investing & Fixed Income, Standard Life Investments, said: "The attractive performance and low volatility of our GARS fund has proven an appealing proposition for a wide range of clients spanning both the institutional and retail arena. Investors have been impressed by the robust and repeatable investment process our awardwinning multi-asset managers adhere to whilst they invest across currencies, bond markets, equity markets, relative value strategies and a variety of more advanced areas such as volatility.

"The increasing investor recognition of the fund reflects a growing desire for true diversity that endures through the toughest market conditions. Our experienced team of investment professionals have demonstrated their credentials during these testing times. I believe we are moving steadily towards being the multi-asset provider of choice for the UK investment community and indeed are being recognised globally."