One To Watch: How this equity fund topped UK All Companies sector

ONE TO WATCH

The IMA UK All Companies sector enjoyed one of its best years on record in 2013 as confidence returned to equity markets.

Ecclesiastical’s £156m UK Equity Growth fund beat the sector average of 24% to return 41.4% over the year, capping an impressive period of performance that has seen the fund produce top-decile returns over one, three and five years. Manager Andrew Jackson favours small- and mid-cap names, with 33% of the fund in the FTSE 250 and 19% in the FTSE Small Cap index. Jackson said fund managers need to be more honest about their ability to add value if they are focusing on the most widely held stocks in the market. “If I look at investing in Glaxo, I am one of hundreds of fund managers – ...