One to Watch: Old Mutual UK Smaller Companies Focus

Old Mutual UK Smaller Companies Focus

FE Alpha Manager Daniel Nickols' Old Mutual UK Smaller Companies fund is one of the largest and most popular in the IMA UK Smaller Companies sector, with assets under management (AUM) of almost £1bn.

However, in spite of its strong record, we prefer Nickols’ much smaller offshore Old Mutual UK Smaller Companies Focus fund, which has a superior record over the short, medium and long term. The £129m portfolio has returned 441% over the last decade. This puts it at the top of the IMA UK Smaller Companies sector by more than 40 percentage points. It is ahead of both its peers and its benchmark over a one, three- and five-year period – as well as the Old Mutual UK Smaller Companies fund. It is also ahead of big name players such as Investec UK Smaller Companies, Schroder UK Dynamic Sma...