Henderson's Bennett buys beaten-up Irish banking shares

Henderson's John Bennett has returned to the much-maligned Irish banking sector for the first time in over six years despite warning the position might make investors 'wince'.

The manager of the £1.27bn Henderson European Selected Opportunities fund said while many European banks are still in "intensive care" there are a number of opportunities in the peripheries. Bennett (pictured) started to close off his underweight to European banking stocks late last year, and in January he ventured into the Irish banking sector after buying Bank of Ireland. "In November I bought KBC in Belgium, then Bank of Ireland in January and if that is not enough to make you wince, a small position in Spanish bank, Banco Popular," the manager said. "Six years on, I still think...