Barings launches small-cap European Opportunities fund

Baring Asset Management is to launch a focused European fund for Nick Williams, head of small-cap equities, and Colin Riddles, portfolio manager on the small- and mid-cap desk.

The offshore fund - domiciled in Dublin - will have a similar mandate to the group's Europe Select trust, but also has the scope to invest in the UK, unlike the existing mandate. It will be benchmarked against the MSCI Europe Small Cap index. The managers will leverage off Barings' in-house research team to select under-researched stocks from a universe of about 7,000 names, in order to construct a portfolio of around 100 holdings. Williams (pictured) and Riddles are also co-managers of the £700m Baring Europe Select trust, which has returned 47.2% over the three years to 27 September...