Old Mutual Global Investors has announced the launch of the Old Mutual Europe (excluding the UK) Smaller Companies Fund, a sub fund of the Old Mutual Global Investors Series Plc, a Dublin domiciled umbrella fund.
The fund, which is managed by Ian Ormiston who joined Old Mutual Global Investors in October 2014, aims to achieve long-term capital growth through investing in smaller companies in Europe (excluding the UK). The portfolio will hold between 40 and 55 stocks, each with an equal weighting in the portfolio.
The fund will focus on finding companies with less than €1bn market cap, with the team researching the most inefficient part of the market in order to find cheap growth opportunities.
By investing in businesses achieving high and consistent profitability whilst avoiding illiquid stocks and turn-around companies, the fund aims to reduce inherent risks that are sometimes associated with the small cap market.
The European small cap sector offers a breath of opportunities for investors, benefiting from economic clustering and diversity that offers attractive investments in most market conditions.
Ian Ormiston commented: “The European small cap market is a diverse universe offering great opportunities for investors. As an under-researched sector, it is naturally inefficient and so by focusing on high quality, true small cap companies, with a good level of liquidity we aim to create a portfolio that can add real value to investors.”