It has clearly demonstrated its ability to outperform the benchmark and provide some downside protection especially against more punchy funds. It has less exposure to technology and is more focused around consumer services.
For new investors choosing the right sector or country can be daunting. Often they are drawn to the best performers, and those being advertised. This strategy can work but the reverse is also true with investors being disappointed because they haven’t fully understood the strategy.
We recently reviewed the Baillie Gifford Global Discovery Fund which looks to invest globally in companies which the manager believes will be the large cap businesses of the future. The performance over the last five years has been strong but with the focus on technology and healthcare the volatility is greater and for this reason the fund may not appeal to all investors.
As an alternative we recently listened to an update from the manager of the Rathbone Global Opportunities Fund which has delivered a strong performance, offers a point of difference and more importantly we feel would potentially be less volatile.
We feel it may appeal to investors looking at a more ‘cautious’ approach to global investing but without compromising performance against the benchmark.