Fundsmith Equity most researched fund in 2018

GARS continues slide down rankings
Fidelity Global Special Situations in 6th place, up from 78th

As 2018 draws to a close, we delve into FE’s leading investment research and analysis tool, FE Analytics, to take a look at the funds that have attracted the most adviser interest this year.

Fundsmith Equity is the most researched fund of 2018, up one place from 2017. Meanwhile, last year’s most researched ꟷ Alexander Darwall’s Jupiter European Fund ꟷ has slipped three places to fourth this time around and 2016 winner and former top five regular, Standard Life’s Global Absolute Return Strategies (GARS), has fallen to 15th place from sixth in 2017.

Fundsmith Equity led the pack by some way this year as the fund was researched 45% more than second place Woodford Equity Income. The Fundsmith fund was awarded the maximum five FE Crown rating at the last ratings rebalance in July and manager, Terry Smith, is an FE Alpha Manager.

FE research manager, Charles Younes says: “Terry Smith is one of the most well-known UK managers and the fund continues to outperform peers, so it is not a surprise that it is so well researched by advisers.”

Fidelity Global Special Situations stormed up the rankings and into the top 10 most researched funds in 2018. The fund was the sixth most researched this year, up from 78th place in 2017. Younes comments: “Manager, Jeremy Podger, was handed this portfolio in 2012 after it suffered a period of underperformance and was given free rein to refashion it, which he has done with some success so far. His ability to generate returns from various types of opportunity is impressive, and testament to the skill and experience he has accumulated over his career. Risk management is such a key part of the process and the team are passionate about the portfolio being driven by good stock picking, which is something on which they have consistently delivered.”

Of the top 100 most researched funds in 2017, Artemis US Select suffered the biggest fall in the rankings. The fund dropped from 15^th place to 210^th place. Younes added: “Last year saw the Artemis fund reach its three-year anniversary and report good performance so it was not surprising that it occupied a spot in the top 10. The fund’s performance has remained good this year, so the decline in its research position may simply be because a year has now passed since the anniversary and advisers have turned their attention elsewhere.”

Standard Life’s GARS has fallen to 15th place from sixth in 2017. Younes comments: “Poor performance over the last four years and an upcoming change to the management, with Aymeric Forest replacing Gary Stern in early 2019, make this result unsurprising. The fund has also recorded outflows, as investors were offered alternatives such as JPM Global Macro Opportunities, Invesco Perpetual Global Targeted Absolute Return and Aviva Multi Strategy Target Returns.”

The top 10 most researched funds on FE Analytics – 2018:

For more information, please contact the FE press office at: James.Hoey@financialexpress.net