Who are the Best Fund Managers in Europe?

Morningstar analysts have awarded the top fund managers in Europe for their outperformance, outstanding stewardship and investing talent

Morningstar 26 April, 2016 | 10:23AM
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Who are the best investors in Europe? The Morningstar’s European Fund Manager of the Year Awards draw upon the qualitative analysis of out European manager research team to recognise the very best in the business.

“These awards draw on the analysis of our manager research team, that assesses more than 1,400 investment funds available for sale in Europe using the five pillars of our Analyst Ratings methodology,” Javier Saenz de Cenzano, director of Morningstar’s Manager Research Practice for EMEA, said.

“All of our award winners have shown themselves to be seasoned, talented, and successful managers who have demonstrated outstanding stewardship of investors’ capital over the long term.”

Morningstar Fund Manager of the Year: European Equity

Alexei Jourovski and team

Uni-Global – Equities Europe

Morningstar Analyst Rating: Gold

Alexei Jourovski is a highly experienced fund manager who has been with Unigestion since 2001. The management of the fund is truly a team effort and Jourovski is surrounded by a robust group consisting of six fund managers and seven analysts.

Jourovski’s team is responsible for implementing a rigorous investment process based on quantitative optimization techniques designed to produce a diversified portfolio with the lowest possible volatility. Additionally, the team’s qualitative inputs are critical to this fund’s success. They constantly seek small improvements in the strategy, which are all guided by a desire to better control risks.

The strategy is not designed to outperform in all market conditions and the fund generally lags in strongly rising, indiscriminate markets. However the combination of strong investment disciplines and shareholder-focused values have resulted in an outstanding track record over the long term. Uni-Global - Equities Europe ranks in the first quartile of its category in the three-, five-, and 10–year periods at the end of March 2016, with lower volatility and superb down-market resilience.

Morningstar Fund Manager of the Year: Global Equity

Christopher Hart

Robeco BP Global Premium Equities

Morningstar Analyst Rating: Silver

Christopher Hart has vast experience as an analyst and portfolio manager. After 10 years in the analyst ranks at Fidelity covering a wide variety of sectors, he moved to Robeco Boston Partners in 2002 where he started as an analyst before being appointed portfolio manager of the firm’s small-cap value fund in 2004.

Since July 2008, Hart has run global equities and he has been instrumental in the successful execution of the well-designed investment process that characterises Robeco Boston Partners, which is based on valuations, business fundamentals, and momentum. Hart has also proven himself as a talented stock picker. His strong track record is primarily driven by consistent stock selection, adding value in almost all sectors, regions, and market capitalisations.

With the Robeco BP Global Premium Equities fund, Hart has beaten the category average in 89 percent of the 12-month rolling periods since his appointment in 2008, yielding top decile rankings during the three- and five-year periods. Risk-adjusted returns are also impressive and Hart’s personal investment in the strategy he runs aligns his interests with those of investors.

Morningstar Fund Manager of the Year: European Fixed-Income

Michael Krautzberger

BlackRock Global Funds Euro Bond

Morningstar Analyst Rating: Gold

Michael Krautzberger has managed the BGF Euro Bond fund since October 2005, having joined the firm earlier that year. He heads BlackRock's 13-member Euro Fixed Income team, including nine portfolio managers who take a very collegial, team-based approach. Krautzberger was instrumental in shaping the team’s investment philosophy centred on building a portfolio of diversified risks and adding value in a consistent, incremental manner through a broad range of primarily relative value strategies.

The approach has led to a remarkable track record wherein contributors have been quite broad-based, ranging from government, securitised, and inflation-linked bonds to currency, duration, and yield curve plays. Furthermore, the fund has consistently outperformed its peers and its benchmark during Krautzberger's tenure. The breadth of added value across virtually the entire range of underlying strategies is impressive and highlights both the quality of ideas from the team and Krautzberger's ability to blend these appropriately into a coherent, risk-controlled portfolio.

The information contained within is for educational and informational purposes ONLY. It is not intended nor should it be considered an invitation or inducement to buy or sell a security or securities noted within nor should it be viewed as a communication intended to persuade or incite you to buy or sell security or securities noted within. Any commentary provided is the opinion of the author and should not be considered a personalised recommendation. The information contained within should not be a person's sole basis for making an investment decision. Please contact your financial professional before making an investment decision.

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Securities Mentioned in Article

Security NamePriceChange (%)Morningstar
Rating
BGF Euro Bond A227.21 EUR-0.10Rating
Robeco BP Global Premium Eqs D EUR455.16 EUR0.05Rating
Uni-Global Equities Europe SA-EUR3,883.44 EUR0.09Rating

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