Anthony Bolton and Richard Plackett on UK Equities

Star investors to address UK equity market conditions and strategies at Morningstar Conference.

Christopher J. Traulsen, CFA 19 May, 2008 | 10:51AM
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With large portions of the UK equity market reeling from the credit crunch, inflation rising, and the UK consumer on the ropes, navigating UK equities has become a considerably more treacherous endeavour than it has been in some time. Moreover, the outsized returns provided by small and mid-caps through the middle of 2007 appears to be a thing of the past as a flight to quality, concerns over valuations, and the drying up of M&A activity have all taken their toll.

With this in mind, we've asked two extremely successful, experienced UK investors to address delegates at the Morningstar Investment Conference next week. Anthony Bolton headed Fidelity Special Situations for nearly 30 years

before stepping down to take on a new role at Fidelity at the end of 2007. Over the course of his career, he has seen more cycles come and go than the vast majority of managers working today, and thus brings an exceptional perspective to the current state of market turmoil. Bolton is, of course, known primarily as a contrarian, bottom-up investor, but he also believes there may be times when top down calls are valuable. Are we in such a period now? This is just one of the questions he will address at the conference.

BlackRock's Richard Plackett manages two extremely successful funds in Blackrock UK Smaller Companies and BlackRock UK Special Situations, bringing to both an emphasis on meticulous research and a focus on finding those companies which appear to have the best long-term growth prospects. Plackett has run money since 1994; first at 3i, then M&G, and at BlackRock since 2002. As someone who has heavily favoured small- and mid-cap issues at both of his charges, Plackett's presentation should be of particular interest given the sharp reversal of those sectors in 2007. What kind of returns can investors expect from issues outside the FTSE 100 going forward, and how can opportunities be identified are just two questions we expect him to address.

Delegates will have the opportunity to question both Anthony Bolton and Richard Plackett following their presentations.

The Morningstar Investment Conference will be held at the Hilton Metropole in London on 21 - 22 May, 2008. Please click here for further information.

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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About Author

Christopher J. Traulsen, CFA  is director of fund research, Europe and Asia, Morningstar.

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