FundCalibre - Investing on the go

Just 14% of fund managers are women - a figure that has stayed the same since the year 2000. In fact, there are more fund managers named Dave than there are females. Why does this imbalance persist more than two decades later?  To mark both Careers Week here in the UK, and International Women’s Day on 8 March, we tackle this question and more in part one of our Women’s Day special.  We’re joined t...

Stephen Yiu, manager of LF Blue Whale Growth fund, talks to us about why he has never held Netflix or Zoom and why he thinks they are struggling today. He also gives his reasons for selling out of Amazon, PayPal and Meta recently and says what would need to change at Facebook for him to reinvest. He also discusses the opportunities in 5G and digital transformation, as well as the importance of pri...

Alexandra Jackson, manager of Rathbone UK Opportunities , tells us why the dominance of growth companies may be coming to an end and a more balanced approach is required in today’s environment. She also tells us which companies she has held on to, which she has sold and which she is buying. The outlook for banks is discussed and why consumers will spend money on services rather than goods this yea...

Chris Ford, manager of Sanlam Artificial Intelligence fund, discusses the ins and outs of AI. He tells us what artificial intelligence is, why the world needs it, and explains why Asian companies are embracing its adoption at a faster rate than those in the West. Chris also talks about the risks and how AI is being regulated differently around the world, and outlines why the UK has “been a disgrac...

Veteran fund manager Richard Woolnough explains inflation and interest rates and their impact on bonds in this very educational podcast. As the cost of living continues to rise here in the UK and elsewhere around the world, Richard discusses the role of central banks, the desire to find a ‘neutral’ rate and how far and how high he believes interest rates will rise in the coming months. He also dis...

Evy Hambro and Olivia Markham, co-managers of the BlackRock World Mining Trust , discuss what they call the “multi-decade period of strong demand for commodities”. They explain the essential role commodities play in our lives now and how they will help us transition to a ‘net zero’ future. They also cover how the trust generates an income, the ESG matters they have to consider when investing in mi...

Investing on the go gives you direct access to the people who manage your ISA and pensions savings. Our hosts will be interviewing finance professionals on everything from their successes and failures to current ideas and insights. Our ultimate goal is to bring to life the world of investments and uncover new and exciting opportunities, all while inspiring you to invest and giving you the confiden...

In a slightly different format to usual, Darius McDermott and James Yardley discuss cryptocurrencies. They talk about how they have evolved, where they are being used in everyday life, and touch on what they could change in the future. With new terms to learn such as Stablecoins, tokens and NFTs, James and Darius do their best to debunk the myths and explain the opportunities that lie in this new...

Darius McDermott and Juliet Schooling Latter return to discuss the major issues impacting markets in the final quarter of 2021 and the first few weeks of 2022. They talk about inflation, the recent sell-off in technology and growth stocks and discuss the role value funds have in a portfolio. Darius says that the US central bank has already made a policy error and Juliet reveals the areas she think...

Schroder British Opportunities Trust was launched just over a year ago in response to the pandemic. Portfolio manager Rory Bateman, and UK small and mid-cap analyst Uzo Ekwue, tell us more about the opportunities they are aiming to exploit. They discuss the differences between private and public equity investing, and give examples of the high growth and undervalued UK companies they are targeting....

UK managing director, Chris Miles and Steve Smith, an investment director on the Capital Group New Perspective fund, join Darius McDermott for this week’s podcast. They tell us about the group and their unique approach to investing, before going into detail about how they find existing and potential global champions in which to invest. Steve also gives us the lowdown on Tesla – a company that divi...

Ben Wallace, co-manager of Janus Henderson Absolute Return fund, talks about his investment in Warren Buffet’s company, Berkshire Hathaway – and how the sum of the parts is worth more than the value of the group. He discusses the areas where the fund is long (looking for share prices to rise) and where it is short (looking for share prices to fall). And if he could wave a magic wand, he tells us h...

“It’s been a good year for returns for the technology sector, but it doesn't feel like it's been a good year. We've had to work hard for returns.” Jeremy Gleeson, manager of AXA Framlington Global Technology fund, talks to us about the outlook for the technology sector, a new wave of technology adoption and the proliferation of semiconductors into all manner of end markets. He also...

Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon investment trust manager Praveen Kumar talks to us about the conservative nature of Japanese companies and how he is tapping into a new breed of business-owner who is willing to take more risks to grow. He also explains why encouraging these younger, dynamic and entrepreneurial business owners is crucial to the economy, particularly in the non-manufacturing space. Prave...

Federated Hermes engagement and stewardship manager Sonya Likhtman talks us through the challenges of biodiversity loss and how they are intertwined with climate change. She also highlights how changing our diets and the rise of technology can help turn the tide against the pending biodiversity threat. Sonya also explains the importance of the COP 15 conference, which could hopefully pave the way...

“My fund is up over 20% in the past year, but it's been the sort of bull market that gives you grey hair,” said James Thomson, manager of Rathbone Global Opportunities fund. In this podcast, James tells us that US companies are growing profits more than four times faster than the rest of the developed world. He talks about his top ten holdings including Alphabet, owner of Google and YouTube,...

M&G Global Listed Infrastructure fund manager Alex Araujo explains how he invests in businesses taking advantage of rising energy prices and why there is a big opportunity in the utilities’ sector at the moment. He also details the impact of Covid on the sector, including the paradigm shift towards digital infrastructure. Alex also talks us through the ongoing recovery in transport infrastruct...

Hugh Sergeant, manager of ES R&M UK Recovery fund, explains how his fund has managed to outperform even though his style of investing has been out of favour. He tells us why multiple holdings are good for value strategies, but fewer holdings work better for growth strategies, and discusses the reopening trade and outlook for the UK economy. He reveals why he has recently invested in Fidelity C...

Rasmus Nemmoe, manager of the FSSA Global Emerging Markets Focus fund, talks to us about the outlook for emerging markets and the factors in play today that could mean they perform better in the next decade than the last. He explains why the pool of great businesses in India is a lot bigger than in most other markets and tells us about United Breweries, the Indian Heineken subsidiary, which has be...

Maneesh Bajaj, manager of the Brown Advisory US Flexible Equity fund, gives his on the ground perspective of how the US economy is recovering from the pandemic and how companies may do in 2022. He talks about long-term holdings Visa and MasterCard and outlines the investment case for Pinterest. Maneesh also tells us how Netflix’s ‘Seaspiracy’ prompted engagement with a frozen fish supplier. Learn...

In this episode, Lawrence Burns, deputy manager of the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, talks to us about some of the radical thinkers who are changing the world, including one who is building the world’s first entirely 3D printed rocket. He also explains why the trust was one of the early backers for Elon Musk’s long-term vision for Tesla. Lawrence also talks about why Covid might be a catalys...

Juliet Schooling Latter and Darius McDermott return to discuss the major issues impacting markets in the third quarter of 2021. They talk about top performing Indian equities, Japanese equities and financials companies. They also give their views on inflation and fuel shortages and tell us if investors should be worried about all the recent regulatory interventions in China. They finish with their...

Simon Edelsten and Alex Illingworth, managers of the Mid Wynd International Investment Trust, tell us why governance issues played a key role in their decision to sell all of their holdings in China. The pair also discuss the role of healthcare and automation as key themes in their portfolio and why they hold Pfizer despite being adverse to large pharmaceutical companies. The managers also tell us...

Kate Elliot, head of ethical, sustainable and impact research at Rathbone Greenbank, explains what her team does and how it helps Rathbone fund managers make the best sustainable investments. She tells us how ethical investing has evolved over time, why greenwashing is a challenge. She also gives examples of when a company may be vetoed or when engagement can become necessary. Finally, she tells u...

Mike Appleby, investment manager and part of the team behind the Liontrust Sustainable Future range, talks to us about the three megatrends underlying their investments: a cleaner, healthier and safer world. He discusses decarbonisation, how it’s not just about treating symptoms better but also encouraging healthier lifestyles and the different products and services that help us live our lives in...