Morningstar has just announced that PIMCO, Schroders, Baillie Gifford and MFS Investment Management have won the Morningstar UK Fund Awards for 2013. These awards recognise fund groups that added the most value for investors in 2012 and over longer time periods.
Below are the fund houses that were honoured in each category and commentary from Morningstar analysts to explain why these fund houses won out over the competition:
Best Larger Fixed Income Fund House: PIMCO
PIMCO's significant investments in research show in its ability to attract first-rate staff. The intellectual firepower at PIMCO is undeniable, and much of the firm's success rests with the leadership of co-CIO Bill Gross. It's clear that he has adapted well to massive asset growth and has produced peer- and index-beating long-term results.
Best Multi-Asset Fund House & Best Larger Equity Fund House: Schroders
Asset management is Schroders’ core business, which helps align its interests with fund investors'. The firm has benefited from stable ownership since it was founded more than 200 years ago. Throughout its existence, the firm's headquarters has remained in London; however, Schroders is now an international asset manager with offices in all the financial hubs across the globe, and two-thirds of the firm’s client base resides outside the UK.
Best Specialist Equity Fund House: MFS Investment Management
A team-oriented culture defines MFS. At nearly 90 years old, MFS is the oldest US mutual fund company. Over nearly a century, it has grown into one of the 20 largest fund firms in the United States, with more than $80 billion in assets as of the end of August 2011. The fund house offers a wide array of investment choices, from straightforward US equity and fixed-income funds to target-date funds. The company is steered by a team that includes former investment personnel, including chairman and CEO Robert Manning and president and chief investment officer Michael Roberge.
Best Specialist Fixed Income Fund House: Baillie Gifford
Baillie Gifford is an institutionally focused fund house with key strengths in international funds. Founded as a partnership in 1908, Edinburgh-based Baillie Gifford is owned by 36 partners who average two decades of experience at the firm. The firm’s strengths include global and international ex-UK mandates, which total two-thirds of the asset base. Fixed-income and multi-asset capabilities are small but growing.
To read about specific funds that were recognised by the Morningstar UK Fund Awards 2013, check out "Liontrust Funds Win Morningstar Awards".