Star manager Richard Buxton quit Schroders last March after more than a decade at the asset manager. The move shocked the city - and investors - many of whom moved with Buxton to his new fund at Old Mutual in June 2013.
The Schroder Alpha Plus fund was Buxton's invention - a high conviction, concentrated portfolio of stocks that tripled investors’ money under his management, far outperforming the sector average. While Buxton was at the helm the fund was awarded a Gold Rating by Morningstar analysts, but today the latest grading has fallen to a Neutral Rating.
“Following the Morningstar OBSR Analyst Ratings Meeting on February 13 2014, we have moved the Schroder UK Alpha Plus fund to a Morningstar OBSR Analyst Rating of Neutral,” said analyst Samuel Meakin.
The fund was placed Under Review following Buxton’s departure while analysts waited to see how replacement manager Philip Matthews fared. Matthews was previously manager of the Jupiter Growth & Income fund. Matthews had only just been appointed successor to UK manager Anthony Nutt at Jupiter, who quit his High Income fund the previous December.
At the time financial advisers said that Matthews was a good manager, but not of the same calibre as Buxton.
"Schroders has obviously decided that instead of trying to find a fund manager who can emulate Mr Buxton's style, it is better to start afresh," said Mark Dampier of Hargreaves Lansdown in April last year.
"This is not necessarily a bad thing, it could continue to deliver great returns, but investors looking for Mr Buxton's style are best following him to Old Mutual."
Matthews style has indeed changed the fund. Rather than a concentrated pool of stocks, Matthews invests in double the number of companies Buxton did and chases a less aggressive outperformance. Because of this, the prospects are not as great as when Buxton was at the helm
“Furthermore, the UK equity team at Schroders has undergone significant change in recent months,” added Meakin. “We therefore think that a Neutral rating is appropriate at the current time.”