Sarasin AgriSar Accumulation
HL comment
Our view on this Fund
In what have been difficult market conditions, this fund has suffered from the sell off in commodity markets. Henry Boucher has been cautious, preferring to favour the food processing and food retailers rather than companies supplying farm inputs like fertilisers. The dynamics of food supply and demand have not changed - demand continues to grow strongly while supply is restricted which in theory should keep prices firm longer term.
12-11-2008
Information from the fund manager
Please note: The information in this box has been provided by, and is issued by, the fund manager and not Hargreaves Lansdown.
HL group comment: Sarasin
Our view on this Fund Management Group as a whole
Sarasin was established in 1841 in Basel and is one of the oldest and most respected private banks in Switzerland. The Sarasin investment management arm was established in the City of London in 1983 to provide investment management service to most of the bank's English speaking clientele. In March 2002 Sarasin announced a strategic alliance with Rabobank, the largest bank in the Netherlands which has specialist businesses including private banking, asset management, venture capital, and insurance etc. In May 2004 Sarasin Investment Management acquired Chiswell Associates and have since changed the trading name of the company to Sarasin Chiswell. Sarasin is best regarded in the UK as pioneers of thematic investing headed by Guy Monson, the investment director and Chief Investment Officer of the Sarasin Group.
13-09-2007
HL sector comment: Specialist
Our view on this sector
There is a wide range of funds in this sector with a mix of property, financials, agriculture and single country funds to name a few. The specialist sector has been hit hard in performance terms in recent months as both financials and commodity prices have fallen heavily. There are many quality funds in this sector, therefore investors need to look through the short term performance numbers. Specialist funds tend to be more volatile than broader based funds.
20-11-2008