Artemis Strategic Assets Accumulation

Many people will never have heard of William Littlewood. We shall never forget him.

In 1991 he managed a small income fund for what was then a virtually unknown investment group called Jupiter Tyndall Merlin (now Jupiter). Over the 9 years he managed the fund (December 1990 to December 1999) it produced growth of 580%. That was almost 200% more than the next best performing fund in the sector.

He then took a break from fund management before joining Artemis five years ago to manage a very different institutional fund not available to private investors. Whilst volatile at times, it delivered outstanding performance during a period when the stock market fell. The key to its success was its flexibility. We were therefore delighted when he launched a fund managed along the same lines for private investors last summer – the Artemis Strategic Assets Fund.

This fund invests in a variety of assets including shares, currencies, bonds and commodities. William Littlewood looks to maximise returns by moving aggressively between these asset classes, and the fund's structure means he can also make money from falling prices – but only if he makes the right calls.

The fund is off to a flying start, with William Littlewood's stock picking skills driving performance. However, it is still very early days, and remember past performance isn't a guide to future returns. He has so far maintained an average of 50-55% of the fund's assets in shares, including the pharmaceutical sector which he feels will benefit from long-term demographic trends, and global brands such as Coca-Cola, which are well placed to perform in an uncertain economic climate. He believes the UK's quantitative easing will cause inflation (which is bad for currencies), and he currently has around 30% of the portfolio as a 'short' position in Sterling.

His aim is to provide long-term positive returns whilst outperforming both cash and shares over three-year periods, but of course there are no guarantees; several of the strategies he employs are higher risk. In buying this fund you have a truly gifted fund manager choosing not only the stocks, but also the asset classes which he believes will offer the highest potential returns.

We believe it is perfect for today's markets. On the strength of William Littlewood's ability, both picking stocks and identifying trends, and the nature of the fund, I believe it could be a superb choice for long-term investors.