Sarasin AgriSar Accumulation 
HL comment
Our view on this Fund
Poor harvests could lead to higher crop prices and food price inflation this year, which in turn could benefit the share prices of some companies at the farming end of the agricultural spectrum. As higher prices feed through, this is likely to put pressure on the share prices of food processing and retail companies. Henry Boucher is therefore looking at ways to benefit from food price inflation, particularly in emerging markets.
22-02-2010
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.
06-05-2009
HL sector comment: Specialist
Our view on this sector
There is a wide range of funds in this sector - for example funds concentrating on bio-technology, financial companies, agriculture, property, commodities, or just investing in a single country. This difference in the area of focus makes it very difficult to draw direct comparisons between these funds. In general, the sector suffered during 2008 as some specialised areas fell heavily, then rebounded strongly in 2009. There are plenty of quality funds in this sector for investors willing to look past the increased levels of risk and volatility.
23-02-2010