AEGON Asset Management wins prestigious equity award — good news for AEGON Scottish Equitable investors
AEGON Asset Management’s recent win of Best Overall Group Award in the Equity (Large) category at the Lipper UK Fund Awards 2008 is excellent news for AEGON Scottish Equitable investors who have access to AEGON Asset Management’s considerable capability through our pension and investment products.
The Lipper Fund Awards highlight funds that have excelled in delivering consistently strong risk-adjusted performance, relative to peers.
The Lipper Fund Awards are given out to funds in 21 countries in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Lipper designates award-winning funds in most individual classifications or sectors based on their three-, five-, and ten-year performance. In addition, the Lipper Fund Awards programme spotlights fund management houses with high average scores for all funds within a particular asset class. Overall, fund groups with at least five equity, five bond and three mixed-asset funds are eligible for an overall group award.
It’s the coveted overall award for equities that AEGON Asset Management has won — evidence of the strength and depth of its all-round equity capability.
All-round equity strength
AEGON Asset Management has long commanded respect for its award-winning fixed income capability. In 2007 it won both Asset Group Winner (Bonds) and Sector Winner (UK Corporate Bonds) at the Citywire All Stars Awards, as well as Best Group Award in the Bond (Large) category at last year’s Lipper UK Funds Awards. It’s the only UK fixed income house to have four bond funds AA-rated by OBSR. Its reputation as a fixed income manager is second to none in the UK.
This latest award for excellence in managing equities is an indication of the transformation that has taken place at AEGON Asset Management since Andrew Fleming took over as Chief Investment Officer in February 2005. The recent high-profile recruitment of AAA Citywire-rated Stuart Fraser as head of European equities is a clear statement of the investment house’s intent to offer equity strength in all the major developed markets.
AEGON Asset Management has already established a formidable reputation in UK equities. It’s the only fund management group to have two AAA Citywire-rated managers in this sector, Stephen Adams and Audrey Ryan*. Stephen manages the UK Equity fund and Audrey the Ethical fund.
AEGON Asset Management has also just celebrated the first anniversary of the launch of the AEGON UK Opportunities fund, which AEGON Scottish Equitable and AEGON Scottish Equitable International investors also have access to. The fund, managed by Audrey Ryan, has had an excellent year. It returned 8.48% to 29 February 2008 and is ranked sixth out of 326 funds in the IMA UK All Companies sector**. The fund draws on the best ideas from the AEGON UK Equity team as a whole. The Scottish Equitable AEGON UK Opportunities life and pension funds were launched in June 2007 so they don’t yet have a year’s performance. Audrey also manages our Ethical pension and life funds. Both funds produced top-quartile performance in each of the last five complete years ending 29 February 2008, apart from last year, when small- and mid-cap companies lost out relative to larger companies. Many larger companies struggle to meet the fund’s strict ethical criteria — in particular large oil and mining companies don’t meet the criteria and these performed strongly last year. The funds’ performance is extraordinary given the competitiveness of this sector — the ABI UK All Companies sector currently contains 585 funds and the equivalent life sector contains 536**.
A lot to offer AEGON Scottish Equitable investors
AEGON Scottish Equitable investors now have access to 14 equity funds managed by AEGON Asset Management, covering all major regions of the world. This includes six UK funds (including the Ethical fund), two European, three International (including a specialist Technology fund), a Japanese, a North American and a Pacific fund. Twelve of these currently have no additional charges/ expenses attached.
Please be aware that past performance is no guarantee of future performance and the value of investments can go down as well as up. This article isn’t intended to be taken as a recommendation or advice.
To find out if any of the funds mentioned are right for you and how you can invest, talk to your financial adviser.
AEGON Asset Management UK’s assets under management total
more than £42.2 billion***.
*Citywire, January 2008 **As at 29 February 2008
***AEGON Asset Management, as at 29 February 2008
