We have suspended our rating of the Blackrock Gold & General and the Blackrock World Mining investment trust following Blackrock’s announcement that fund manager Graham Birch is to go on sabbatical. We are told that Graham Birch’s leave will start from April and last until the end of 2009.
Evy Hambro, who works alongside Birch at Blackrock, will take sole responsibility of the Gold & General fund and the Blackrock World Mining investment trust until Birch returns at the start of 2010. Hambro will be assisted by Richard Davis, who manages the BlackRock Commodities Income Investment Trust, as well as other members of the fourteen strong natural resources team.
We are meeting Evy Hambro in early April when we will make a decision on the rating of these funds.