Bestinvest says
This fund benefits from a team that has a strong performance record of investing in Asian and Emerging markets. It will generally only invest in companies with a market capitalisation of at least US$1bn. Whilst we like the disciplined approach - the manager focuses on high quality, shareholder friendly companies - a few years ago charges were increased to dissuade new investors, due to the large size of the fund at the time. However, existing investors requiring a more cautious approach to Emerging Markets should continue to hold. New investors should consider the five star rated First State Global Emerging Markets Leaders, which is also managed by Jonathan Asante the lead manager.
The manager employs a fundamental bottom up stock picking approach with a medium to long term outlook, generally avoiding 'momentum' type stocks. The focus is on quality growth stocks with a keen emphasis on price. Qualitative criteria including shareholder friendly management, corporate governance and strong balance sheets are also high on the list. Stock research is conducted by a large and well resourced team based in Edinburgh, Hong Kong and Singapore.