Negative growth in 2006 hits Japan performance

Performance data shows European Smaller Companies funds to be outperforming peers in US and Japan

European smaller companies funds have outstripped their peers in both the US and Japan, with the latter let down by a year of negative growth, according to Standard & Poor's. Funds in the Japanese Smaller Companies sector saw average bid to bid returns of 22.94% over three years to the end of October, with all seven funds in the sector showing negative growth over the final discrete 12-month period examined. Over one year to the same end date average growth in the sector was -11.45%. The M&G Japan Smaller Companies fund, which saw above average returns over the three-year period with over...