AXA's St John takes on industry stalwarts with mid-cap offering

UK Mid Cap manager prevails through tough headwinds, steering fund to top of charts.

Launching a new fund a few months ahead of a major market downturn was perhaps not the easiest start for AXA manager Chris St John. Falls in markets recently have been brutal and indiscriminate, while the small-cap expert also had to contend with a tough peer group of well-known and long-standing fund managers, including Old Mutual £923m UK Select Mid Cap fund, run by Richard Watts; and Andy Brough and his £1.5bn Schroder UK Mid 250 portfolio, he has built a formidable reputation in the space. So far, St John has steered the AXA Framlington UK Mid Cap fund through some choppy waters...