Life begins at thirty as Schroders duo stockpick from vast universe

SCHRODERS Q&A

The daunting task facing Virginie Maisonneuve and Jonathan Armitage, the co-managers of the Schroder Global Alpha Plus fund, is to build a concentrated portfolio of 30 of their highest conviction stock ideas from around the world.

The internet is a little hazy on just how many publicly-listed companies there are on the planet but, to give some idea of the scale of their mission, the FTSE All Share alone boasts some 630 constituents. With so many companies to pick from around the world, does a portfolio of 30 names, no matter the level of conviction, cut back one’s scope for investment and outperformance a little too far? Why should UK investors consider buying an unconstrained yet focused global fund? “If an investor decides to go global, they are not committing themselves to a particular sector, a particular c...