Low-cost active fund assets dwindle as investors lose interest

Low-cost active equity funds, launched to much fanfare two years ago, are failing to attract investor interest as they pass their second anniversaries.

Both Schroders’ UK Core fund and J. P. Morgan AM’s UK Active Index Plus fund have struggled to take on assets since launch in early 2011. Schroder UK Core has returned 18.7% since launch on 18 March 2011 to the end of Q1 2013, compared with a 22.3% rise in the All Share over the same period, according to the group. But assets in the fund have dwindled in recent months despite performance starting to improve. Although the fund out-performed its benchmark over the past six months to return 15.7%, assets have dropped from £37m to £12m since last October. Schroder UK Core targets 1%...