04/01/2008

Birthday Treat For UK Smaller Companies Fund

Leading fund manager, Standard Life Investments today announced that fund ratings agency, OBSR, has added sparkle to the 11 th anniversary celebrations* of its UK Smaller Companies Fund by awarding it a ‘AAA' rating.

The £379m fund has produced top decile performance over two, three years and since launch and has been top quartile over three and six months, one, five and ten years**. Since launch* it has returned 352% versus the IMA UK Smaller Companies sector average of 153%**. Its average annualised return to investors since launch is 14.7%**.

Head of Mutual Fund Investment at Standard Life Investments, Jacqueline Kerr, said:

"This award represents a significant achievement for Harry Nimmo and his renowned smaller companies team who have been able to deliver excellent, risk-adjusted returns on a consistent basis in what is one of the most competitive sectors for mutual funds in the UK.

"External recognition for the fund is growing in spades. In addition to this most prestigious award, Standard & Poor's rate the fund with a ‘AA' and Citywire award its fund manager a ‘AAA'. Furthermore, the fund won the UK Smaller Companies fund sector category at the Trustnet Awards 2008; the 'Best Performing Smaller Companies Fund Award' at the PLC Awards 2007 and the 'What Investment' Unit Trust Manager of the Year 2006. With a track record of this calibre, it's clear that it's not just the team at Standard Life Investments who have unfailing confidence in the breadth of investment knowledge and expertise garnered by Harry and his team."

Manager of the fund and Head of UK Smaller Companies at Standard Life Investments, Harry Nimmo, said;

"Buying high quality and sustainable growth companies with the wherewithal to be promoted to large cap status is in our experience the best way to generate the best returns when investing in smaller companies. This approach has added resilience to performance even when there has been little help from the economy.

"Our team of four investment professionals has a total of 43 years experience analysing and investing in smaller companies and this, coupled with access to company management in the less well researched world of smaller company investing, is extremely important to us.

"Our investment process remains unchanged over the life of the fund and I feel that the performance is strong testament to the success of this process. Furthermore, I see no reason why similar performance shouldn't be achieved over the next 11 years and we will continue to do our utmost in order to achieve this for our investors."

* Standard Life Investments UK Smaller Companies Fund was launched on 6 th January 1997

** Morningstar Workstation, bid-to-bid, 06/01/97 – 31/12/07, retail share class