The addition of these two strategies further expands and diversifies the Wells Fargo (Lux) Worldwide Fund’s portfolio, bringing its proven equity expertise to investors in Europe and Asia
Q2 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more
LONDON – August 17, 2021 – Wells Fargo Asset Management (WFAM) today announced the launch of the Small Cap Innovation Fund and the Global Small Cap Equity Fund, further expanding its UCITS funds offering.
WFAM's Small Cap Innovation Fund
The Small Cap Innovation Fund focuses on innovative companies with superior fundamentals that we believe are frequently mispriced in equity markets. Concentrated on identifying companies that foster disruption in the markets, the fund typically holds securities in companies with a competitive advantage. At least two-thirds of the portfolio is based in the United States, with up to 15% invested opportunistically in global non-US small cap equities.
The Small Cap Innovation Fund aims to invest in companies that embrace the power of long-term compounding returns and operate on the right side of change. These companies seek to benefit from changes in demographic, lifestyle, or environmental trends. Based on establishing a bottom-up edge, the team establishes a balance between risk and return, with a conviction-weighted portfolio, to provide long-term capital appreciation.
The Small Cap Innovation Fund is managed by Michael Smith, senior portfolio manager, and Christopher Warner, portfolio manager, at Wells Capital Management Incorporated’s Fundamental Growth Equity team. Together, they bring more than 40 years of industry experience.
WFAM's Global Small Cap Equity Fund
The Global Small Cap Equity Fund seeks to invest in companies that are well-managed and have underappreciated financial flexibility that will allow a company to control their destiny via accretive capital deployment. The portfolio predominantly consists of global small-cap companies within the S&P Developed Small Cap Index market, and can hold up to 10% in companies that operate within the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.
The Global Small Cap Equity Fund focuses on building portfolios that take advantage of investment opportunities presented by short-term price anomalies in high-quality stocks. Using an analysis of income and financial statements, the team focuses on balance sheets and free cash flow to find advantages in long-term, above-peer performance with below-peer risk.
The Global Small Cap Equities Fund is managed by Wells Capital Management Incorporated’s Special Global Equity team, which includes Jim Tringas, senior portfolio manager; Bryant VanCronkhite, senior portfolio manager; Oleg Makhorine, associate portfolio manager; Stephen Giggie, co-portfolio manager; and Brian Martin, co-portfolio manager.
The UCITS Funds vehicles are registered across Europe in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In Asia they will be registered in Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea.
“We are delighted to be able to offer two of our proven small cap equity strategies in fund format for our clients in Europe and Asia,” said Deirdre Flood, head of the International Client Group at WFAM. “These portfolio teams have demonstrated an ability to identify compelling investment opportunities down the market cap spectrum, where disciplined fundamental research allows them to find the winners of tomorrow that are on the right side of change.”
The announcement follows the addition of the Global Equity Enhanced Income Fund to the Wells Fargo (Lux) Worldwide Fund in July 2020.
