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Liontrust European Growth Fund

September 2021 review
Past performance does not predict future returns. You may get back less than you originally invested. Reference to specific securities is not intended as a recommendation to purchase or sell any investment.

The Fund returned -1.5%* in sterling terms in September. The MSCI Europe ex-UK index comparator benchmark returned -3.6% and the average return made by funds in the IA Europe ex-UK sector, also a comparator benchmark, was -3.4%.

 

The macroeconomic landscape appeared to shift in September, as demand surges and supply shortages across the global economy raised concerns about reflation. The continued emergence from the pandemic meant that demand for goods and services spiked higher, resulting in prices squeezes in several corners of the economy. One of the most notable examples of this was natural gas, which surged to its highest price since 2008. 

 

Meanwhile, staff shortages across industries, most notably for heavy goods vehicle drivers, meant supply was limited. This was acutely seen in the UK fuel market, where panic buying and Brexit disruption exacerbated the petrol shortage and resulted in staggering queues at the pumps.

 

In its September monetary policy meeting, the Bank of England noted the material rise in wholesale gas prices, adding that it represented an upside risk to its inflation projections, but these cost pressures will ultimately prove transitory. Nevertheless, the Monetary Policy Committee agreed that some modest tightening of policy will be required to meet its inflation target in the medium term.

 

The Federal Reserve similarly indicated a hawkish change to policy. Chair Jerome Powell signalled that the central bank would announce a tapering of its $120bn a month asset purchase programme in November, given the strength of US economic recovery. There was also a shift in the Federal Open Market Committee’s expectations for future interest rates, with nine of the 18 person committee now expecting interest rates to rise in 2022, from seven members in the June meeting. 

 

While the European Central Bank also moderately reduced the pace of its net asset purchases, President Cristine Lagarde maintained that this change was not an indication of tapering. Lagarde said the ECB’s decision was a recalibration of its emergence asset purchase programme, rather than a signal to wind it down.

 

The sector breakdown of returns reflected the supply squeeze, with the energy sector (+12%) by far the biggest riser in the MSCI Europe ex-UK Index. As well as the spike in natural gas prices, oil prices also continued its recent rise, with Brent crude hitting its highest level since late 2018. This meant Tethys Oil (+21%) and Lundin Energy (+25%) ended the month amongst the Fund’s biggest gainers.

 

Pandora (+3.7%)was another holding to perform well. The Danish jeweller said it is targeting a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 5%-7% for organic revenue between 2021 and 2023 and a total revenue CAGR of 6%-8%. It also aims to expand its manufacturing output by 60%, which will help it achieve its long-term ambitions to double its US revenue and triple its revenue in China.

 

The semiconductor company ASML (-8.1%) saw its shares fall towards the end of the month following an underwhelming update to long-term guidance. In the update to investors, the company’s announcement that it target annual revenue of €24 billion - €30 billion in 2025, with a gross margin of between 54% and 56%, fell short of expectations.

 

Positive contributors to performance included:

Lundin Energy (+25%), Tethys Oil (+21%) and Subsea 7 (+17%).

 

Negative contributors to performance included:

Uponor (-20%), SimCorp (-11%) and Bekaert (-11%).

 

Discrete years' performance** (%), to previous quarter-end:

 

Sep-21

Sep-20

Sep-19

Sep-18

Sep-17

Liontrust European Growth I Inc

42.8%

3.5%

-3.0%

6.8%

16.7%

MSCI Europe ex UK

20.9%

-0.5%

5.8%

1.3%

21.4%

IA Europe Excluding UK

22.4%

3.1%

2.2%

1.9%

21.9%

Quartile

1

2

4

1

4

 

*Source: Financial Express, as at 30.09.21, total return (net of fees and income reinvested), bid-to-bid, institutional class. Non fund-related return data sourced from Bloomberg.

 

**Source: Financial Express, as at 30.09.21, total return (net of fees and income reinvested), bid-to-bid, primary class.

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KEY RISKS

Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of an investment and the income generated from it can fall as well as rise and is not guaranteed. You may get back less than you originally invested.
The issue of units/shares in Liontrust Funds may be subject to an initial charge, which will have an impact on the realisable value of the investment, particularly in the short term. Investments should always be considered as long term.

Investment in Funds managed by the Cashflow Solution team involves foreign currencies and may be subject to fluctuations in value due to movements in exchange rates. Some of the Funds may invest in derivatives. The use of derivatives may create leverage or gearing. A relatively small movement in the value of a derivative's underlying investment may have a larger impact, positive or negative, on the value of a fund than if the underlying investment was held instead. Some of the funds may hold a concentrated portfolio of stocks. If the price of one of these stocks should move significantly, this may have a notable effect on the value of the respective portfolio.

DISCLAIMER

This is a marketing communication. Before making an investment, you should read the relevant Prospectus and the Key Investor Information Document (KIID), which provide full product details including investment charges and risks. These documents can be obtained, free of charge, from www.liontrust.co.uk or direct from Liontrust. Always research your own investments. If you are not a professional investor please consult a regulated financial adviser regarding the suitability of such an investment for you and your personal circumstances.

This should not be construed as advice for investment in any product or security mentioned, an offer to buy or sell units/shares of Funds mentioned, or a solicitation to purchase securities in any company or investment product. Examples of stocks are provided for general information only to demonstrate our investment philosophy. The investment being promoted is for units in a fund, not directly in the underlying assets. It contains information and analysis that is believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but is subject to change without notice. Whilst care has been taken in compiling the content of this document, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made by Liontrust as to its accuracy or completeness, including for external sources (which may have been used) which have not been verified. It should not be copied, forwarded, reproduced, divulged or otherwise distributed in any form whether by way of fax, email, oral or otherwise, in whole or in part without the express and prior written consent of Liontrust. Always research your own investments and if you are not a professional investor please consult a regulated financial adviser regarding the suitability of such an investment for you and your personal circumstances.

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