EMERGING markets specialist Jonathan Asante, of First State, has made it three months in a row at the top of The Herald's table of the best-performing asset managers working for Scottish investment houses.
He held on to first position in the Scottish top flight, with a further improvement in his UK-wide ranking from 10th to ninth, when the latest performance figures for the three years to April 30 were compiled by financial publisher Citywire.
There was strong competition for top slots, as several fund managers working for Scottish investment houses enjoyed significant improvements in their UK-wide rankings.
Mr Asante, who manages the First State Global Emerging Markets, First State Global Emerging Markets Leaders, St James's Place Global Emerging Markets, and First State Latin America funds, held off a challenge from Baillie Gifford's Douglas Brodie.
Mr Brodie, who runs the Baillie Gifford British Smaller Companies fund, climbed from third into second spot in the Scottish top flight with an improvement in his UK-wide ranking from 45th to 17th. He had climbed from seventh to third in the Scottish top table when figures for the three years to March 31 were compiled, with an improvement in his UK-wide ranking from 69th to 45th.
The latest improvement in Mr Brodie's UK-wide ranking saw him leapfrog Baillie Gifford colleague Torcail Stewart, who had been in second spot when the previous monthly figures were compiled. Mr Stewart, who manages the Baillie Gifford Corporate Bond fund, slipped from second to third in the Scottish top flight even though his UK-wide ranking improved from 30th to 24th.
Sarah Whitley and Matthew Brett, managers of the Baillie Gifford Japanese fund, meanwhile climbed up the Scottish top flight with an improvement in their joint UK-wide ranking from 93rd to 25th.
Martin Lau, who manages the First State Greater China Growth fund, fell from fourth to sixth in the Scottish top table in spite of an improvement in his UK-wide ranking from 53rd to 44th.
Phil Annen, who manages Baillie Gifford's Active Index-Linked Gilt and Global Bond funds, meanwhile climbed to seventh in the Scottish top flight with an improvement in his UK-wide ranking from 146th to 48th.
Stephen Rodger, who manages Baillie Gifford's Investment Grade Bond and Corporate Bond funds, was another climber. He took ninth spot in the Scottish top flight with an improvement in his UK-wide ranking from 152nd to 68th.
Elsewhere in the Scottish top flight, Harry Nimmo, who runs Standard Life Investments' Global Smaller Companies and UK Smaller Companies funds, saw his UK-wide ranking improve from 180th to 160th. Mr Nimmo has in the past enjoyed long runs at the top of the Scottish table.
Edinburgh investment house Baillie Gifford remained way out in the lead in Scotland in terms of Citywire-rated managers, even though its number dipped from 17th to 16th.
Citywire's rankings are based on risk-adjusted performance. Fewer than one-fifth of fund managers in the UK qualify for one of the 295 Citywire ratings.
The Herald-Citywire survey covers fund managers working for investment houses with a significant presence in Scotland.
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