Gartmore European Absolute Return Fund.

The Gartmore European Absolute Return Fund was launch in January 2009, when it became apparent long only equity funds were going to struggle in the current economic climate.

The fund aims to achieve positive return over the long term regardless of market conditions. It aims to do this by taking long and short positions on equities and also using related derivative contracts. It will mainly focus on investing in companies in Europeans markets, including the UK. This fund is relatively small at this current time and only has £54 million under management but has provided 6% return since its launch under extremely difficult and volatile circumstances.


Guillaume Rambourg and Rodger Guy manage the Gartmore European Absolute Return Fund; between them they have a combined 35 years experience in European equities and currently Co-Manage a very successful European hedge fund. The hedge fund they operate has returned 250% in the last 10 years, which makes them the excellent managers to run a retail fund of this nature. The fund makes use of a highly skilled analytical team, which, in essence, act as Guy and Rambourg's eyes and ears on the financial world.


They believe that the market will remain extremely fragile in the Euro zone and the markets will continue to be highly volatile. Guy and Rambourg are going to try and utilise this high volatility to locate equities that are perceived to be undervalued or overvalued to generate returns.


Overall this fund is ideal for the cautious investor, who wishes to have some exposure to European equities and generate a steady return. Funds of this nature are ideal for times of economic uncertainty and could be a useful addition to a cautious or balanced portfolio.