All types of shares have different characteristics and these characteristics are complex. Fund managers assess and measure these features and make investment decisions based on their knowledge and market experience.

Investment funds will have a particular aim and often belong to a specialist sector which allows them to be compared to other funds of a similar make-up and ensures that the actual assets of the fund remain aligned with the objectives and specification of the fund.

Sectors and Assets – The fund sector identifies the areas in which the fund will invest. This can be based on geographical terms, or in a particular industry. For example, there are funds that only invest in UK companies, or Japanese companies, just as there are funds that invest purely in 'technology' companies (IT, telecoms etc). In addition to this, there are sectors that are a mixture of assets. A typical 'balanced managed' fund will have some money invested in equities, some in property and some in fixed interest investments or bonds.

Although there are no guarantees as to performance or returns from any sector, our knowledge, experience and insight can indicate how we might expect investments to perform.