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JOHCM International Equity Managers Cite New Zealand as Next Hotspot for Tech Companies
[September 23, 2014]

JOHCM International Equity Managers Cite New Zealand as Next Hotspot for Tech Companies


NEW YORK --(Business Wire)--

Christopher Lees and Nudgem Richyal, co-managers of the $1.3 billion JOHCM International Select Fund (JOHIX), have highlighted New Zealand as the next hotspot for technology companies. Singapore-based Richyal recently spent a research week in New Zealand meeting companies that are disrupting many well-established global technology players. He commented:

"Our first questions were how and why is there so much technology being developed in New Zealand that the likes of Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal (News - Alert), feel compelled to buy into fledgling investment stories there. The ability of technology firms to hire talented engineering and science graduates out of local universities is definitely part of the reason, especially as the costs of this talent base are lower than in Silicon Valley. Facebook's (News - Alert) use of New Zealand as a testbed for user modifications has also helped to build a local programming presence. Meanwhile the country's scenery and low population density probably help foster creativity; 'noise' can crowd out critical thinking i many industries, including our own.



"Some of the fast-growing tech minnows we met with on this particular trip will probably one day find their way into our fund. Promising companies we met included: Xero, which is disrupting the world of accounting software; Serko, which is revolutionizing the travel industry by providing a seamless one-stop solution to travel management companies; Gentrack, which develops and integrates cloud-based systems for the utilities sector; and Eroad, which is a next-generation transport fleet management system. All of these companies are already nipping at the heels of the larger, established software giants."

The JOHCM International Select Fund (JOHIX), a foreign equity mutual fund available to U.S. investors, marked its five-year anniversary on July 31, 2014, as the top-performing "Foreign Large Growth" fund, according to Morningstar, Inc., a mutual fund rating service. The fund currently has a large overweight exposure to the technology sector. Lees and Richyal invest in both developed international and emerging markets, applying a Growth at a Reasonable Price (GARP) investment philosophy.


About J O Hambro Capital Management (JOHCM)

JOHCM is an investment boutique regulated by the U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and registered as an investment adviser with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC (News - Alert)). Founded in 1993, JOHCM manages $25.2 billion (as at June 30, 2014) of assets from offices in London, New York, Boston, and Singapore across a range of equity funds and separate portfolios, with investment expertise in Global, International, U.S., Emerging Markets, Asian, European, Japanese, and U.K. equities. JOHCM was recently awarded 'Outstanding Investment House' at the Morningstar OBSR (UK) Awards for Excellence in Investment, 2014.

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The JOHCM Funds are advised by J O Hambro Capital Management Limited and distributed through FINRA member BHIL Distributors, Inc.


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