European Small Cap Strategy

A European long only-strategy with a small-cap focus

Inception DateMarch 2024
IndexMSCI Europe Small Cap Net Return EUR Index
US$10mAUM

AUM 31.03.2025

55Holdings
As at 03/31/2025

Strategy Overview

Investment Objective

The Strategy's investment objective is long-term growth of capital.

Investment Philosophy

The Portfolio Managers believe the best alpha-generating opportunities can be found where the least attention is being paid. These opportunities can be realised by the patient investor who identifies high-quality franchises with attractive growth potential at deep discounts to their intrinsic value. The Portfolio Managers believe the European stock universe, with its many under-researched, smaller, niche champions provides an incredibly attractive opportunity set. They look for well-managed businesses with durable earnings power, strong free cashflow generation and consistent value creation. They aim to find such companies that have the capability to grow larger and become noticed by the wider investment community. They construct a portfolio of high-quality, attractively valued companies that demonstrates low beta to the market with the potential to deliver outsized returns.

Key Facts

  • Investment team with 33 years of combined industry experience
  • Typically 40-60 positions (long only)
  • Long-term investment horizon
  • Portfolio of small & mid-cap companies
  • Fundamentally-driven analysis and stock selection

Strategy Availability

  • ICAV Fund
  • Separate Account

Management

None

Michael Vise, CFA

Portfolio Manager
None

Ali Amiri-Garroussi, CFA

Portfolio Manager

Michael Vise, CFA

Michael joined Polar Capital in 2003 as an Operations Manager where he further developed and managed the trade support, investment compliance, performance and risk management functions. He joined the European Smaller Companies team in 2005 as an analyst before being promoted to Portfolio Manager. He became co-lead on the strategy in 2020. Prior to joining Polar Capital he gained five years' audit and accounting experience with Deloitte & Touche in their Cape Town, San Francisco and Dublin offices.

  • Bachelor of Commerce degreePostgraduate Diploma in Accounting, University of Cape Town
  • Chartered Accountant and CFA Charterholder
  • 22 years

Ali Amiri-Garroussi, CFA

Ali joined Polar Capital in 2007 as part of the Operations team. From 2009 he worked on the Polar Capital Discovery Fund as a macro analyst before joining the European Smaller Companies team in 2012 as an analyst before being promoted to Portfolio Manager. He became co-lead on the strategy in 2020. Prior to joining Polar Capital, he was with HSBC as a graduate recruit in their Corporate, Investment Banking and Markets division.

  • BA (Hons) Economics, University of Nottingham
  • CFA Charterholder
  • 17 years

Risk Considerations

Risks:

  • Capital is at risk and there is no guarantee the Strategy will achieve its objective. Investors should make sure their attitude towards risk is aligned with the risk profile of the Strategy.
  • Past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance. The value of investments may go down as well as up and you might get back less than you originally invested.
  • The value of a Strategy’s assets may be affected by uncertainties such as international political developments, market sentiment, economic conditions, changes in government policies, restrictions on foreign investment and currency repatriation, currency fluctuations and other developments in the laws and regulations of countries in which investment may be made. Please see the Strategy’s Prospectus for details of all risks.
  • The Strategy may enter into a derivative contract. The Strategy’s use of derivatives carries the risk of reduced liquidity, substantial loss and increased volatility in adverse market conditions, such as failure amongst market participants.
  • The use of derivatives will result in the Strategy being leveraged (where market exposure and the potential for loss exceeds the amount the Strategy has invested) and in these market conditions the effect of leverage will magnify losses. The Strategy makes extensive use of derivatives.
  • If the currency of the share class is different from the local currency in the country in which you reside, the figures shown on this webpage may increase or decrease if converted into your local currency.

Important Information: This website is provided for the sole use of the intended recipient and is not a financial promotion. The Polar Capital European Small Cap Strategy (the “Strategy”) is a Strategy of Polar Capital Funds plc which is authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland as an Undertaking for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities under the European Communities (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 352/2011), as amended. This website does not seek to make any recommendation to buy or sell any particular security (including shares in the Strategy) or to adopt any specific investment strategy. This website does not contain information material to an investor’s decision to invest in the Strategy. Shares in the Strategy are offered only on the basis of information contained in the prospectus, key investor information document (“KIID”), and the latest annual audited accounts. Copies are available free of charge from Polar Capital at the below address or on www.polarcapitalfunds.com. The KIID is available in Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish and Swedish. The prospectus is available in English.

Third-party Data: Some information contained herein has been obtained from third party sources and has not been independently verified by Polar Capital. Neither Polar Capital nor any other party involved in or related to compiling, computing or creating the data makes any express or implied warranties or representations with respect to such data (or the results to be obtained by the use thereof), and all such parties hereby expressly disclaim all warranties of originality, accuracy, completeness, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to any data contained herein.

Information Subject to Change: The information contained herein is subject to change, without notice, at the discretion of Polar Capital and Polar Capital does not undertake to revise or update this information in any way.

Benchmark: The Strategy is actively managed and uses the MSCI Europe Small Cap Net Return EUR Index as a performance target and to calculate the performance fee. The benchmark has been chosen as it is generally considered to be representative of the investment universe in which the Strategy invests. The performance of the Strategy is likely to differ from the performance of the benchmark as the holdings, weightings and asset allocation will be different. Investors should carefully consider these differences when making comparisons. Further information about the benchmark can be found at www.msci.com. The benchmark is provided by an administrator on the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) register of benchmarks which includes details of all authorised, registered, recognised and endorsed EU and third country benchmark administrators together with their national competent authorities.

Country Specific Disclaimers: When considering an investment into the Strategy, you should make yourself aware of the relevant financial, legal and tax implications. Neither Polar Capital LLP nor Polar Capital Funds plc shall be liable for, and accept no liability for, the use or misuse of this document.