North American Strategy

A high-conviction, long-only North American equity portfolio

Inception DateNovember 2011
IndexMSCI North America Net Total Return
US$728mAUM

AUM 31.12.2024

40Holdings
84.01%
i

Figures are representative and are used here for illustrative purposes only.

Active Share
As at 12/31/2024

Strategy Overview

Investment Objective

The Strategy aims to achieve long-term capital appreciation by investing in a diversified portfolio of securities of North American companies.

Investment Philosophy

The investment philosophy of the Polar Capital North American team is driven by fundamental and bottom-up stock analysis, focusing on both long-term value creation and value. The philosophy is based on the simple understanding that the team is investing clients’ savings in American businesses with the goal of compounding those savings over the long term at an attractive rate of return. They believe the best chance of doing this successfully is to invest in companies that sustainably compound at attractive rates over time and to invest in them at attractive valuations.

A focus on long-term value creation stems from the notion that, as an owner on behalf of clients in shares of companies, the team wants to see an attractive return (through growth and capital deployment) from their underlying businesses’ activities. Durable businesses whose future cash flows can sustainably compound at attractive rates provide a fundamental performance tailwind over time as well as a fundamental margin of safety.

Value creation cannot be looked at in isolation though. A focus on finding shares that offer good value is also key to driving attractive shareholder returns. The aim of the investment process is to identify attractive long-term value creation that is not adequately encapsulated in the share price of a company. This is done through a disciplined approach to valuation that requires long-term thinking and judgement. This increases the probability of a revaluation of a business’s cash flows, which can supplement returns, and creates a long-term valuation margin of safety.

Therefore, a dual focus on value creation and value results in more ways to win: value creation provides an underlying compounding tailwind to the portfolio, while buying at an attractive price results in a higher chance of a subsequent revaluation of the company’s cash flows. It also provides a two-fold long-term margin of safety – a fundamental margin of safety and a valuation margin of safety.

Key Facts

  • Multi-cap North American long-only equity portfolio
  • Run by portfolio managers with a strong performance record spanning more than 20 years
  • Clear and replicable fundamental investment process focusing on both long-term value creation and value
  • Bottom-up portfolio construction from a wide universe of value-creating businesses
  • Focused portfolio - high conviction and high active share

Strategy Availability

  • UCITS Fund
  • Separate Account

Management

None

Andrew Holliman, CFA

Portfolio Manager
None

Richard Wilson, CFA

Portfolio Manager
None

Colm Friel, CFA

Portfolio Manager

Andrew Holliman, CFA

Andrew started his career in 1997 at Baillie Gifford, before spending seven years at Threadneedle where he managed the Threadneedle American Strategy. He left to set up Polar Capital's North American team in 2011.

  • BCom (1st Class Hons) in Business Studies, University of EdinburghMSc in Investment Analysis, University of Stirling
  • CFA Charterholder
  • 27 years

Richard Wilson, CFA

Richard started his career in 1999 at Mercury Asset Management, before working at Threadneedle for nine years managing institutional mandates on the North American equities team. He left to set up Polar Capital's North American team in 2011.

  • MA (1st Class Hons) in History of Art, University of Edinburgh
  • CFA charterholder
  • 25 years

Colm Friel, CFA

Colm joined Polar Capital in June 2014 working on the North American Equities team.

Prior to joining Polar Capital, Colm spent over 3 years as a global equity analyst at Seven Pillars Capital Management. Before that, he worked as an Economist for the Bank of England where he was responsible for analysis of banks and banking systems.

  • BA (1st Class Hons) in Economics, Trinity College, DublinMSc in Finance and Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science
  • 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 North American 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.

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 North America Net Total Return Index as a performance target. 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 http://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.