Premier Miton Investors has hired Will James to run its new European Equity Income fund.
According to the asset management firm the fund, which is currently subject to regulatory approval, will take an active, bottom up, through-cycle approach to equity income investing.
In this role James will work alongside Gervais Williams, who leads Premier Miton’s equity team, to manage the fund.
James was previously deputy head of European equities at Aberdeen Standard Investments, and manager of the ASI Europe ex UK Income Equity Fund.
A statement released by Premier Miton today (15 April) explained there was opportunity for dividend growth across large, medium and small companies, which the European Equity Income fund would be targeting.
James said: “This is a fascinating time to be a European equity income manager. As the recovery, post the Covid-19 pandemic, comes through in Europe, the potential for dividends and dividend growth is as attractive as I can remember it in my years as an equity income fund manager.
“Europe has been, and I believe will continue to be, an exceptional region in which active and engaged equity income investing can thrive.”
In June 2020, Premier Miton appointed Lloyd Harris to take the reins of its new fixed income team after he was let go from Merian Global Investors during its takeover by Jupiter Asset Management.
The fund house announced at that time it had hired Harris — alongside his former Merian colleagues Simon Prior and Przemysław Pietraszek — to bolster its fixed income department.
Premier Miton, which already offers Premier Corporate Bond Monthly Income and Premier UK Money Market funds, stated at that time it intended to launch further portfolios equivalent to the range Harris and his team had been managing at Merian.
Neil Birrell, chief investment officer at Premier Miton said: “The addition of Will is another example of our intention to continue to develop and grow our business, and gives us the opportunity to offer our clients a broader range of high quality, relevant, active investment funds.”
“Over the last year or so we have hired a number of high-quality fund managers into our fixed income and UK equity income teams, as well as hiring a new global sustainable fund manager and global smaller companies team.”
The asset manager stated it would be sure to integrate environmental, social and governance factors in the investment process of the European equity income fund.
Ruth Gillbe is a freelance reporter for FTAdviser
