Global graduates: tracking the talent tipped for the top

Eve Tournier, PIMCO

First rated: n/a

Funds: PIMCO GIS Diversified Income Dur Hdg I EUR ACC/PIMCO GIS Diversified Income Inst USD Acc

Current Citywire rating: Not rated

The only manager from June’s Managers to Watch who has yet to enter the rated elite.

Tournier became a co-manager on the PIMCO GIS Diversified Income fund in April 2010 and was handed her own strategy - the PIMCO GIS Diversified Income Duration Hedged fund – in May 2011.

The PIMCO GIS Diversified Income fund currently has 41% allocated to emerging markets, with 19% in investment grade credit and 25% in non-US developed debt.

The former Deutsche Bank credit trader previously explained how she had adopted a very defensive approach in her two strategies. She also championed her ability to make off-benchmark bets.

Niall Gallagher, GAM

First rated: June 2012

Funds: GAM Star European Equity EUR Acc/GAM Star Continental European Equity EUR Acc

Current Citywire rating: AA (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland)

Consistency is king for Niall Gallagher, who has been rated in each of the six months since first becoming eligible in June 2012. Over this period he has remained solidly AA-rated and even earned a Euro Stars A-rating.

He runs two concentrated approaches and has a strong aversion to financials in both portfolios. He has been lead manager on the two strategies since December 2009 when he took over from John Bennett, who has since joined Henderson Global Investors.

Gallagher’s eyes are firmly fixed on developments in the eurozone. Although, writing before Christmas, he stressed that the idea of core and peripheral trading in Europe has passed.

According to his most recent factsheet, his largest country allocations are to Germany, Switzerland and Sweden.

Diane Bruno, Mandarine Gestion

First rated: October 2012

Fund: Mandarine Unique Small&Mid Caps Europe I

Current Citywire rating: AA (Austria, France, Germany, Spain)

The former AXA fund manager has only recently earned her debut Citywire rating, earning a AA-rating in October. This is for her performance on the Mandarine Unique Small&Mid Caps Europe fund which was launched in March 2010.

Bruno co-runs the fund with veteran investor Joëlle Morlet-Selmer, who is a Euro Stars AAA-rated manager and also AA-rated in the same four markets as Bruno.

At present, the largest sector allocations in the €49 million small- and mid-caps fund are to industrials (31.5%), consumer goods (20.8%) and consumer services (13%). The largest single position is in secure transaction firm Ingenico, with the French firm accounting for 4% of the portfolio exposure.

Samuel Morse, Fidelity

First rated: June 2012

Fund: Fidelity European A Acc

Current Citywire rating: AA (France)

Another manager to have entered the ratings shortly after being showcased in Managers to Watch is Fidelity’s Samuel Morse. The former M&G man runs the €2.9 billion Fidelity European fund.

It has been a steady performance from Morse, who has been AA-rated in all bar one of the past six months. In June, Morse dropped to an A-rating but recovered it the following month. He is also a Euro Stars AA-rated manager.

His fund invests in 50-60 stocks and follows a long-term buy-and-hold approach. He also has a slight bias towards small and mid-cap names. His biggest sector allocation is currently to financials (21%), while France (22.8%) and Switzerland (19%) are his two biggest country allocations.

Benoit Trioux, BSI

First rated: October 2012

Fund: BSI-Multieuropa A

Current Citywire Rating: Not Rated

BSI’s Benoit Trioux represents the second appearance for the BSI-Multieuropa fund, with previous lead and fellow Manager to Watch Sophie Barret having relinquished control to Trioux in February 2012.

Trioux, who had previously been deputy manager to Barret and lead manager on the Generali Ambition fund, entered the Citywire ratings in October 2012 and achieved an A-rating in the Netherlands market. However, he has since lost this accolade.