Standard & Poor’s Fund Services today stated that the UBS Australian Small Companies fund remains ‘On Hold’ following UBS’s confirmation that two members of its three-person Australian-equities small-cap team—Jeremy Bendeich and John Campbell—will be leaving the firm.
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Co-portfolio manager, Stephen Wood has assumed full responsibility for the fund, with additional support from other members of the manager’s broader Australian-equity team. UBS has advised us that it is already well advanced in its recruitment process for additional dedicated resources.
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While these two departures are a setback for UBS’s small-cap credentials, we are comfortable that the appropriate interim measures are in place. However, we will be seeking to resolve the fund’s ‘On Hold’ status once an additional senior hire has been made and we have completed a full review of the fund.