Portfolio manager comments — Q5 2025
US small cap companies as a group showed a sideways performance during the final quarter of the year. The biotechnology sector as well as semiconductor and memory companies performed strongly, while software companies in particular had a negative impact.
Fund performance benefited from MongoDB, a software/database company with exposure to AI applications, which was added to the portfolio during the quarter. The company reported strong sales figures in early December, leading to a sharp increase in the share price. In addition, several holdings with exposure to data centers contributed positively to performance, including Wesco, Comfort Systems, and Jabil.
At the same time, performance was weighed down by a number of software companies, including Bentley Systems, Dynatrace, and Tyler Technologies. The holding in Pool Corp also had a negative impact following a weak quarter, due to a continued sluggish market for swimming pools in the US.
Exposure to the software sector was generally reduced during the period, while exposure was increased to companies enabling digitalization. Examples of such holdings include MKS Inc, NetApp, and Credo Technology.
The fund continues to hold high quality companies with exposure to structurally strong themes such as re shoring, electrification, and digitalization.