Portfolio manager comments — Q4 2025
During the fourth quarter, global equity markets showed mixed but predominantly positive performance. The recovery from earlier declines during the year continued, driven by strong corporate earnings, extensive AI related investments, and a gradual stabilization of the global economy. Europe and Asia, particularly Japan, performed most strongly, while the US also posted gains, although to a lesser extent.
The sectors accounting for most of the gains were healthcare, followed by financials. The IT sector, which had been a key driver earlier in the year, was broadly flat. Consumer related stocks performed the weakest.
The appreciation of the Swedish krona, primarily against the US dollar but also against the euro, had a negative impact on the fund’s value for investors in SEK.
Positive contributions during the period primarily came from the healthcare sector, with strong gains in Eli Lilly and Thermo Fisher, as well as from holdings in the semiconductor sector such as SK Hynix and TSMC. Within healthcare, concerns regarding tariffs and tighter regulation in the US gradually eased, benefiting the sector. Within IT, semiconductor companies continued to deliver strong results, solid profitability, and attractive long term prospects, driving share prices higher. Other positive contributors included Sanlam, Fanuc, Alphabet, and Jack Henry.
Factors weighing on fund performance were largely driven by sharp market reactions to quarterly reports from several holdings, including 3i, Itron, Sanrio, and Royal Caribbean Cruises. In addition, Netflix declined significantly both following its earnings report and further in connection with the bidding contest surrounding Warner Bros. Discovery, in which Netflix is involved.
During the period, holdings in Dynatrace, Capgemini, Aptar, and Verra Mobility were divested. New holdings included Bank of America, BNP, CATL, DSV, and Edwards Lifesciences.