Media Release

Highly rated UBS trio join with Challenger/Fidante Partners to start new small cap strategy.

The experienced and highly rated former UBS small cap team of Stephen Wood, Victor Gomes and David Haddad have joined Australia’s leading multi-boutique fund management business Fidante Partners. The team have set up a new Australian small capitalisation companies boutique called Eiger Capital.

The team will manage the Eiger Australian Small Companies Fund (the Fund) which will provide retail and institutional investors access to a portfolio of small cap stocks.

Mr Wood said, “the decision to join Fidante Partners was a relatively easy one given Fidante’s fund manager support team, size, and track record of creating the right environment for boutiques to flourish.”

The trio bring more than 60 years of combined investment experience and, while managing the UBS Australian Small Companies Fund together, delivered returns of 11.6% per annum (net of fees) over seven years, beating the S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Index by 6.8% per annum*.

“It is the right cultural fit for us and importantly, Fidante has had outstanding success partnering with other leading boutiques in the small cap asset class.”

Stephen Wood, Principal and Portfolio Manager

Mr Gomes added: “In one sense Eiger is new in name only as we will be continuing the successful and proven active investment management approach we adopted while at UBS. Our focus is on using in-depth fundamental research to identify the smaller companies we believe will be the future leaders and that have been undervalued by the market. The Fund aims to be style unaware but will continue to focus on companies with strong quality franchise factors run by competent and honest management.”

Fidante Partners General Manager Nick Hamilton said he was delighted that the three experienced fund managers had decided to make Fidante their new home. “It is a great fit for Stephen, Victor and David who have a strong history of working together and are well known to many Australian investors. Fidante are pleased to support the continuation of an established and successful specialist small cap investment team,” Mr Hamilton said.