Current actions by the UK authorities are exacerbating problems in the credit and equity markets, says JO Hambro Capital Management.

Gordon Elvey, fund manager of the JO Hambro US Opportunities Fund, believes that the US authorities are simply throwing good taxpayers’ money after bad.

He says, ‘You can’t address a credit bubble by trying to create a second credit bubble. By propping up failing businesses and management, the authorities have prevented capitalism from working.

‘Right now, however, the US market is presenting some interesting opportunities as signs emerge that the housing market is beginning to clear.’

Elvey’s comments coincide with the third anniversary of the fund, which has outperformed relative to its benchmark – the S&P 500 index – by around 25 per cent in sterling terms since inception.

The fund combines a bottom-up stockpicking strategy with a macro view, focusing primarily on individual business momentum and the potential for revised future earnings.

‘The benchmark unconstrained nature of the fund allows me to adapt capital preservation measures when necessary while simultaneously going long on specific high-conviction ideas,’ says Elvey. ‘This strategy has outperformed in both bull and bear markets and I am confident that it will continue to outperform the S&P 500 index in a testing market environment.’

Currently, the fund has an overweight position in the healthcare and materials sector, and is underweight in the financials, telecoms and utilities sectors.