FUND REVIEW:
RAB Global Mining & Resources / RAB Gold and Precious Equities

RAB is launching two new funds with £61.2 million (US $100 million) seed capital, which will invest in exploration and production companies.

The former is based upon the already established Cayman fund, launched in November 2007.

Both funds are being run under a UCITS III regulatory structure that allows the fund manager the flexibility to invest in, or short, equities within the fund.

They will be managed by Philip Richards - manager of RAB Special Situations - and Tiffany Essex who joined RAB in 2007 from Cazenove where she was a mining analyst.

Minimum investment: TBC
Initial charge: 5 per cent
Annual management fee: 1.9 per cent
Performance fee: 20 per cent
Contact: www.rabcap.com

Simon Brett is head of investment at Parmenion Fund Research

Simon Brett says: The commodity super cycle has been one of the dominant investment themes over the past decade, as China and other emerging markets fuel demand for commodities as they urbanise.

Many observers believe this theme has further to run and forecast another ten years of demand for all types of commodity.

Gold has similarly enjoyed a significant price appreciation since 2003. With inflation becoming a problem not only in the UK but also in emerging markets, gold should benefit as it is viewed as a store of wealth.

Both funds will compete with other well-known funds in the resources investment space. The RAB funds do have a performance fee of 20 per cent whereas many others do not.

It will be interesting to see if the use of shorting adds value through extra performance and to compare that performance versus long only funds.

Fund rating: 3/5 stars