Artemis Investment Management has confirmed the April launch of a Global Energy fund to be managed by John Dodd.

The fund will be see a concentrated portfolio of around 30 'best idea' stocks, aiming to generate long-term capital growth from companies in the oil & gas, energy transmission, generation and renewable sectors.

Fund manager Dodd said, 'We are very positive on the energy sector because, due to demographics, we see no decline in demand for energy across the world.

'Meanwhile, that demand is becoming insensitive to price. As western economies look towards renewables for energy generation and eastern nations continue to focus on petrochemicals, we believe this is a secular growth opportunity, and not just a cyclical one.'

The fund will also invest in private, non-listed companies with clear plans for initial public offerings.

The new fund - which will be benchmarked against the MSCI All Countries Energy Index - will invest across a range of countries and regions.

Dodd added, 'This will be an energy fund, rather than resources. Stock-picking will also set it apart.

'I see huge opportunities to differentiate between good and bad companies in the energy sector; and I hope to exploit these to the full for our investors.'

The UCITS III fund will carry an initial charge of 5.25 per cent and a 1.5 per cent annual management fee.