Jupiter Financial Opportunities Fund, run by Guy de Blonay and co-managed by Robert Mumby since he was appointed in place of Philip Gibbs, is the first to have been downgraded one notch from silver to bronze.
Morningstar OBSR said while it acknowledges it has been an unprecedented environment for managing a financials fund, bronze is a more suitable reflection of its conviction in the fund.
Meanwhile, the Jupiter Ecology Fund has also found itself tagged with a bronze rating after previously holding silver. Morningstar OBSR said it was am "admittedly narrow but competitive sector" and while it thinks manager Charlie Thomas can add value over the long-term through his focus on investment companies, bronze is again a more appropriate reflection of its conviction.
A third Jupiter fund has also been downgraded, the former John Chatfeild-Roberts-managed Jupiter Global Managed Fund, which in November last year was passed on to Simon Somerville.
Following the appointment of Somerville, Morningstar OBSR put the fund’s bronze rating under review and has now downgraded it to neutral in the context of an "increasingly competitive global sector".
As well as these Jupiter updates Morningstar OBSR issued new ratings for two Henderson funds, an Allianz GI fund and a Swip fund.
Allianz BRIC Stars went down to neutral from bronze, Swip European Income went from bronze under review to neutral and Henderson Emerging Market Opportunities went from bronze to neutral.
The Henderson Technology Fund was the only one to be upgraded this time round, from bronze to silver, with manager Stuart O’Gorman described as "an accomplished technology investor who combines his in-depth knowledge of the sector with strong portfolio construction abilities" which help explain the unusually consistent outperformance of its benchmark over the past five and ten years.
