Roger Aitken, analyst, interprets the February 2014 data

The £5.94m Guinness Alternative Energy C fund continued its top ranking amongst UK Registered funds over the past year to 31 January 2014 with a cumulative +50.46% return versus past three- and five-year performances at -19.28%/140th rank and -9.01%/122th, respectively. The one-year performance was nevertheless a decline over +67.62% witnessed as at the end of December 2013 and mirrored dented investment returns amongst leading funds here and across the four other sectors.

Premier Ethical A Inc., a £67.06m fund, was runner up this time on a +27.85% performance versus +56.45%/2nd rank over past three years and +117.75%/8th over last five. Sarasin Sustainable Equity USA P US$ fund came in third top with +26.33% against +31.74%/17th over past three years. Kames Ethical Equity B Acc., a £407.94m fund, has been an extremely consistent performer: fourth over the past year (+26.10%), sixth over three years (+47.36%) and fourth over five (+134.11%). SUNARES bottom ranked again on a past one-year view.

For US Mutual funds, Firsthand Alternative Energy fund outstripped sector peers over the past year with +80.86% - but down from +93.71% for the year to end of December 2013 and contrasted with -10.29%/199th over three years. The $414.40m Eventide Gilead N fund came second over the past year (+48.43%) against +80.26%/1st over three years and a pulsating +216.43% over five. Despite producing +47.29% last year, Guinness Atkinson Alternative Energy was weak over the past three years (-24.87%). Epiphany FFV Latin America A bottom ranked here for the past year (-18.95%).

MAP Clean Technology Fund I top ranked European Funds with +124.37% over the past year, beating LSF Asian Solar & Wind A1 with +119.00% versus -17.97%/998th over past three years). The €8.34m Asselsa Small & Mid Caps Switzerland fund ranked fifth over one year (+46.96%) versus +22.44%/264th over three and +100.19%/151st over five years. SUNARES lagged the sector returning -30.65% over the past year and -56.32% over past three.

The UK Individual Pensions sector displayed the best peer group average over one- and three-year periods (+27.37% and +38.43%, respectively). Top ranked for the past 12 months was FL/Premier Ethical EP Pension fund (+28.26%) against +57.97%/13th over the last three years, followed closely by Sanlam/Kames Ethical Equity 8 Pension fund (+27.93%) versus +50.98%/17th over three years. Sanlam/Kames Ethical Equity 8 Life fund scooped top spoils in the UK Insurance sector posting +25.75% over the past one year versus +45.94%/12th over three.