Roger Aitken, analyst, interprets the October 2014 data

The £404.55m AXA Framlington Health R Inc fund top ranked amongst UK Registered funds over the past year to 30 September 2014 with a cumulative return of +24.41% - with double-first rankings over the last three years (+85.42%) and past five years (+123.46%), respectively. Sarasin Sustainable Equity USA P USD Acc, a £31.35m fund, has performed consistently over the past one- and three-year time periods ranking second over the past 12 months (+22.62%) and third (+80.13%) over the last three years.

Pictet Timber-HR EUR, a £342.05m fund, bottom ranked in the sector out of 207 funds on past one-year horizon on -9.62% - versus +34.26%/127th rank over the past three years. SUNARES came second bottom over the last 12 months with a performance of -6.91% and was even worse over the past three years (-44.13%/196th rank)

In the US Mutual funds sector, which exhibited the best peer group average over both three and five years at +54.77% and +68.55% respectively, Wells Fargo Advantage Lg Cp Core A, a $307.68m fund, came top over the past 12 months with +22.24% versus +100.37%/7th rank over the last three years and +105.95%/28th rank over past five. The
$664.73m VALIC Company II Socially Responsible fund was runner up over the last year on +21.09% against +89.49%/15th rank and an impressive +112.18%/16th rank over five years. Ariel Discovery Investor, a $46.24m fund, came bottom out of 192 funds in this sector on -5.80% over the last 12 months (+52.36%/96th rank over past three years).

FL/AXA Framlington Health AP Pension fund again top ranked in the UK Individual pensions sector for the past one, three and five years on cumulative returns of +26.45%, +93.69% and +139.23%, respectively. As a whole this sector posted the best peer group average return over the past year out of the five sectors in Morningstar’s analysis with +27.37%.

FL/Framlington Health AP Inet Pension fund was runner up over the past year on +24.17% versus +83.25%/8th rank over past three years and +118.39%/7th rank over last five. Bottom ranked out of 122 funds in the sector on a past one-year view was OMW/Allianz Gl Eco Trends on -1.17% versus +30.26%/96th rank over the past three years and +1.74%/97th rank over past five.

It was a similar picture amongst UK Insurance funds with FL/AXA Framlington Health AL Life fund top over the past year, second over past three years and top over five.