UK – SVM Asset Management, the boutique Edinburgh based independent fund management group, is looking to increase its European institutional business following a year of strong performance in European equities.

It is hoping to attract assets through pan-European equity and Europe, ex-UK, mandates.

“Our focus in Europe is to invest in medium-sized companies which offer attractive growth prospects and our European team researches companies on a pan-European basis,” said SVM head of institutional clients Melville Bucher.

According to an SVM press statement released today, the SVM Continental Europe Fund returned 36.7% over the year ending 31 December 2005. This compares to just 24.1% in the FTSE Europe ex-UK Index.

Former Kempen Capital Management fund manager Hugh Cuthbert recently joined SVM as lead manager of European equities. While at Kempen, Cuthbert managed the Orange European small cap and mid-cap funds.

Before this, he was fund manager in Henderson Global Investors’ pan-European global care investment team.

SVM will launch a European marketing initiative in April to promote its capabilities to manager of managers, pension schemes and other institutional investors, said the asset management firm.

SVM manages numerous specialist funds, including continental European, UK mid/small, UK equity alpha and Europe long/short.