Fund switching - a good time to up the risk?

TCA

A while back I started the process of combining two existing pensions with a view to ultimately increasing my funds risk within my Friends Provident NGPP plan. The transfer has finally gone through and all my funds now sit within the default balanced managed fund and have thus experienced the 20% or so drop that many predominantly UK exposed funds have seen in recent days.

My question now is, is this is a good time to switch funds in the way I had previously intended? - which was to reallocate equally to the following:

* Artemis Global Growth
* First State Global Emerging Markets Leaders
* First State Asia Pacific Leaders
* Invesco Perpetual High Income
* BlackRock UK Dynamic
* BlackRock UK Equity
* Baillie Gifford International

A couple of months ago, these were top performing funds in their classes (at least the best from my available choice) but regardless of how these funds are performing now, do people think this is a good time to be doing a switch of this nature (to these or other such funds), or should I hold back until my default fund(FP Balanced Index Enhanced Fund of Funds) recovers some ground? Or should I not be thinking of such a switch at all in the current climate? These above funds were of an acceptable risk level for me before but now I'm unsure as to how they are likely to perform in the future in light of recent events.

Thanks for any and all views.

TCA

purch

My personal opinion is that many of the Asia/Pacific markets, and some of the Emerging Market markets have sold off way too much recently and are looking very oversold..........

However I wouldn't take that as a recommendation to switch into Funds Investing in that area as current market conditions are too unstable.

The Risk outweigh the possible Rewards at the moment, and I think you can switch and still participate in the massive growth potential in these areas after the markets stabilise more.

TCA

Any other views on this please?

TCA

Nobody with a view on which fund sectors to be invested in right now?

You must have your money somewhere.

cloud_dog

For info I have just started monthly investments in the following (in addition to starting to re-invest lump sum amounts - very gradual atm, no significant purchases)...............:

• Aberdeen Proprty Share
• Jupiter Finacial Opportunities
• New Star Global Financials
• CF Junior Oils Trust
• Investec Global Energy
• Marlborough ETF Commodities
• CF Electra Agriculture
• Sarsin Agrisar

These are not recommendations merely my view on funds/areas which might be depressed for a while but which (hopefully) will come good longer term.

Other funds in my watch/invest list are:

• First State Pacific Leaders
• Threadneedle Latin America
• Neptune Russia & Greater Russia
• Allianz RMC BRIC Stars

Please note: The above elements of my overall portfolio are VERY agressive in nature and I am comfortable with the prices going down/nowhere in the future - possibly a number of years

cloud_dog

EDIT: Was/am looking for a US fund but not identified a candidate yet.

TCA

Thanks cloud_dog. Glad to see at least one of my choices is on your watch list. Very interesting to see which sectors you've pinpointed for potential growth long term. I'll take a closer look over the weekend.

Anyone else with any opinions as to where some good results could be achieved?

nickmason

A similar situation - a similar question! I've got funds in cash, fixed interest and managed. (I was 100% managed, but moved to cash/FI beginning Septembe).

I'm wondering whether in response to "buy opportunities", where the sell opportunity is - which of the above positions is probably worth reducing. My senses tell me that cash is still better than the managed fund in the current climate; not sure what the horizon looks like for the FI.
I'm also quite comfortable with risk; I still have a few decades before retirement...

Any thoughts, guidance?