Investor Summary
Fund Strategy
FUND PERFORMANCE AS OF 30th June 2026
| ANNUALIZED SINCE INCEPTION | QUARTERLY | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| 13.1% | - | -2.9% |
| ANNUALIZED SINCE INCEPTION | QUARTERLY | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| 13.1% | - | -2.9% |
Fundsmith Equity Fund returned -2.9% in H1 2026, underperforming the MSCI World Index by 14.1 percentage points as the market became dominated by momentum and passive investing rather than fundamental factors. With momentum at a 30-year high and index funds controlling over 60% of AUM, the manager is adapting strategy to be more active, taking greater account of momentum while maintaining focus on quality companies. Portfolio turnover reached 51% as the fund exited positions including LVMH, Novo Nordisk, Nike, and Unilever due to weak fundamental momentum, mismanagement, or valuation concerns. New positions were initiated in companies benefiting from structural trends including GE Vernova, Legrand, and Nextpower (data center power infrastructure), Mastercard (payments digitization), Netflix (streaming consolidation), AppLovin (AI-driven advertising), TSMC (semiconductor demand), Uber (network effects), Veeva Systems (pharma software), TJX (off-price retail), and Yum! Brands (franchise expansion). The resulting portfolio maintains strong fundamentals with 31% ROCE, 4.3% FCF yield, and estimated 14% annual cash flow growth. The manager warns that extreme daily volatility and the passive investing feedback loop create significant risks, but expects quality companies at reasonable valuations to deliver superior long-term returns, particularly when accounting for volatility.
Fundsmith is adapting its investment process in response to a market dominated by momentum and passive investing rather than fundamental factors, while maintaining its core focus on owning quality companies with superior returns on capital and growth characteristics at reasonable valuations that should compound value over the long term and provide downside protection during market dislocations.
The manager expects the momentum-driven market to end badly but professes no insight into how or when, suggesting it may be triggered by realisation that AI investment cannot produce adequate returns, destructive effects of AI on other sectors, or something unforeseen. The portfolio's relatively low valuation (4.3% FCF yield vs S&P 500 below 2%) and estimated 14% annual cash flow growth over the next 3-5 years should result in either even lower valuations or rising share prices to reflect this growth. The manager maintains conviction that owning companies with better fundamental characteristics at reasonable valuations will produce superior long-term returns, particularly when volatility is taken into account, and expresses hope that investors remain invested to see this happen.
| Date | Letter | Tickers | Keywords | Pitches | Quick Takes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7 2026 | 2026 Q2 | APP, ATCO-A.ST, COLOB.CO, EL.PA, GEV, INTU, LR.PA, MA, MC.PA, MTD, NFLX, NKE, NVO, OTIS, TJX, TSM, UBER, ULVR.L, VEEV, YUM | AI, Index Funds, momentum, Passive investing, Portfolio turnover, Quality, volatility |
GE LEGN.PA UBER MA VEEV APP SGE.L TSM TJX YUM NFLX |
Fundsmith is adapting to a momentum-dominated market by increasing portfolio activity while maintaining its quality focus. The fund executed significant portfolio changes in H1 2026, exiting underperformers and initiating positions in companies with strong fundamental momentum across data center infrastructure, payments, streaming, and AI-driven advertising. Despite near-term underperformance, the portfolio's superior fundamentals and reasonable valuation position it for long-term outperformance when momentum inevitably reverses. |
| Jan 9 2026 | 2025 Q4 | AAPL, ADP, AMZN, BF-B, CHD, COLPF, EL.PA, FTNT, GOOGL, IDXX, INTU, META, MSFT, NVDA, NVO, PEP, PM, TSLA, WKL.AS, ZTS | AI, Concentration, Index Funds, Performance, Quality, technology, valuation | - | Fundsmith's 0.8% return in 2025 reflects systematic headwinds from index concentration and momentum investing rather than fundamental deterioration. With quality companies trading at attractive valuations while speculative AI stocks reach extreme multiples, Smith maintains his disciplined approach, expecting superior long-term performance when market distortions eventually correct. |
| Jul 8 2025 | 2025 Q2 | BF-B, COLOB.CO, EL.PA, GOOGL, IDXX, INTU, MC.PA, META, MSFT, NVO, OR.PA, PEP, PM, WAT, ZTS | Currency, global, healthcare, large cap, Quality, technology | - | Fundsmith outperformed global markets despite Novo Nordisk's regulatory struggles and Coloplast's operational failures dragging down returns. Currency headwinds from Dollar weakness masked underlying strength. The fund added quality names like Zoetis and Intuit while maintaining disciplined approach. Smith awaits new CEO appointments at Danish holdings with diminishing patience while continuing long-term quality focus. |
| Apr 14 2025 | 2025 Q1 | ADP, BF-B, IDXX, MAR, MC.PA, META, MSFT, NVO, OR.PA, OTIS, PM, SYK, UL, V, WAT | equities, global, growth, healthcare, long-term, Quality, technology | - | Fundsmith maintains its concentrated portfolio of 28 high-quality global businesses with sustainable competitive advantages. Q1 2025 delivered -5.7% returns with mixed performance across holdings. The fund continues its disciplined long-term approach, making no portfolio changes during March while maintaining focus on businesses with high returns on capital and resilience to technological change. |
| Jan 13 2025 | 2024 Q4 | AAPL, ADP, AMZN, ATCO-A.ST, BF-B, DEO, GOOGL, IDXX, LLY, META, MKC, MSFT, NKE, NVDA, NVO, OR.PA, PM, SAP.DE, SYK, TXN | AI, Concentration, long-term, Quality, technology, volatility | - | Fundsmith underperformed in 2024 due to extreme market concentration in mega-cap tech stocks, but maintains superior portfolio quality metrics. The fund sold Apple and Diageo while adding Atlas Copco and Texas Instruments. Manager acknowledges index fund momentum challenges but remains committed to long-term ownership of high-quality companies with strong competitive advantages. |
| Sep 30 2024 | 2024 Q3 | ADP, AMS.PA, COLOB.CO, IDXX, MAR, MC.PA, META, MSFT, NVO, OR.PA, OTIS, PM, SYK, V | consumer, global, healthcare, large cap, Quality, technology | - | Fundsmith maintains concentrated exposure to 28 high-quality global businesses with sustainable competitive advantages and high returns on capital. The fund made no portfolio changes in September, staying true to its long-term investment philosophy. Healthcare, consumer staples, and technology dominate the portfolio with 70.6% US exposure and minimal cash holdings. |
| Jul 8 2024 | 2024 Q2 | AAPL, AMZN, BF-B, GOOGL, IDXX, META, MSFT, NKE, NOVO-B.CO, NVDA, OR.PA, SYK, TXN, WAT | Concentration, long-term, Quality, semiconductors, technology | - | Fundsmith returned 9.3% in H1 2024 but lagged markets due to extreme concentration in mega-cap tech stocks. The fund owns quality names like Meta and Microsoft but avoids unpredictable Nvidia. Manager Terry Smith initiated Texas Instruments position while maintaining disciplined approach focused on long-term superior performance from predictable, high-quality businesses. |
| Apr 15 2024 | 2024 Q1 | ADP, AMS.PA, BF-B, GOOGL, IDXX, MC.PA, META, MKC, MSFT, NKE, NVO, OR.PA, PM, SYK, V | consumer, global, healthcare, Quality, technology | - | Fundsmith delivered 9.6% in Q1 2024 through its concentrated portfolio of 28 high-quality global businesses. The fund targets companies with sustainable competitive advantages and high returns on capital, maintaining significant exposure to healthcare and consumer staples. Strong performance from Novo Nordisk and Microsoft offset weakness in Nike and Visa. |
| Sep 1 2024 | 2023 Q4 | AAPL, ADBE, AMZN, BF.B, DEO, EL, FTNT, GOOGL, IBM, IDXX, MAR, META, MKC, MSFT, MTD, NVDA, NVO, OR.PA, PG, TSLA | AI, global, large cap, Pharmaceuticals, Quality, technology, value | - | Fundsmith delivered 12.4% in 2023, underperforming markets but maintaining long-term outperformance through high-quality companies with 32% ROCE. Top contributors included Meta and Microsoft, while Estée Lauder was sold for supply chain issues. Smith questions AI winner identification despite Magnificent Seven dominance. Expects improved cash conversion in 2024 to close valuation gaps. |
| Oct 31 2023 | 2023 Q3 | ADP, FTNT, IDXX, MC.PA, META, MKC, MSFT, MTD, NKE, NVO, OR.PA, PG, PM, SYK, V, WAT | global, growth, healthcare, long-term, Quality, technology | - | Fundsmith maintains its concentrated portfolio of 27 high-quality global businesses with sustainable competitive advantages and high returns on capital. The fund added Fortinet in October while top contributors included Microsoft, Novo Nordisk, and Nike. The long-term focused strategy continues without derivatives or hedging, emphasizing resilient businesses across consumer staples and healthcare sectors. |
| Jul 7 2023 | 2023 Q2 | AAPL, ADBE, ADP, AMS.MC, AMZN, COLOB.CO, EL, GOOGL, IDXX, MC.PA, META, MKC, MSFT, MTD, NVO, OR.PA, PEP, PG, PM, SYK, WAT | consumer, fundamentals, global, healthcare, Quality, technology | - | Fundsmith returned 8.5% in H1 2023 as Meta rebounded strongly while tech growth slowed due to cyclical headwinds. Healthcare stayed resilient and luxury outperformed, but consumer margins faced input cost pressure. Smith sold Amazon over capital allocation concerns while maintaining his quality-focused, long-term approach despite tougher operating conditions. |
| Mar 31 2023 | 2023 Q1 | ADBE, ADP, BF-B, EL, IDXX, MC.PA, META, MKC, MSFT, NVO, OR.PA, PM, SYK, V, WAT | Concentration, consumer, global, healthcare, Quality, technology | - | Fundsmith delivered 6.9% in Q1 2023 through its concentrated portfolio of 27 high-quality global businesses. The fund exited Adobe while building a new position, with technology leaders like Microsoft and Meta driving performance. The strategy remains focused on businesses with sustainable competitive advantages and high returns on capital for long-term compounding. |
| Nov 1 2023 | 2022 Q4 | - | - | - | |
| Sep 30 2022 | 2022 Q3 | - | - | - | |
| Jun 30 2022 | 2022 Q2 | - | - | - | |
| Mar 31 2022 | 2022 Q1 | - | - | - |
| QUARTER | THEMES | TAGS |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q2 |
MomentumThe market is dominated by momentum rather than fundamental factors like profitability, returns on capital, and growth. Momentum-based investment is at a 30-year high, more extreme than late 1999 before the Dotcom bubble burst. The manager is adapting strategy to take more account of momentum in investment decisions, both fundamental and share price momentum. |
Passive Index funds Feedback loop Market dynamics |
ETFsIndex funds and ETFs now dominate the market with over 60% of AUM, but represent only 10% of trading volume (down from 80% in the 1990s). The rise of passive investment has created a pernicious feedback loop where underperformance of active managers drives more flows to passive, reinforcing momentum. Index funds are taking concentrated positions and making significant sector bets, no longer the diversified low-risk portfolios they once were. |
Passive investing Index funds Market concentration Trading volume | |
AIThe AI boom has combined with passive investing to produce a market dominated by momentum. Major tech companies' cash flows have been absorbed by AI spending, causing the S&P 500's free cash flow yield to fall below 2%. The manager questions whether the humungous investment in AI can produce an adequate return or identify clear winners, suggesting this may be what derails the momentum market. |
Data centers Valuations Capital spending Tech | |
QualityThe fund maintains focus on owning companies with better fundamental characteristics than the index: better and more defensible returns on capital employed plus a source of growth. The portfolio has 31% ROCE, 62% gross margin, 29% operating margin, 92% cash conversion, and 4.3% FCF yield. The manager estimates these companies will grow cash flow by about 14% annually over the next 3-5 years. |
ROCE Cash conversion Fundamentals Compounding | |
VolatilityThe market is experiencing extreme daily volatility, with $200 billion market cap stocks moving 33% in a single day. Snowflake increased from $60bn to $82bn overnight, and Dell jumped from $205bn to $273bn. The manager warns that if these moves occur in a bull market, a reversal could see the S&P fall 57% in five days rather than five months, potentially making 2007-08 look like a blip. |
Market swings Risk Drawdowns | |
Data CentersThe fund added positions in companies benefiting from data center growth, including GE Vernova (which generates a third of the world's electricity and has $163bn order backlog), Legrand (holds 20% global market share in wiring devices with data center exposure), and Nextpower (solar tracking systems for utility-scale installations near data centers). These investments reflect structural demand for power infrastructure. |
Power infrastructure Electrical equipment Grid Energy | |
PaymentsThe fund now owns both Visa and Mastercard to achieve over 6% exposure to payments without excessive stock-specific risk. Payments is viewed as one of the few sectors expected to grow regardless of AI outcomes. With 46% of global transactions still in cash and B2B payments at 85% of total value, there is substantial room for both companies to grow and compound. |
Digital payments Network effects Financial infrastructure | |
StreamingNetflix was added to the portfolio as the pioneer of subscription-based streaming with an annual content budget over $17bn that smaller competitors cannot match. Netflix accounts for nearly 8% of all US television screen time. Growth will be driven by the advertising tier (250m monthly active users), password sharing crackdown (added 41m subscribers), and live sports content. Many streaming rivals have failed or are losing users, presenting an opportunity. |
Content Subscription Media Advertising | |
| 2025 Q4 |
AIManager views AI investment as a massive capital expenditure arms race among tech companies with uncertain returns. Questions whether the enormous capex spending on semiconductors and data centers will generate adequate profits, drawing parallels to historical investment manias. |
Artificial Intelligence Capex Data Centers Semiconductors Hyperscalers |
ETFsIndex funds now represent over 50% of US equity fund assets, creating momentum-driven distortions that push up large tech stocks regardless of fundamentals. This inelastic demand creates multiplier effects where $1 of inflows can drive 5x price impact, distorting market valuations. |
Index Funds Passive Investing Market Distortion Momentum | |
PharmaceuticalsNovo Nordisk exemplifies how poor management can destroy value in even the most promising drug developments. The company failed to maintain its leading position in weight loss drugs and allowed illegal generic competition in its core US market. |
GLP1 Weight Loss Drugs Management Generic Competition | |
QualityPortfolio companies maintain exceptional fundamentals with 31% return on capital, 62% gross margins, and 16% free cash flow growth. The weighted average year of foundation is 1919, demonstrating the durability of these century-old businesses. |
Return On Capital Margins Cash Flow Business Quality | |
| 2025 Q2 |
GLP1Novo Nordisk's leadership in weight loss drugs continues to face challenges with US legal and regulatory systems. The company's inability to effectively navigate regulatory hurdles has resulted in significant underperformance, accounting for almost all the fund's underperformance during the period. |
Weight Loss Regulatory Pharmaceuticals |
QualityThe fund continues to focus on high-quality companies with strong fundamentals. However, some previously reliable performers like Coloplast have encountered operational failures following major acquisitions, highlighting the importance of maintaining operational excellence. |
Operations Acquisitions Revenue Growth | |
| 2025 Q1 |
QualityThe fund maintains stringent investment criteria focusing on high quality businesses that can sustain high returns on operating capital employed. These businesses have advantages that are difficult to replicate and do not require significant leverage to generate returns. |
Quality Returns Capital Leverage Resilience |
| 2024 Q4 |
AIThe AI boom continued in 2024 with focused attention on fewer real beneficiaries like Nvidia. Tech companies are racing to build AI capacity through GPU chips and data centers, though whether this arms race produces adequate returns remains an open question. The AI enthusiasm contains hype similar to the Dotcom era, but key differences include current profitability of leading companies like Nvidia. |
Nvidia GPUs Data Centers Hyperscalers Capital Expenditure |
GLP1Weight loss drugs are having early adverse impacts on the drinks sector and may eventually be used to treat alcoholism. Novo Nordisk remains the market leader despite share price decline, with revenues growing at 20% annually and racing to build production capacity for Wegovy. The drugs are proving effective for multiple conditions beyond weight loss. |
Novo Nordisk Wegovy Weight Loss Alcoholism Production Capacity | |
QualityThe portfolio maintains superior business quality metrics with 32% return on capital employed, 64% gross margins, and 30% operating margins, all significantly better than market indices. The weighted average free cash flow grew 14% in 2024, demonstrating the strength of owning high-quality companies during inflationary periods. |
ROCE Margins Cash Flow Business Quality Returns | |
Semiconductor CycleThere is not one semiconductor cycle but multiple cycles affecting different segments. Texas Instruments is investing ahead of a probable upturn and benefits from onshoring of semiconductor manufacturing to avoid geopolitical risks. Demand patterns vary significantly between automotive chips, electric vehicle chips, and other applications across regions. |
Texas Instruments Onshoring Automotive Chips Manufacturing Geopolitical Risk | |
| 2024 Q3 |
QualityThe fund focuses on high quality businesses that can sustain high returns on operating capital employed with advantages that are difficult to replicate. These businesses do not require significant leverage to generate returns and have a high degree of certainty of growth from reinvestment of cash flows at high rates of return. The fund seeks businesses that are resilient to change, particularly technological innovation. |
Quality Returns Resilience Growth Capital |
| 2024 Q2 |
SemiconductorsThe fund began accumulating Texas Instruments during the period. The manager notes concentration in semiconductor names like Nvidia driving market returns, though they avoid Nvidia due to unpredictable outlook concerns. |
Analog Embedded Chips |
| 2024 Q1 |
QualityThe fund focuses on high quality businesses that can sustain high returns on operating capital employed with advantages that are difficult to replicate. These businesses do not require significant leverage to generate returns and have a high degree of certainty of growth from reinvestment of cash flows at high rates. The fund seeks businesses that are resilient to change, particularly technological innovation. |
Quality Returns Resilience Growth Capital |
| 2023 Q4 |
AISmith discusses the rise of AI as a driving force behind the Magnificent Seven stocks, particularly Nvidia. He notes AI is not entirely new, citing IBM's Watson from 2011 and Google's DeepMind acquisition in 2014. He questions whether early winners can be identified, drawing parallels to past technology developments where early leaders often failed to maintain dominance. |
Artificial Intelligence Nvidia Microsoft ChatGPT Technology |
QualityThe fund focuses on companies with consistently high returns on capital, strong margins, and cash conversion. Portfolio companies showed 32% ROCE and 29% operating margins in 2023, significantly outperforming market indices. Smith emphasizes owning fundamentally superior businesses with sustainable competitive advantages and pricing power during inflationary periods. |
ROCE Margins Cash Conversion Fundamentals Competitive Advantages | |
GLP1Novo Nordisk emerged as a top contributor due to success of weight loss drug Wegovy (Ozempic). However, Smith notes they owned the stock for seven years before the weight loss indication, attracted by the company's unusual approach to drug discovery and long-term ownership structure through the Novo Nordisk Foundation. |
Wegovy Ozempic Weight Loss Diabetes Pharmaceuticals | |
| 2023 Q3 |
QualityThe fund focuses on high quality businesses that can sustain high returns on operating capital employed with advantages that are difficult to replicate. These businesses do not require significant leverage to generate returns and have a high degree of certainty of growth from reinvestment of cash flows at high rates of return. The portfolio consists of resilient businesses that can withstand technological innovation. |
High Returns Competitive Moats Capital Efficiency Resilience Growth |
| 2023 Q2 |
BeautyL'Oréal continues to impress with execution particularly in China and online channels, contrasting sharply with Estée Lauder's struggles. Estée Lauder fell due to poor figures from inventory build-up and write-offs in anticipation of Chinese reopening, revealing severe supply chain weaknesses with no manufacturing capability in Asia. |
Cosmetics China Supply Chain Luxury Online |
LuxuryLVMH delivered impressive performance with 17% sales growth. Chinese consumers are prioritizing watches, handbags, and other luxury goods that were harder to shop for online during lockdowns, benefiting luxury brands over cosmetics in the reopening. |
LVMH China Consumer Growth Premium | |
TravelAmadeus is staging a recovery from the pandemic along with travel and has almost certainly strengthened its market position during the crisis. The company benefits from the broader travel recovery theme. |
Recovery Pandemic Market Share Airlines Technology | |
CloudMicrosoft continued to perform well despite revenue growth slowing from 18% last year to approximately 7% this year. Large technology companies have become victims of their own success, becoming more cyclical as they represent larger portions of the economies they operate in. |
Microsoft Growth Cyclical Technology Scale | |
| 2023 Q1 |
QualityThe fund focuses on high quality businesses with stringent investment criteria including high return on operating capital, difficult-to-replicate advantages, and resilience to technological change. The portfolio consists of 27 holdings concentrated in businesses that can sustain high returns without significant leverage. |
Quality Returns Capital Resilience Concentration |
| Date | Pitch Type | Author | Ticker | Company | Industry | Sub Industry | Bull / Bear | Exchange | Keywords | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 2026 | Fund Letters | Fundsmith Equity Fund | GE | GE Vernova | Aerospace & Defense | Electrical Components & Equipment | Bull | New York Stock Exchange | Data-Center Power, Electrical Grid Equipment, energy infrastructure, Equity, Gas turbines, growth, Industrials, Service Contracts, small modular reactors, US | Login |
| Jul 7, 2026 | Fund Letters | Fundsmith Equity Fund | LEGN.PA | Legrand | Other | Electrical Components & Equipment | Bull | - | Building Infrastructure, Data center infrastructure, distribution network, Electrical Components, Equity, Europe, france, Industrials, Smart Buildings, Wiring Devices | Login |
| Jul 7, 2026 | Fund Letters | Fundsmith Equity Fund | UBER | Uber Technologies | Software - Application | Ground Transportation | Bull | New York Stock Exchange | autonomous vehicles, Equity, food delivery, growth, Industrials, Logistics, network effects, Platform business, ride-hailing, US | Login |
| Jul 7, 2026 | Fund Letters | Fundsmith Equity Fund | MA | Mastercard | Credit Services | Transaction & Payment Processing Services | Bull | New York Stock Exchange | B2B payments, Defensive growth, digital payments, Equity, Financial Inclusion, financials, Global, network effects, payment processing | Login |
| Jul 7, 2026 | Fund Letters | Fundsmith Equity Fund | VEEV | Veeva Systems | Health Information Services | Health Care Technology | Bull | New York Stock Exchange | Clinical trials, Equity, growth, healthcare, healthcare software, high switching costs, Pharmaceutical, regulatory compliance, SaaS, US | Login |
| Jul 7, 2026 | Fund Letters | Fundsmith Equity Fund | APP | AppLovin | Advertising Agencies | Application Software | Bull | NASDAQ | Ad Tech, AI Recommendation Engine, Equity, growth, Mobile Advertising, network effects, Performance Marketing, technology, US | Login |
| Jul 7, 2026 | Fund Letters | Fundsmith Equity Fund | SGE.L | Sage Group | Software - Application | Application Software | Bull | London Stock Exchange | Accounting Software, Equity, high switching costs, recurring revenue, SaaS, SMB software, technology, UK, Value | Login |
| Jul 7, 2026 | Fund Letters | Fundsmith Equity Fund | TSM | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company | Semiconductors | Semiconductors | Bull | New York Stock Exchange | Advanced Node, AI infrastructure, capital-intensive, Equity, Foundry, growth, Semiconductor manufacturing, Taiwan, technology | Login |
| Jul 7, 2026 | Fund Letters | Fundsmith Equity Fund | TJX | The TJX Companies | Apparel Retail | Apparel Retail | Bull | New York Stock Exchange | Apparel, Consumer Discretionary, defensive, Equity, Off-price retail, store expansion, supply chain, Treasure Hunt, US | Login |
| Jul 7, 2026 | Fund Letters | Fundsmith Equity Fund | YUM | Yum! Brands | Restaurants | Restaurants | Bull | New York Stock Exchange | asset-light, Consumer Discretionary, Emerging markets, Equity, Franchising, global expansion, growth, Quick service restaurants, US | Login |
| Jul 7, 2026 | Fund Letters | Fundsmith Equity Fund | NFLX | Netflix | Entertainment | Entertainment | Bull | NASDAQ | advertising, Communication Services, Content production, Equity, Global, growth, live sports, network effects, Streaming, Subscription | Login |
| TICKER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|
| APP | AppLovin provides software and artificial intelligence that assists mobile apps to find new users and sell advertising space. It is the company that shows you an advert between levels in Candy Crush or similar mobile games that you can't skip. Its 'moat' is AXON, an advanced AI recommendation engine. AXON creates a powerful network effect by matching the right ads to the right users, driving better returns for advertisers and higher payouts for app developers, which makes it very hard for either side to leave. AXON can increase AppLovin's revenues by 20% p.a. for the foreseeable future simply by improving customer targeting. AppLovin's platform serves over 1bn daily active users and generates advertising revenue that surpasses the combined totals of Snap, Pinterest, Reddit, and X. Future growth depends on expanding this highly profitable AI ad-matching technology beyond advertising new mobile games into e-commerce and potentially the Connected TV (CTV) advertising market. Unlike Alphabet and Meta, which price advertising based on the number of eyeballs who see or click the advert, AppLovin gets a percentage of the spend the advertisement triggers, so it gets significantly more revenue from higher-value items sold through its adverts (a room in a Marriott hotel or cosmetics vs a $5 mobile game). They are also launching a self-service platform for small to medium-sized businesses to buy advertising space. ROIC: >100%, FCF yield: 3.6%. |
| GEV | GE Vernova builds and services the gas turbines and electrical grid equipment that power the modern world. Its competitive 'moat' stems from the scale and high switching costs of energy infrastructure: once its turbines are installed, customers are locked into high-margin, inflation-protected service contracts for decades. Unlike elevators and escalators, these generators cannot be serviced by independent providers because all the technology and materials are proprietary. GE Vernova's equipment generates approximately a third of the world's total electricity. Future growth depends on upgrading ageing power grids to handle the high voltages needed to deliver power from where it is produced to where it is needed, and on increasingly 'behind-the-meter' power generation at AI data centres. That growth is also fairly predictable as the current order backlog is $163bn (4x 2025 revenues). They are also the global leader in small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). They currently have the only commercial SMR project (BWRX-300) under construction in the Western world, with the first deployment in Canada expected to be finished by 2030. ROIC: ~20% but rising rapidly, FCF yield: 2.6%. |
| LR.PA | Legrand is a French manufacturer of the physical infrastructure behind electrical and digital building systems. Its competitive advantage relies on an entrenched distribution network and deep brand loyalty among electricians who refuse to risk their reputation on unfamiliar components. It makes mundane things in buildings, from fire escape signs to electrical sockets to the busways that carry cables in data centres. Legrand holds a nearly 20% global market share in wiring devices, meaning roughly 1 in 5 electrical switches and sockets globally are made by it. Growth opportunities lie in the rising demand for energy-efficient smart buildings and specialised power distribution systems for data centres. ROIC: low 20s, FCF yield: 4.4%. |
| MA | Mastercard operates a digital payment network connecting consumers, merchants, and banks worldwide. It benefits from a classic network effect: the more consumers use the card, the more merchants are forced to accept it, making it difficult for a new entrant to replicate. A new entrant would need to negotiate agreements and integrate its technology with the majority of global financial institutions. While digital payments feel ubiquitous in developed nations, roughly 1.4bn adults globally remain entirely unbanked. Future growth depends on bringing this unbanked population into the financial system, shifting remaining cash transactions to digital payments, and expanding into business-to-business payments, a far bigger market than C2C or C2B payments. We now own both Visa and Mastercard in the portfolio as payments is one of the few sectors that we expect to grow no matter what happens with AI, and Mastercard and Visa are equally good businesses. This gives us a way to achieve >6% exposure to payments without excessive stock-specific risk or breaching UCITS concentration rules. Also, with 46% of all global transactions still done in cash and B2B payments 85% of the value of total global payments, there is plenty of room for two companies to grow and compound. ROIC: >75%, FCF yield: 4.5%. |
| NFLX | Netflix is the pioneer of subscription-based streaming entertainment. It has a huge subscriber base which funds an annual content budget of over $17bn that smaller competitors simply cannot afford to match without losing money. Netflix now accounts for nearly 8% of all television screen time in the US, more than any single traditional broadcast network, but also underscoring its growth potential. Future growth will be driven by its newer advertising tier, cracking down on password sharing, and expanding local content in emerging international markets. The advert supported tier has 250m monthly active users, of whom 45% are in the US. After stopping password sharing in 2024, Netflix added 41m new subscribers (vs 325m total). They are increasingly moving toward live sports with NFL games on Christmas Day and 'boxing' matches like Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul. Why now? When Netflix was growing, there were many competitors (Hulu, Discovery+, Tubi, Disney+, HBO Max, etc.), so the network effects of streaming and content production did not work as well, as it had to compete for both customers and content. Now, many of these rivals have failed or are losing users, which highlights the quality of Netflix's 'moat' but also presents an opportunity as those customers return to Netflix. ROIC: >30%, FCF yield: 3.8%. |
| UBER | Uber operates a platform that connects users with ride-hailing and food-delivery drivers. It relies on a two-sided network effect: more drivers mean shorter wait times, which attracts more riders, making the platform highly sticky and difficult for local competitors to disrupt. Now that most of these challengers (Karhoo, Sidecar, Juno, Fasten, Hailo, etc.) have disappeared and Uber has survived, the network effects become very attractive. This is shown in the company's cash from operations, which went from -$4.3bn in 2019 to -$445m in 2021 (last year of negative) to $3.6bn in 2023 and over $10bn in 2025. Uber's logistics network is massive, coordinating roughly 42m trips and delivery orders every single day globally. Future growth opportunities include expanding into grocery and package delivery and eventually integrating autonomous (self-driving) vehicles ('AVs') into their fleet to drastically lower costs. Some see AVs as a threat to Uber, but we think it is more likely that Tesla, Waymo, etc., will use Uber's distribution and global licenses to reach customers and maximise their asset usage rather than having to get licenses, build an app, and get tens of millions of people to download. ROIC: mid-20s, FCF yield: 7.4%. |
| VEEV | Veeva provides specialised cloud-based software designed specifically for the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. Its software tracks the entire lifecycle of a drug from clinical trials through manufacturing and final sales. For example, during a clinical trial for a new drug, Veeva's Vault eTMF (Electronic Trial Master File) is used to maintain the thousands of critical documents (trial protocols, investigator qualifications, ethics committee approvals). eTMF is the digital vault that organises these documents so the FDA or EMA can audit them at a moment's notice to ensure the trial is safe and compliant. Veeva's Vault QMS (Quality Management System) is used on the manufacturing floor. If a batch of medication is manufactured at the wrong temperature, Vault QMS is the software used to log the deviation, launch an investigation, and track the CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action) to ensure it doesn't happen again. Its competitive 'moat' is built on extremely high switching costs: once a drug company integrates Veeva to manage strict clinical trials and regulatory compliance, it is risky and expensive to replace it. Pharmaceutical companies rarely switch from Veeva because replacing the software risks halting clinical trials or drug manufacturing, which would cost vastly more than any savings a cheaper vendor could offer. Additionally, moving to a new system requires a massive, expensive effort to pass strict regulatory approvals and transfer sensitive data without breaking legally required audit trails. Veeva holds roughly 80% of the market share in pharmaceutical customer relationship software, meaning almost the entire industry relies on its platform. Growth is fuelled by upselling new software modules to existing clients and by using AI agents to manage the administrative work of drug trials, which is currently very labour-intensive. ROIC: headline is ~15%, but that is due to a very large cash balance. Excluding cash it is well in excess of 100%; FCF yield: 5.7%. |
| YUM | Yum! Brands is the parent company of major fast-food franchises, including KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. However, it is finally selling Pizza Hut, which has been a significant drag on overall results. It has global brand recognition, franchising, and economies of scale in marketing and food purchasing, which independent restaurants cannot match. The speed of its global expansion is a key selling point: Yum! Brands opens a new restaurant somewhere in the world roughly every two hours, 365 days a year. Future growth depends on continuing this aggressive franchise expansion in emerging markets and on improving the digital ordering and delivery systems. There are also significant near-term opportunities for KFC in the US, where it has been underperforming, and for Taco Bell outside the US. ROIC: 50%, FCF yield: 4.0%. |
| TSM | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is the world's largest contract chipmaker, physically manufacturing the semiconductors designed by companies like Apple, Broadcom and Nvidia. Its 'moat' is an unmatched technological lead in making the smallest chips, protected by the capital barrier of the $20bn it costs to build just one advanced factory. TSMC manufactures roughly 90% of the world's most advanced semiconductors. Future growth stems from global demand for computing power, particularly the chips needed to train and run AI models. ROIC: 33%, FCF yield: 2.7%. |
| TJX | TJX is the parent company of discount 'off-price' retailers like TJ Maxx (TK Maxx in the UK) and Marshalls. It has a highly agile supply chain and decades-long relationships with premium clothing brands, which allow it to buy excess inventory at steep discounts. TJX relies on a network of over 1,400 specialised buyers sourcing from 21,000 different global vendors, and creates an unpredictable 'treasure hunt' experience for shoppers that e-commerce struggles to replicate. Growth comes from physical store expansion and taking market share from traditional department stores. ROIC: 33%, FCF yield: 3.1%. |
| ATCO-A.ST | Organic growth has been anaemic over the last two years, which in our view does not justify a <3% FCF yield which has resulted from the shares rising sharply over the past year. |
| COLOB.CO | Organic growth has fallen from a long term average of 8% to 6%. Not coincidentally there have also been a couple of high-profile screw-ups involving acquisitions. |
| EL.PA | The lower margins on smart glasses forced the company to abandon its long-term profit targets. It is still a very interesting company with the rise in wearables and smart glasses, but increased competition in this segment is inevitable. |
| INTU | Although we only recently repurchased Intuit we were sensitive to the way in which they have reacted to the poor Mailchimp acquisition as this is why we sold the shares in the first place. The fact that they have now taken to giving results ex Mailchimp both shows how bad the acquisition was but also worries us about a continuing state of denial. |
| MC.PA | The key China market seems unlikely to recover until the property market does. Family succession plans are also an increasing concern. |
| MTD | Underlying growth so far this year is only 1%, which isn't enough to justify its traditionally premium valuation. |
| NKE | It is clear that any turnaround from new CEO Elliott Hill after the damage done in the pandemic period will take longer than we'd initially expected, especially as China and Converse continue to be problems. |
| NVO | Parlayed a market leading position in the biggest drug discovery in decades into an investment disaster. |
| OTIS | The growth in maintenance and modernisation of lifts hasn't been fast enough to offset the decline in new construction from China. |
| ULVR.L | When Hein Schumacher was appointed as CEO we breathed a sigh of relief after the Poleman/Jope years of woke. He said he had no intention of indulging in acquisitions or divestments until he had got all the businesses producing the results they should be capable of benchmarked against the best of their competition. We applauded that approach. After 18 months he was fired and the CFO Fernando Fernandes was appointed as CEO. We thought Fernades was very capable both as an operating manager and a CFO. However, his appointment was swiftly followed by the spin out of the ice cream business as the Magnum Ice Cream Company allegedly because its separate distribution chain did not fit with the rest of Unilever. At the time we asked if that was all the disposals for the foreseeable future and were told it was. This was then followed by the announcement of the intention to transfer the remainder of the food business to McCormick. Apart from the fact that this flies in the face of what we were told and what we liked about Hein Schumacher's approach, it has all the hallmarks of Nelson Peltz, the activist investor who is on the board. We have seen Nelson in action back to the 1980s. We are not fans of the idea that corporate activity solves fundamental problems. Nor are we fans of boards who listen to activists who are not long-term investors. Moreover, whilst Unilever management will be rid of the food business Unilever shareholders would still own it and it will be managed by the McCormick management. We know them well having owned the stock and we are not convinced they are good enough for the existing business let alone a massively enlarged one. McCormick has a ROIC which is consistently in single figures. Oh, and the structure of the deal means we don't get to vote on it. |
| Ticker | Put/Call | Company Name | Industry | Value (M) | Shares | Weight % | Shares Purchased/Sold | Change in Share % | Market Cap (M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAT | - | WATERS CORP | Health Care | 1,351.4M | 3,557,978 | 7.9% | -397,520 | -10.0% | 32,029.2M |
| SYK | - | STRYKER CORPORATION | Health Care | 1,296.0M | 3,687,511 | 7.6% | -903,782 | -19.7% | 143,496.8M |
| IDXX | - | IDEXX LABS INC | Health Care | 1,269.2M | 1,876,035 | 7.4% | -734,422 | -28.1% | 50,764.2M |
| V | - | VISA INC | Financials | 1,239.6M | 3,534,684 | 7.2% | -319,652 | -8.3% | 620,674.5M |
| MAR | - | MARRIOTT INTL INC NEW | Consumer Discretionary | 1,234.7M | 3,979,927 | 7.2% | -248,371 | -5.9% | 94,506.7M |
| GOOGL | - | ALPHABET INC | Communication Services | 1,095.0M | 3,498,519 | 6.4% | -2,790,833 | -44.4% | 3,657,769.9M |
| ADP | - | AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING IN | Information Technology | 1,074.7M | 4,177,969 | 6.3% | -133,634 | -3.1% | 87,889.7M |
| MSFT | - | MICROSOFT CORP | Information Technology | 1,005.9M | 2,079,971 | 5.9% | -503,398 | -19.5% | 2,969,829.4M |
| PM | - | PHILIP MORRIS INTL INC | Consumer Staples | 982.4M | 6,124,597 | 5.7% | -1,063,547 | -14.8% | 284,234.1M |
| META | - | META PLATFORMS INC | Communication Services | 900.1M | 1,363,539 | 5.3% | -195,125 | -12.5% | 1,614,716.5M |
| Ticker | Put/Call | Amount Bought | Shares Bought | % Change | Weight % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NTNX | - | $71.2M | 1M | - | 0.42% |
| ZTS | - | $46.4M | 286K | 7.9% | 2.87% |
| ADMA | - | $38.3M | 2M | - | 0.22% |
| ODD | - | $28.4M | 657K | 46.4% | 0.49% |
| DOCS | - | $17.1M | 294K | 21.7% | 0.43% |
| Ticker | Put/Call | Amount Sold | Shares Sold | % Change | Weight % | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOOGL | - | $430.4M | 3M | -44.4% | 6.40% | Decreased |
| SYK | - | $334.1M | 904K | -19.7% | 7.57% | Decreased |
| IDXX | - | $308.4M | 734K | -28.1% | 7.42% | Decreased |
| OTIS | - | $274.3M | 3M | -46.5% | 1.59% | Decreased |
| MSFT | - | $188.0M | 503K | -19.5% | 5.88% | Decreased |
| Industry | Prev Quarter % | Current Quarter % | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Care | 36.09% | 31.86% | -4.23% |
| Information Technology | 24.68% | 22.51% | -2.16% |
| Consumer Staples | 14.35% | 13.44% | -0.91% |
| Communication Services | 15.15% | 11.66% | -3.50% |
| Consumer Discretionary | 10.60% | 10.04% | -0.56% |
| Financials | 8.40% | 7.80% | -0.60% |
| Industrials | 3.64% | 2.69% | -0.96% |
| Symbol | Company | Filed By | Filing Date | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BF.A | BROWN FORMAN CORP | Fundsmith | Nov 14, 2024 | SC 13G/A |
| MKC | MCCORMICK & CO INC | Fundsmith | Nov 14, 2024 | SC 13G/A |
| MKC | MCCORMICK & CO INC | Fundsmith | Feb 14, 2024 | SC 13G/A |
| SABR | Sabre CORP | Fundsmith | Feb 14, 2024 | SC 13G/A |
| WAT | Waters CORP | Fundsmith | Feb 14, 2024 | SC 13G/A |
| BF.A | BROWN FORMAN CORP | Fundsmith | Feb 14, 2024 | SC 13G/A |
| IDXX | IDEXX LABORATORIES INC | Fundsmith | Feb 14, 2023 | SC 13G |
| WAT | Waters CORP | Fundsmith | Feb 14, 2023 | SC 13G |
| MKC | MCCORMICK & CO | Fundsmith | Feb 14, 2023 | SC 13G |
| IDXX | IDEXX LABORATORIES INC | Fundsmith | Feb 14, 2023 | SC 13G |
| SABR | Sabre CORP | Fundsmith | Feb 14, 2023 | SC 13G |
| BF.A | BROWN FORMAN CORP | Fundsmith | Feb 14, 2023 | SC 13G |