Investment manager Eden Financial has launched a UK equity fund focused on a ‘high conviction’ portfolio.

The CF Eden UK Select Opportunities Fund, run by ex-Gartmore manager Leigh Himsworth, will invest in between 40 and 60 stocks.

The fund provides ‘significant’ exposure to UK small and medium sized companies that are ‘slightly off the radar’, according to Himsworth. He is looking for companies that offer ‘excellent value’ and ‘prospects of higher growth’.

Himsworth comments that the fund won’t hug an index, but rather focus on uncovering investment ‘gems’ that have ‘escaped the glare of publicity’, with Sportech, a small-cap gaming company, and another XP Power, a specialist power supplier, as examples.

He adds: ‘Each of the fund’s investments will contribute something different to the portfolio and I will seldom duplicate ideas. I use a highly disciplined approach to monitor individual stocks and run a well-diversified portfolio.’

The total expense ratio is 1.96 per cent and the minimum investment for the retail share class is £1,000.