Argos Investment Managers, a boutique investment firm which manages specialist high conviction investment strategies including the European microcap fund Argonaut, is expanding its operations in the UK.
Argonaut is co-managed by two British European micro-cap specialists Philip Best and Marc St John Webb.
Best, who started his career at Warburg’s, leads a team of 14 experienced investment professionals operating out of Geneva. It also partners with external specialist managers such as Aubrey Capital Management of Edinburgh.
Argos was originally founded in 2005 by Best and Swedish portfolio manager Cristofer Gelli. Three years ago, they were joined by another veteran of the London market Jean Keller who spent over 20 years in the UK, New York and Hong Kong at Baring Asset Management and the Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch (LODH) Group.
Since Keller’s arrival and the end of the financial crisis, Argos has renewed its growth with AuM has tripling since 2009 and several new products have been launched.
Initially Argos was mostly focused on the institutional market in Switzerland but now it is seeking to expand its operations primarily in France, Luxembourg and the UK.
Keller says: “Our base in Geneva is at the heart of Europe. That provides us with a different outlook on the world when investing in European equities. That said, London remains the centre of the investment management world and so having a strong presence in both centres is an important part of our future strategy. Our view is that a two centre approach will offer us a competitive advantage – the best of both worlds.”
