Why invest in the Global Opportunities Fund
- Proven long-term performance by James Thomson, who has managed the same fund since 2003.
- A 50-60 stock portfolio of companies listed in the US, UK and Europe that we believe will grow faster or be more resilient than the market expects.
- With a focus on returns over 5 years and beyond, the fund aims to take advantage of short-term share price fluctuations, offering greater volatility but potentially greater returns
- Searches for companies that we believe are in control of their destiny, avoiding those that are instead reliant on better economic growth or commoditised prices to improve profits
More about the Global Opportunities Fund
We scour the developed world for exciting businesses that are growing fast and shaking up their industries. We usually hold only 50 to 60 stocks in our fund, avoiding low-growth sectors, like telecommunications, utilities and banks, which means our performance can deviate significantly from the return of global markets.
To be successful, we believe businesses have to offer something that others can't match – a star quality. They must be easy to understand, different to their competitors, durable in the face of change and difficult to imitate. Companies must have a plan to grow rapidly without running out of money or overstretching their resources. Our speciality is spotting businesses before they are household names, veteran brands that offer better value when they hit temporary turbulence, and market leaders that find a new engine of growth.
We buy companies of all sizes, but our sweet spot is mid and large-sized growth companies in developed markets. We avoid companies listed in emerging markets. We avoid businesses which have previously performed poorly, preferring those with an unblemished past. We don’t invest in unpredictable sectors with poor growth prospects. To reduce risk, we hold a defensive bucket of companies with slow and steady growth that should be less sensitive to fluctuations in the economy.
The objective of our fund is to deliver a greater total return than the IA Global Sector, after fees, over any five-year period. There is no guarantee that this investment objective will be achieved over five years, or any other time period. We use the IA sector as a target for our fund's return because we aim to achieve a better return than the average of funds that are similar to ours. You can find our fund’s full objective and investment policy in our Key Investor Information Document (KIID).
Ratings and awards




Literature Library
Unit Trust prospectus
European MiFID Template
Remuneration policy
Single Strategy ISA application form (I-Class) 2025/2026
Rathbone Global Opportunities Fund - Quarterly investment Commentary
Single Strategy - Supplementary Information Document
Rathbone Global Opportunities Fund Factsheet (I class)
Rathbone Global Opportunities Fund Factsheet (S class)
Global Opportunities, report and accounts, Annual
Rathbone Global Opportunities Fund - full fund holdings information
Rathbones Asset Management Assessment of Value 2024 Report (Consolidated)
Key Investor Information Rathbone Global Opportunities Fund (I Acc)
Meet the fund managers

James Thomson
Fund manager and Executive director

Sammy Dow
Fund manager