
FP Carmignac Global Equity Compounders: Letter from the Fund Managers - Q2 2026
FP Carmignac Global Equity Compounders A GBP Acc delivered a performance of +9.40% in the first quarter of 2026, underperforming its comparator benchmark, which had a performance of +13.03%.
Market environment during the period
Developed equity markets recovered strongly in Q2 2026 after the volatility of the first quarter. Improved risk appetite was supported by easing Middle East tensions and lower oil prices. However, markets remain vulnerable to geopolitical developments, oil price fluctuations, and their implications for inflation, growth, and monetary policy.
AI leadership reasserted itself over the quarter. After the reassessment of AI-driven growth in Q1, investors returned to companies with direct exposure to the infrastructure build-out, particularly semiconductors, memory, electrical equipment and broader hardware beneficiaries. Ongoing hyperscaler capex commitments continued to support confidence in the structural AI investment cycle, although concerns emerged towards the end of the quarter regarding the sustainability of spending and the eventual return on these investments.
However, market breadth remained narrow. Strong index returns were driven by a relatively concentrated group of AI-related stocks, leaving positioning more crowded and valuations more demanding in parts of the market. This increased sensitivity to any disappointment in earnings delivery, capex trends or AI monetisation.
Overall, the quarter marked a clear improvement in sentiment, but the macro backdrop remained complex. Markets continued to balance resilient earnings against risks from inflation, policy rates, geopolitics and softer expected growth into H2 2026 and 2027. The environment reinforced the need for selectivity, with a focus on durable earnings growth rather than broad momentum exposure.
How did we fare in this context?
During the second quarter of 2026, the Fund rebounded strongly on absolute terms but underperformed its reference indicator in what has been a particularly challenging and fragmented market environment.
During the quarter, the portfolio benefited from strong stock selection in Communication Services and Consumer names, with holdings such as Alphabet, InterContinental Hotels, Colgate and Home Depot contributing positively to relative performance. The portfolio’s structural underweight to Energy also proved beneficial as oil prices retraced following the easing of Middle Eastern tensions.
Industrials, the portfolio’s largest sector allocation also made a meaningful positive relative contribution over the quarter. This was led by strong performance from Prysmian and Schneider Electric, while the newly initiated position in Parker Hannifin also contributed positively. Alongside gains from ASML, Broadcom, Nvidia and Arista Networks, this reflected the portfolio’s continued exposure to long-term structural growth themes, including AI infrastructure, electrification, automation and digitalisation.
Despite these positive contributors, the portfolio lagged the benchmark in a market where returns became increasingly concentrated in a narrow group of AI beneficiaries. The main headwind was the portfolio’s lower exposure to semiconductors and AI infrastructure companies, which significantly outperformed as investor enthusiasm for AI-related capital expenditure accelerated. Financials and Health Care also weighed on relative performance, as investors favoured companies with more direct exposure to AI infrastructure spending and rotated away from defensive compounders, despite still resilient underlying fundamentals.
Outlook & positioning
Portfolio activity during the quarter remained disciplined and valuation driven. We selectively reduced exposure to some of the strongest-performing AI beneficiaries, including Amazon and Nvidia, where share price appreciation had led to more demanding valuations and higher portfolio concentration. Capital was redeployed into high-quality businesses where long-term fundamentals remained strong, but market expectations appeared more subdued.
Healthcare was a key area of reinvestment, with additions to AstraZeneca and EssilorLuxottica reflecting our preference for companies with durable demand, innovation-led growth and strong earnings visibility. We also added to quality compounders such as Relx, Equifax and Church & Dwight, taking advantage of temporary weakness where we saw attractive long-term return potential.
Overall, the quarter reinforced the importance of maintaining a disciplined investment approach. While benchmark returns were driven by an increasingly concentrated group of AI-related companies, the portfolio remains focused on high-quality businesses capable of delivering sustainable earnings growth across a range of market environments. As a result, the portfolio enters Q3 with a more balanced mix of AI exposure, healthcare and other quality compounders.
Importantly, the fundamentals of our holdings remain strong. The portfolio continues to exhibit resilient earnings growth, high returns on capital and robust cash flow generation, with limited balance sheet risk. The recent correction has also provided an opportunity to reinforce our highest-conviction positions at more attractive valuations.
In this context, we do not view the current environment as a structural challenge, but rather as a temporary phase where market dynamics have overshadowed fundamentals. As conditions normalise and investor focus returns to earnings quality and visibility, we expect the portfolio’s strong fundamentals and disciplined positioning to translate into improved performance.
Source: Carmignac, Bloomberg, data as of 30/06/2026.
FP Carmignac Global Equity Compounders A GBP ACC
- Recommended minimum investment horizon
- 5 years
- Risk indicator*
- 5/7
- SFDR - Fund Classification
- Article -
*Risk Scale from the KIID (Key Investor Information Document). Risk 1 does not mean a risk-free investment. This indicator may change over time.
Main risks of the fund
Fees
- Maximum subscription fees paid to distributors
- -
- Redemption Fees
- -
- Conversion Fee
- -
- Ongoing Charges
- 0.75%
- Management Fees
- 0.67% MAX
- Performance Fees
- -
Footnote
Performance
| FP Carmignac Global Equity Compounders | −2.5 | +1.1 | +17.6 | +21.0 | −19.0 | +22.6 | +23.0 |
| Reference Indicator | +11.2 | +12.8 | +20.8 | +16.8 | −7.8 | +22.9 | +19.8 |
| FP Carmignac Global Equity Compounders | +6.7% | +4.8% | +9.2% |
| Reference Indicator | +17.5% | +12.4% | +15.4% |
Source: Carmignac at 30 Jun 2026.
Date of 1st NAV : 15/05/2020.
Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future performance. Performances are net of fees (excluding possible entrance fees charged by the distributor). The Fund presents a risk of loss of capital.
The return may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations, for the shares which are not currency-hedged.
Reference Indicator: MSCI World NR index
