Smaller companies emergingfrom the gloom

It is something of an understatement to say that it's been a challenging few years for investors in the UK smaller companies market. From riding high at the peak of the technology boom three years ago, this asset class is in danger of becoming the underdog of the investment world, steadily underperforming larger companies and starting to test the patience of even the most experienced long term investors. Over the past 12 months, the FTSE Smaller Companies ex Investment Trusts Index has declined by more than 30%, a significantly worse performance than the FTSE All-Share Index. This patte...