Fund of the week: An oasis of calm

Calm investors have made big profits in Europe in recent years, in spite of the eurozone crisis. If you had invested £1,000 in the Jupiter European Opportunities investment trust (LSE: JEO) five years ago, it would now be worth around £3,600.

The fund is the top-performing European investment trust over the period, thrashing its benchmark (the MSCI Europe index rose 93%).

"If you think the recovery in Europe has only begun, this is a good fund in which to participate," says Citywire's Gavin Lumsden. The trust is run by Alexander Darwall, "a stand-out performer" in recent years, according to Lumsden. "His due diligence process is very strong he looks to identify companies with compelling growth traits."

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The trust's performance was especially strong in 2009/2010, when quality growth' companies were in fashion. Over the last year, performance has been more pedestrian roughly in line with its benchmark as many investors have switched to more cyclical stocks, including banks.

On the downside, the fund trades on a small premium of 1.4%. So its market value is slightly higher than the value of its underlying assets. The premium may put off some investors, but Darwall's track record means it should be a good way to benefit from long-term growth in Europe.

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Wirecard	7.98%
Novo Nordisk	7.37%
Reed Elsevier	7.27%
Experian	6.97%
Provident Financial	6.57%
Syngenta	6.16%
Novozymes	6.06%
Croda International	5.15%
Intertek	5.15%
Fresenius	5.05%

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