Investor Snapshot - Jane Shoemake, Client Portfolio Manager - Janus Henderson Investors

What was your first experience of investing? 

My first exposure to investing was when I started as a graduate in the City as I had no exposure when I was growing up. After a couple of years learning about equities, bonds and commodities I finally took the plunge and set up my first ISA in the late 1990’s and remember being very nervous about it as I was saving for a deposit for a house and was very concerned that I might lose money if the UK equity market fell. I remember investing the money in the Fidelity Special Situations fund, a primarily UK equity fund run by Anthony Bolton, who was very well known at the time. With hindsight, I am so glad I took the plunge and started investing, the fund performed very well over the following years and it was very satisfying to see my investment grow over time. 

Has there been a person or resource you have found most helpful in your investment journey?

I have been lucky to work alongside some exceptional fund managers in my career who have taught me to ignore short-term noise and volatility and focus on the longer-term. They have also taught me that some of the best investments you can make are when others are fearful and stocks / markets have fallen and are out of favour. These can provide some of the best opportunities over the long-term. They have also taught me the importance of diversification and not having “all your eggs in one basket”. Today my investments are spread around the world in a variety of markets and asset classes. 

What has been the riskiest investment you have made, or considered? 

I have generally invested in actively managed funds and spread my risks. I am pretty risk averse when it comes to my investments and aim to compound a steady return over time rather than shoot the lights out by investing in the latest craze / fad.  That said, I have been intrigued in recent years by cryptocurrency and its returns (both positive and negative) but haven’t yet felt comfortable enough with its volatility to actually buy any! 
 

Have you had any investments that have performed extremely well or extremely poorly? If yes, what were they?

My emerging markets investments haven’t performed particularly well in recent years, in part due to China, but I have maintained some exposure as I am convinced about the longer-term opportunities for some of these stocks / markets. One of my more successful recent investments was to buy a fund exposed to the Indian market which is now up almost 30% since I bought it. 

What would you tell your 20-something self about investing? 

Start as early as you can with whatever money you have available (however small). Invest in your pension as early as you can – even its just a small amount every month – and don’t be overly concerned about short-term market moves as over the long-term the returns you can generate will be worth it. Finally, if markets experience a significant correction don’t be afraid to invest some more money as these pullbacks can often provide a great opportunity to generate good returns over the longer-term. 

 Thanks Jane!

This interview is for information only and it is not investment advice. It is for use in the United Kingdom only. Investments and/or investment services may not be suitable for all investors. If you are not sure which investments are right for you, please seek advice from an independent financial adviser. If you choose to invest in financial instruments, you should remember that capital is at risk and that the value of investments can go down as well as up. This means that you could get back less than you put in. Some investments are less readily realisable than others and it may therefore be difficult to deal in or obtain reliable information about their value.

Capital is at risk and past performance is not an indicator of future performance.