Overview

WS Amati Strategic Metals Fund

Investing in a broad range of base metals, the active, high conviction WS Amati Strategic Metals Fund creates a fresh and exciting opportunity for those looking to diversify their portfolios and invest in the transition to clean, sustainable energy sources and a lower carbon world. The Fund seeks to deliver long-term capital growth by investing in a well-diversified portfolio of internationally listed metals and mining companies – listed in London, US, Canada and Australia, and whose primary revenues are derived from ‘strategic metals’, metals with a limited substitution threat and which Amati deems to be of strategic importance to the global economy and numerous long-term structural growth themes. These include, but are not limited to gold, silver, copper, lithium, nickel, manganese, platinum group and rare earth metals.

Objective

The Fund aims to achieve long term capital growth through investing in a well-diversified portfolio of internationally-listed metals and mining companies whose primary revenues are sourced from the sale of strategic metals. These metals, deemed to be of strategic importance to the global economy and future macro-economic trends include, but are not limited to, gold, silver, platinum group metals, copper, lithium, nickel, manganese, and rare earth metals. The fund is able to invest in mining companies listed in London, US, Canada and Australia.

Philosophy and Key Benefits

  • Bottom up with macro-overlay: Rigorous stock-picking, combining analysis on macroeconomic and sectoral factors.
  • Diversified: Curating a high conviction portfolio of 30-50 stocks.
  • Through the cycle approach: Aiming for the optimum combination of precious, speciality and base metals.
  • Benchmark agnostic: Flexibility to hold medium to smaller-sized mining companies that can meaningfully grow their value.
  • Fundamental research: The team’s wealth of experience means that they have access to a global network of company CEOs and CFOs, brokers, commodity traders as well as mining engineers and geologists – an added advantage when performing their analysis.
  • ESG considerations: Integral to each manager’s due diligence and research.
  • Dual expertise: Strong technical & industry expertise combined with proven fund management experience.
  • Risk management: Active monitoring with a focus on liquidity and diversification.

 

Portfolio Construction: Bottom-up driven; Top-down framework

Key Information as at 30th April 2026

 
Launch date:March 2021
Fund size:£116.1m
IA sector:Commodities & Natural Resources
Benchmark:MSCI World Metals & Mining Index (GBP)
Number of holdings:38
Investment Team:Georges Lequime
Mark Smith
ISAable fund:Yes
Minimum lump sum investment:£1,000
Regular savings:£50/mth
Initial charge:0%
Ongoing charges:0.75% Annual Mgt Charge plus
research charge of up to 0.10%
(OCF capped at 1%)
Share type:Accumulation
ISINGB00BMD8NV62
Scheme type:A sub-fund of a UCITS Open Ended
Investment Company that is structured
as an umbrella company

Team

The Managers

The fund is managed by Georges Lequime and Mark Smith who boast decades of experience investing in mining companies and many years of operational experience in mining and geology.

Georges Lequime, Fund Manager

Georges Lequime
  • 30 years of investment experience.
  • Joined Amati in March 2021 to launch Strategic Metals Fund.
  • Former partner at the Earth Resource Investment Group and adviser to the award-winning Earth Gold Fund UI from 2008.
  • Previously Head of Equity Research at RBC Capital Markets in London for 5 years.
  • Managed the North American mining region for HSBC Global Mining in New York.
  • Former manager of the Old Mutual Gold Fund, the largest gold fund in South Africa, for four years.
  • Mining engineer with practical experience in gold and coal mining at Anglo American.
  • Holds a BSc in Mining Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand.
  • Studied economics at UNISA (University of South Africa).
  • Holds Mine Manager’s Certificates in both open pit and underground mining.

Mark Smith, Fund Manager

Mark Smith
  • 22 years of investment experience.
  • Joined Amati in March 2021 to launch Strategic Metals Fund.
  • Former Partner at the Earth Resource Investment Group since 2010 and mining analyst on the award-winning Earth Gold Fund UI.
  • Previously worked as a resource equity analyst at RBC Capital Markets.
  • Experience with the African mining research team at Renaissance Capital.
  • Qualified geologist with four years’ experience in gold exploration.
  • Holds a Master’s in Mineral Project Appraisal from the Royal School of Mines, University of London.
  • Holds a BSc (Hons) First Class from the University of Bristol.
  • Has developed a substantial professional network across Africa, Europe, and North America.

Why invest?

WS Amati Strategic Metals Fund

Why Metals?

An ‘Evergreen’ solution for investors to access this dynamic asset class

  • A concentrated portfolio with the ability to invest globally in the mining companies of any asset class
  • All-cap approach but skill set to analyse and invest into development risk in the small and mid cap resource space
  • Flexibility to evolve allocations within the portfolio between categories of miners, sectors, asset classes
  • Actively managed, bottom-up focus with technical and financial analysis
  • Valuation driven – evolves the portfolio to the best opportunities

If you can’t grow it, it has to be mined!

  • Decarbonisation of global energy supply, & surge of AI (Artificial Intelligence) creates a potentially huge future metals demand ‘Supercycle’
  • Industry supply response inadequate and behind the curve, leading to higher metal prices for longer
  • Metal demand will create capitalisation events in exploration and development opportunities
  • We would expect our fund to be a continued beneficiary of M&A activity

A fierce geopolitical and commercial race to secure critical minerals

  • Precious metal investment allocation to the fund provides optionality

Investment Opportunities

  • The broader market is under invested in commodities in what could be a ‘Supercycle’ for commodities investing
  • Technical expertise allows the fund managers to appraise exciting investment opportunities

Through the Cycle Investing

Each metal has its own cycle. The managers aim to provide actively managed exposure ‘through the cycle’ and will look to determine the optimum combination of precious, speciality and base metals at any given time, in keeping with the transition to clean energy, electric vehicles and other long-term structural growth themes – taking account of the over-arching macro-economic and political risks and commodity price movements, as well as the specific circumstances of individual companies.

Differentiated Metals Performance

Source: US Global Investors

Finding hidden gems

We focus on companies with strong technical teams as well as experience at the corporate level. Creating value ‘through the drill bit’ can be transformational for the value of a smaller company. The calibre of a company’s management and their ability to successfully execute a mining project from exploration to production phase are critical for de-risking a project. De-risking includes conducting extensive exploration work, arranging appropriate financing for different project stages, and lowering production costs.

Inside a gold mine

 

Tropical bird flying

ESG considerations

The mining industry is often referred to as a ‘dirty’ industry.  However, this overlooks the fact that all companies are not alike in this respect and that within the industry there are good examples of companies that have set high standards in environmental, social and governance matters.

Forward-thinking, ethically-run and well-managed companies understand that an ability to build and maintain good relations with workers, host nations and local communities goes hand-in-hand with building a world-class mining company and achieving long-term value.

 

Site Visit Series

Portfolio Information

As at 30th April 2026

Top 10 Holdings

 

10 Largest Holdings% of total assets
Elevra Lithium5.3%
G2 Goldfields5.2%
Equinox Gold5.1%
Teck Resources4.9%
Eldorado Gold4.2%
SQM4.1%
Greatland Resources3.5%
Develop Gold3.4%
Talon Metals3.3%
Centaurus Metals3.3%

 

Class Split (% of total assets)



Performance

B Class

*WS Amati Strategic Metals Fund, Total Return.

**MSCI World Metals and Mining Index (GBP), Total Return. The stocks comprising the index are aligned with the Fund’s objectives, and on that basis the index is considered an appropriate performance comparator for the Fund. Please note that the Fund is not constrained by or managed to the index. Sources: Waystone Management (UK) Limited, FE Fundinfo and MSCI.

Cumulative Performance Table
as at 30/04/2026

Time periodFund Return
(%)
Benchmark Return**
(%)
1 month15.111.72
3 months-1.883.21
6 months45.9329.37
1 year152.1571.91
3 years133.5365.67
5 years134.6597.56
Since launch*139.32107.09

* Since launch data is calculated from 15/03/2021.

** MSCI World Metals and Mining Index (GBP), Total Return. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.

 

Discrete Performance
as at 30th April 2026

Period 12 months toFund Return
(%)
Benchmark*
return (%)
30.04.2026152.1571.91
30.04.202510.99-10.12
30.04.2024-16.567.23
30.04.2023-20.16-4.24
30.04.202225.8624.53

* MSCI World Metals and Mining Index (GBP), Total Return.

Source – Waystone Management (UK) Limited and FE Fundinfo. Further details: Issued by Amati Global Investors Ltd., authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in Scotland, number: SC199908. Registered address: 8 Coates Crescent, Edinburgh, EH3 7AL.

 

Risk Warning

Past Performance is not a reliable guide to future performance. The value of investments and income from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the amount they originally invested. The investments associated with this fund are concentrated in natural resources companies which are subject to greater risk and volatility than companies held in other funds with investments across a range of industries and sectors. Issued and approved by Amati Global Investors which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered address: 8 Coates Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 7AL

Literature

Should you wish to receive our monthly fund factsheets by email, please contact: info@amatiglobal.com or call 0131 503 9115

For further information please speak to your financial adviser.

Ratings

WS Amati Strategic Metals Fund has the following ratings:

  • FundCalibre Elite Radar Rating
  • Citywire A Manager Rating (Georges Lequime & Mark Smith)

How to Invest

WS Amati Strategic Metals Fund is administered by Waystone Management (UK) Limited. Before investing you should view the relevant documents below.

For telephone dealing and enquiries please call:

Waystone Management (UK) Limited

Client Services and Dealing Line
T: +44 (0)345 922 0044
E: wtas-investorservices@waystone.com

 

Application Form

For further information regarding the application form, please visit Waystone’s website here.

FAQs

Please find below answers to some of the most frequently asked questions for WS Amati Strategic Metals Fund. Should you wish to discuss another query, please contact us on 0131 503 9115 or email info@amatiglobal.com.

If you wish to apply for shares directly, please read the ‘How to Invest’ section and download the relevant application form.

Alternatively, you can also choose to invest in the platform of your choice. Please contact your platform directly to invest.

 

The WS Amati Strategic Metals Fund is available on the majority of platforms. If your chosen platform does not currently hold the fund, please contact the relevant platform manager and ask that they contact us on 0131 503 9115 or email us on: info@amatiglobal.com

Daily at midday.

T+4

The minimum lump sum investment is £1,000.

The minimum lump sum top up is £500.

The mimimum regular monthly investment is £50 per month.

As the WS Amati Investment Funds are intended for investors seeking long-term capital growth, all income arising within them is reinvested into the value of shares. In other words the shares are all accumulation shares. The annual income allocation date is 31 March and the interim income allocation date is 30 September.

If you wish to receive our fund factsheets by email once available, please email info@amatiglobal.com or call our investor line on 0131 503 9115.

The Fund aims to achieve long term capital growth through investing in a well-diversified portfolio of internationally-listed metals and mining companies, whose primary revenues are sourced from the sale of strategic metals. Strategic metals are defined as those metals that are deemed to be of strategic importance to the global economy and future macro-economic trends. These include, but are not limited to, gold, silver, platinum group metals, copper, lithium, nickel, manganese, and rare earth metals. The strategy will be able to invest in mining companies listed in London (FTSE, AIM), US (NYSE, Nasdaq), Canada (TSX, TVE, VSE) and Australia (ASX).

MSCI World Metals and Mining Index (GBP).