Liontrust snaps up more of StatPro

The managers of the UK's top performing fund in 2011, Liontrust's Anthony Cross (pictured) and Julian Fosh, have upped their backing for asset management software firm StatPro (SOG.L).

The Citywire A-rated duo increased their stake from 10.74% to 11.08%, or 6.79 million, worth £5.16 million at a share price of 78p.

The shares, which are trading at just above half their 12-month high of 127p, are held in the pair’s £74 million Liontrust UK Smaller Companies fund, which is up 25.9% over five years versus the Hoare Govett smaller companies index's return of -2.61%.

Fosh and Cross have large holdings in the asset management and investment service sectors, holding top-10 positions in discretionary management businesses Brooks Macdonald and Charles Stanley.

StatPro, which offers portfolio analysis and asset pricing software, reported full-year trading in line with expectations in January, following a 50% fall in profits to £1.79 million in the first half of 2011.