Improving Transparency Means a Better Ride for Investors

Investment companies are gradually disclosing more portfolio holdings information, which means a more transparent journey for end investors

Jackie Beard, FCSI 30 May, 2013 | 12:05PM
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In May 2012 we issued our report ‘Investment Trusts: Why Transparency Matters’. The aim of this report was to demonstrate why we think investment companies need to improve their transparency, particularly through the disclosure of full portfolio holdings, on a regular basis. We demonstrated ways in which this information can be used by advisers and investors alike to better manage portfolios, and how stale data can be misleading. We were delighted that the Association of Investment Companies (AIC) supported this with their ‘Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings Post RDR’ report in November 2012, in which they encouraged their member boards to be more transparent. 

The implementation of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) in January 2013 has meant a levelling of the playing field for funds of different legal structures. While we didn’t expect this to ring in a transformation in the use of investment trusts by financial advisers overnight, we do believe it puts them firmly on the radar of any adviser wishing to recommend whole-of-market investments and retain the badge of ‘independence.’ However, for funds to be truly comparable, and for them to be used with confidence, an investor and their adviser need to be able to see the underlying constituents of their investment funds on a regular and timely basis. 

This table shows the number of funds that were releasing full portfolio holdings, on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis when we issued our report in May 2012. 

Number of Funds

Frequency

Assets
Under
Management

Morningstar Analyst Ratings

27

Monthly

£5.8bn

7

29

Quarterly

£10.9bn

7

75

Semi-annual

£20.1bn

30

45

Annual

£10.2bn

1

176

Totals

£47.0 bn

45

Non-disclosure: approx. 80 funds; approx. £16 billion in AUM.

And one year on, in May 2013: 

Number of Funds

Frequency

Assets
Under
Management

Morningstar Analyst Ratings

76

Monthly

£25.5bn

35

65

Quarterly

£22.2bn

49

15

Semi-annual

£2.9bn

2

34

Annual

£5.8bn

7                  

194

Totals

£56.4 bn

93

Non-disclosure: approx. 50 funds; approx. £10.8 billion in AUM.

(Non-disclosure meaning the fund doesn’t release its full holdings at all)

While we have seen an increase in the number of funds that are now disclosing their full holdings over the last 12 months, the far more significant increase is the frequency with which funds are now disclosing.

  • A near three-fold increase in the number of funds releasing full portfolios on a monthly basis
  • More than double the number of funds releasing full portfolios on a quarterly basis
  • A five-fold reduction in the number of funds only releasing full portfolios semi-annually
  • A 25% reduction in the number of funds disclosing full holdings only on an annual basis

Since publishing our initial report, we have seen a change in disclosure policy at a number of large funds. Looking specifically at trusts whose total assets exceed £1 billionn, and in order of fund size:

Alliance Trust (ATST) – from non-disclosure of full holdings to monthly
Foreign & Colonial (FRCL) – from quarterly to monthly
Templeton Emerging Markets (TEM) – from annual to quarterly
Mercantile (MRC) – from semi-annual to quarterly
Murray International (MYI) – from semi-annual to monthly
Witan (WTAN) – from quarterly to monthly 

Those six funds alone comprises some £11.2 billion of assets, in funds with wide shareholder registers—that represents a significant increase in the number of investors who are better informed about their fund holdings, not forgetting potential new investors who can drill right down on a full and frequent basis to ensure the funds match their investing requirements.

How Is Better Transparency Helping Investors?

Discounts:
Over the twelve-month period 30 April 2012 to 30 April 2013, the Morningstar Investment Trust All ex Private Equity ex VCT unweighted discount has narrowed by more than three percentage points, to 8.84%. Granted, some of this has been due to a rise in global markets over this period. But discounts can be influenced by many factors beyond market performance and we think that improved transparency of holdings is one such factor.

Visibility/Interest:
From our conversations with boards and asset management firms, there seems to be a trend emerging, particularly among the larger asset management firms, of widening shareholder bases, as well as a rising prominence of nominee companies acting for the non-advised investor. In other words, new investors are both discovering and using investment trusts. 

Asset Raising
While equity income has been a theme for some time among investors and their advisers, and there’s no doubt that those funds focusing on this are well positioned to capture interest, there are a number of investment trusts that have managed to raise capital by issuing shares when trading at a premium to NAV, as well as through C share issues. Securities Trust of Scotland is one such example—the trust has been disclosing monthly holdings since the start of 2011, further, it has traded at a premium for much of the last 12 months. At the other two funds in the Martin Currie investment trust stable, discounts have narrowed.

Conclusion 

The transparency of holdings at investment trusts has improved markedly in the last 12 months. There is still room for more improvement but it’s encouraging to see so many funds now willing to divulge their holdings on a full and frequent basis. Those trusts that are disclosing more frequently are becoming increasingly of interest to investors, notably the self-directed investor. Disclosure alone isn’t the only solution to the discount dilemma, but informed investors should have a better investing experience over the long term.

Read the full report on why transparency matters here.

The information contained within is for educational and informational purposes ONLY. It is not intended nor should it be considered an invitation or inducement to buy or sell a security or securities noted within nor should it be viewed as a communication intended to persuade or incite you to buy or sell security or securities noted within. Any commentary provided is the opinion of the author and should not be considered a personalised recommendation. The information contained within should not be a person's sole basis for making an investment decision. Please contact your financial professional before making an investment decision.

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Securities Mentioned in Article

Security NamePriceChange (%)Morningstar
Rating
Alliance Trust Ord1,210.00 GBX-0.98Rating
F&C Investment Trust Ord968.00 GBX-1.43Rating
Mercantile Ord220.00 GBX-0.68Rating
Murray International Ord248.00 GBX-1.59Rating
Templeton Emerging Mkts Invmt Tr TEMIT154.40 GBX0.00Rating
Witan Ord249.00 GBX-0.60Rating

About Author

Jackie Beard, FCSI

Jackie Beard, FCSI  is Director of Manager Research Services, Morningstar EMEA

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