Investment Trusts – Alive and Kicking

This year, investment trusts are seeing a well deserved resurgence of interest and a significant increase in inflows

Jackie Beard, FCSI, 7 October, 2010 | 10:10AM
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We have just released the latest month-end figures for London-listed closed-end funds and what struck me instantly is how much it contrasts with this time last year.

In September 2009, year-to-date inflows into the sector were a measly £73.6 million; fast-forward to September 2010 and this figure is significantly more impressive at £1.88 billion. Much of this is attributable to the launch of Anthony Bolton’s Fidelity China Special Situations as a closed-end fund – this alone raised £460 million at launch in April.

Even when we take Fidelity out of the equation, that still leaves another £1.4 billion that has been invested in the sector this year. This has been raised in several ways. Groups such as JPMorgan, Aberdeen, Aberforth and Polar Capital have all had successful launches this year. We have also seen a new fixed-income investment company brought to the market, by Neuberger Berman, specialising in distressed debt.

There has been a raft of new VCTs issued and these come before legislative changes that were introduced on 1 October, which allow these specialist companies to invest outside the UK.

Other investment companies have raised additional monies through further issuance of shares.

This makes me think the sector is very much alive and kicking and seeing a well-deserved resurgence of interest. Granted, it’s not comparable with the flows that open-end funds and ETFs are seeing, but the fact that investors are recognising the merits of the closed-end structure and participating in new issues is music to my ears.

We have a long way to go in our mission to demystify closed-end funds and help investors have a good experience with them, but this fills me with hope that the sector will continue to thrive.

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