What Do New CEFs and Buses Have in Common?

CEF TIMES: New closed-end funds are like buses – three come at the same time, says Morningstar Director of CEF Research Jackie Beard in her latest analysis of weekly CEF news

Jackie Beard, FCSI, 16 March, 2011 | 2:16PM
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CEF Times: March 10-16
Alliance Trust (ATST) loses its position in the FTSE 100 index this Friday, 18 March, and will be joining the FTSE 250 index. Since the announcement last Thursday, 10 March, the share price has slipped slightly and the fund is trading at a discount to NAV of more than 18%. Since then, the company has announced its intention to close its private equity business and concentrate on its equity and bond portfolio.

Other index changes see Hansteen Holdings move into the FTSE 100 (HSTN) and the shares are trading at a premium of more than 10% to NAV as a result. John Laing Infrastructure (JLIF), launched in November 2010, will become part of the FTSE Small Cap index. The fund has seen a steady increase in its premium to NAV over the last few weeks, having slipped back a little at the end of January, and is now just trading around 9% above its NAV again.

Anglo & Overseas (AOT) has been placed into voluntary liquidation, with some 70% of shareholders electing to receive shares in EP Global Opportunities (EPG).

We have a new fund launch to report this week. Duet Real Estate Finance (DREF) came to the market on 14 March, having raised £50 million. Run by Duet Private Equity, the fund will invest in European commercial real estate debt.

Invesco Perpetual is also planning a new launch: the IP Global Income Trust for Paul Boyne and David McGraw. The prospectus is likely to be issued around 7 April, at the start of the new tax year. Boyne is also manager of the Morningstar Superior rated IP Global Equity Income OEIC, his first foray into income investing. The OEIC was launched in March 2009 and is considerably more expensive than the trust is likely to be; Invesco hopes the TER of the trust will be no more than 1%, compared with 1.71% on the OEIC.

Meanwhile, at Henderson Global Property (HGPC), shareholders must decide their exit route as the trust is to be wound up. They can choose to take units in Henderson Global Property Equities SICAV, which is the most like-for-like option for investors wanting to retain global property exposure; alternatively, they may elect to receive shares in the newly-formed Henderson International Income Trust (HINT), which may suit those who want income from their investment, or the third option is cash. The new trust will be run by a team from Henderson headed by European equity manager Ben Lofthouse, and will invest across asset classes in search for yield.

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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