Investors have been turning to highly rated well known closed-end funds to fill their portfolios over the last three months. The first quarter of the calendar year is known as ISA season – as investors rush to allocate cash into tax-efficient wrappers before the end of the fiscal year.
This ISA season, investors have been researching large, liquid and well-known brands with a solid long-term performance, such as Scottish Mortgage and City of London. Interestingly, some of them had a poor 2013 and yet they remain among the most frequently viewed investment trusts—with Murray International and Personal Assets being an example. That could suggest investment trust buyers are longer-term investors.
But people are willing to take more risk and try to chase returns too, given the biotech fund that has popped up among the top 10 most popular investment trusts on Morningstar.co.uk. We would warn investors however, that this is a sector fund, with a niche specialisation, and should be used with extra caution and play only a niche role in an average investor’s portfolio.
Most Popular Investment Trusts of Q1
Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (SMT)
Murray International Trust (MYI)
Aberdeen Asian Smaller Companies (AAS)
Finsbury Growth & Income (FGT)
The City of London Investment Trust (CTY)
Temple Bar Investment Trust (TMPL)
The Biotech Growth Trust (BIOG)