Income specialist Murray Income Trust (MUT) delivered a total return in net asset value of 7.2% for the six months to 31 December 2021. Performance was comfortably ahead of the FTSE All-Share return of 6.5% and means the trust is ahead its benchmark over one, three and five years. The shares reacted positively, gaining 1.3% to 833p. The company said it continued to benefit from its enlarged ...

In the second part of a two-part series Shares talks to various fund managers about the stocks that didn’t work out as they expected in 2021. They explain what went wrong and why the market reacted in the way it did. The first part of the series can be read here and reveals 12 fund managers’ top stock picks for 2022. Neil Goddin, co-manager, Artemis Positive Future Fund ...

In the first of a two-part series Shares talks to a range of fund managers about the stocks they like for 2022. Covering both UK and overseas markets, the experts offer a range of ideas spanning technology and banking to leisure and automotive sectors. The second part of the series (to be published on 23 December) will reveal a selection of fund managers’ biggest disappointments for 2021 ...

Six months since the departure of Mark Barnett from asset manager Invesco, two investment trusts previously run by the once-star fund manager have finally settled into their new homes. Investors are rightfully expecting better performance under the new managers, but what’s in store for them? Perpetual Income & Growth Trust last week completed its merger with Murray Income Trust ...

It’s been a tough year for people who rely on their investments for income thanks to widespread dividend cuts. Income fund managers have now rejigged their portfolios to names which they believe will be dependable source of dividends or bond coupons going forward. Their changes make for interesting reading, particularly for anyone who prefers individual stocks to investment funds as it might ...

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, dividend investors have had a rough old time of it. Quoted company after quoted company has cut or cancelled the shareholder reward. Against this backdrop the investment trust sector has acted as a partial safe haven.  Income seekers have long been attracted to investment trusts. Their ability to keep some dividend income aside during good times has ...

Investment trust ‘Dividend Heroes’ are those which have increased their dividends every year for at least 20 years in a row. Published by the Association of Investment Companies (AIC), this list reveals those closed-ended funds with the most formidable dividend growth records, although it doesn’t tell you the level of growth and what it would be in real terms when adjusted for ...

New Woodford Income Focus managers Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI) have given a glimpse of what the revamped portfolio will look like, with only two of the top 10 holdings left over from the Woodford days. Renamed the ASI Income Focus, the new fund will reopen tomorrow under the management of ASI fund managers Charles Luke and Thomas Moore. Investors are able to place trades from midday ...

The revamped Woodford Income Focus (BD9X6V3) is set to reopen in two weeks’ time, fund administrator Link has confirmed. Under the new management of Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI), the fund has been suspended since October 2019 and dealing and will recommence dealing under the new name of LF ASI Income Focus. Investors in the fund will be able to place buy and sell shares in the fund ...

Many people in the UK are eagerly waiting to discover what their investment in the Woodford Income Focus (BD9X6V3) fund will look like under the new management of Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI). The fund has been suspended since October 2019 and dealing is expected to recommence in the coming weeks under the new name of LF ASI Income Focus. While the details of the restructured ...

The oil and gas industry contributes to 42% of global emissions according to global consulting firm McKinsey. It is little wonder that the sector has found itself in the crosshairs of environmental campaigners and a growing portion of the investment community is turning away from fossil fuel-based investments amid increasing focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. At the ...

Strong historical performance data doesn’t guarantee a fund will continue to do well in the future, so investors shouldn’t buy an investment trust solely based on how it has done in the past expecting similar returns in the future. However, past performance, particularly over the long term, is still worth considering as it provides evidence of how well a trust has done in a variety of ...

As investors fret over global trade wars, slowing economic growth, and inverted yield curves, which in the past have signalled recession, it’s worth looking at which investment products might be useful as ‘ports in a storm’ if and when markets decide that the path of least resistance is down. In theory, absolute return funds should protect your capital better than traditional funds or ...

Investment trust dividend heroes are classified as funds that have increased their dividends every year for at least 20 years in a row. While this list, published by the Association of Investment Companies (AIC), will help you spot products with a dividend growth track record, it doesn’t tell you the level of growth and what it would be in ‘real terms’ when adjusting for inflation. If ...

Investors of a certain vintage will recall the stock-market adage, ‘Sell in May and go away, don’t come back until St Leger Day’. The saying is based on the belief that returns during the summer months are negative so you should ‘time’ the market by selling out completely at the beginning of May and reinvesting in September in time for the horse racing meeting on St Leger Day. Once ...

We think the generous and growing income on offer from Murray Income Trust (MUT) coupled with its focus on quality companies at an attractive price will prove a winner with investors. The investment trust offers a dividend yield of 4.3% and has grown its dividend in every one of the last 45 years. Like all closed-end funds, Murray can hold back cash to act as a buffer if its underlying ...

Investment trusts can be ideal products for anyone seeking to enjoy compounding benefits from reinvesting dividends. They are allowed to stash away up to 15% of income every year in a pot called ‘revenue reserves’. This rainy-day money can help them to keep paying dividends even if market conditions are bleak and there is temporarily a lower income from their underlying holdings. Twenty ...

It has been six years since Bank of England base rates fell below 5%. As this figure heavily influences the interest rate on deposit accounts offered by banks and building societies, it means the general public has struggled to get a decent return on cash savings. Don’t be complacent and accept paltry interest rates for your entire savings. Instead, look to the stock market to earn a more ...

There is a great phrase that says speculation is timing the movement of money and investing is converting time into money. Anyone with a goal to create wealth for an event in the future, such as buying a house, funding a child’s education or even having cash in retirement should really focus on the latter principle. A sensible approach is to drip-feed cash into a stocks and shares Individual ...

One mid-cap investment trust on Shares’ radar is Caledonia Investments (CLDN), a vehicle well placed to deliver the benefits of dividend compounding whilst foraging far and wide for capital growth. Guided by chief executive officer Will Wyatt, Caledonia seeks to generate a long-term performance in excess of the FTSE All-Share and since becoming an approved investment trust in 2003, has ...