The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) is running five seminars for advisers and wealth managers from September to December on the theme of using investment companies for income.
Led by Nick Britton, head of training at the AIC, each event will include presentations from two investment company fund managers, one focused on equity income and the other on an alternative income-producing asset class such as property, infrastructure or debt.
Accredited as structured CPD by the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (Cisi), the aim of the seminars is to deepen attendees’ knowledge of the strategies used by managers of closed-ended funds to generate attractive, sustainable levels of income.
Guest speakers include Job Curtis, manager of The City of London Investment Trust, whose dividends have increased every year for 50 years, Alastair Mundy, manager of Temple Bar Investment Trust (32 years of dividend increases) and Simon Gergel, manager of Merchants Trust (34 years of dividend increases).
Upcoming fund manager seminars
Date | Location | Venue | Time | Guest speakers |
7 September 2016 | Bristol region | Tortworth Court Four Pillars Hotel, Wotton-under-Edge, South Gloucestershire, GL12 8HH | 09.30 – 12.30 | Job Curtis, The City of London Investment Trust and Michael Enright, Empiric Student Property |
28 September 2016 | London | The South Place Hotel, 3 South Place, London, EC2M 2AF | 09.00 – 12.00 | Alastair Mundy, Temple Bar Investment Trust and Harry Seekings, HICL Infrastructure |
13 October 2016 | Harrogate | Rudding Park Hotel & Spa, Rudding Park, Follifoot, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 1JH | 11.30 – 14.30 | Simon Gergel, Merchants Trust and Jason Baggaley, Standard Life Investments Property Income |
10 November 2016 | Birmingham | National Motorcycle Museum, Coventry Road, Bickenhill, Solihull, West Midlands, B92 0EJ | 09.30 – 12.30 | Sam Cosh, European Assets Trust and Tom Ward, GCP Student Living |
1 December 2016 | Cheshire | The Mere Golf & Country Club, Chester Road, Mere, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6LJ | 11.30 – 14.30 | Sue Noffke, Schroder Income Growth and Ben Hayward, TwentyFour Income/UK Mortgages |
Mr Britton said: “With bond yields and interest rates at historic lows, advisers are looking with more interest at investment companies that have a range of tools at their disposal to smooth dividends, produce higher yields, and offer access to a wider range of income-producing assets.
“These seminars have been designed for advisers who already have a basic working knowledge of investment companies, but would like to deepen their understanding of the strategies they use to generate, grow and pay out income, and find out how they can be incorporated into income-oriented portfolios.
“They also provide an opportunity to meet and question some of the top fund managers in both equity income and alternative assets.”
