Twenty most viewed investment trusts in 2017

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Twenty most viewed investment trusts in 2017

Investment trusts with a record on continuous dividend increases were the most viewed on the Association of Investment Companies (AIC) website in 2017.

The most viewed trusts on the companies website have all increased their dividends for at least 20 years.

The most looked at trust was the £6.8bn Scottish Mortgage investment trust.

The manager of this trust, Tom Slater has said in the past that investments are never made with a dividend in mind, and the consistent dividend increases are the consequence of paying income from the retained earning of the trust.

The Murray International investment trust was next most viewed.

The £1.78bn trust has a yield of 3.9 per cent.

It is run by Bruce Stout, who has been scathing of global monetary policy.

Top 20 most viewed investment companies on the AIC website in 2017    
CompanyAIC sectorMost viewed on AIC website% SPTR over 1yr to 31/12/2017 Dividend yield (%) at 29/12/2017
Scottish MortgageGlobal141.070.67
Murray InternationalGlobal Equity Income211.043.9
Foreign & Colonial Investment TrustGlobal321.051.61
City of LondonUK Equity Income412.563.92
Finsbury Growth & IncomeUK Equity Income521.481.83
Edinburgh InvestmentUK Equity Income61.723.66
European AssetsEuropean Smaller Companies735.955.43
JPMorgan Global Growth & IncomeGlobal Equity Income824.13.68
BankersGlobal928.892.1
Independent Investment TrustGlobal1071.340.76
F&C Global Smaller CompaniesGlobal1113.060.91
Alliance TrustGlobal1219.191.84
Temple BarUK Equity Income1310.983.17
MerchantsUK Equity Income1415.724.96
WitanGlobal1522.091.76
CaledoniaGlobal1614.831.96
Aberdeen Diversified Income & GrowthFlexible Investment1721.24.77
Henderson Far East IncomeAsia Pacific excl. Japan1816.865.49
Perpetual Income & GrowthUK Equity Income197.213.62
MonksGlobal2035.020.16
Source: AIC and Morningstar    

The investment trust with the longest history of increasing the dividend is the £1.3bn City of London investment trust, which has increased its dividend every year for 51 consecutive years.

James Pigot, who runs intermediary Pigotts Investments in Dorking, said: "Investment trusts are great for income as they can smooth any bumps when companies fail to pay dividends, and we have had plenty of those recently."

He described the City of London investment trust as one you "can't fault."

david.thorpe@ft.com