Here you’ll find definitions of terms used on the AIC site. Enter the term you want to search for in the box, or click on the letter it begins with.

5 A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z

Illiquid investments are those that can’t be sold at short notice. This includes property, private equity and venture capital.

A statistical measure of the changes in value of a portfolio of assets representing a portion of the overall market (e.g. the FTSE All-Share). It provides a snapshot of how that part of the market is performing.

A type of account in which you can hold investment company shares without paying income or capital gains tax on them.

Learn more about ISAs and Junior ISAs

A report prepared by a company during its financial year, setting out the same type of information as its annual report and accounts, but with less detail.

Interim accounts are often the same as the half yearly report, but are sometimes issued at other times.

See annual report and accounts.

A company that doesn't sell products or services, but instead invests in a diversified portfolio of assets. By buying shares in the investment company on the stock exchange, investors can get exposure to the assets it invests in. 

Investment companies are sometimes called investment trusts, closed-ended funds or listed funds. 

Types of investment company listed on the London Stock Exchange include UK investment trusts, non-UK investment companies, venture capital trusts (VCTs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs).

An investment company which is based in the UK and which meets certain tax conditions so that it doesn’t pay tax on gains made within the portfolio.

Please note that the term "investment trust" is commonly used to refer to any kind of investment company, including non-UK investment companies. The terms "investment trust" and "investment company" are often used interchangeably. We adopt this convention in some parts of this website, except in circumstances where it's important to make the distinction.

A unique code that identifies an investment company. ISINs have a similar purpose to TIDMs but tend to be longer. For example, the ISIN for Merchants Trust is GB0005800072 and the TIDM is MRCH.

See also TIDM