Introducing the AIC’s fantasy fund manager competition
Six investment journalists attempt to pick the winning trusts of 2025.
Welcome to the AIC’s first fantasy fund manager competition. We’ve invited some of the country’s leading investment journalists for a friendly game of investment trust stock picking, to see who ends up with the year’s best performing portfolio of investment trusts.
The rules are simple. Each journalist has been given an imaginary £10,000 to be split equally between four trusts. These should be trusts they would be happy to hold for the long term but think could do particularly well in 2025. There is no prize – except for the kudos of having picked the winning fantasy portfolio.
All our participants say that investing is a long-term commitment, and that anybody considering stocks and shares should be thinking about holding their investments for at least five years, preferably ten or more. But for a bit of fun, and to draw attention to some of their favourite investment trusts, they have volunteered to take part in this competition.
We will be monitoring their performance throughout the year and reporting on any exciting developments within their fantasy portfolios. To keep up to date on how the six portfolios are doing, you can sign up to our Compass newsletter or follow us on X and LinkedIn.
Below, we introduce our participants and reveal which investment trusts they think could be the stars of 2025.
James Baxter-Derrington
Investment Editor, Daily Telegraph
James’s portfolio includes JPMorgan American, which he says “has achieved that rarest of active goals – outperforming the S&P 500” as well as UK-focused Mercantile Investment Trust. Venturing off the beaten track, he has also selected Fidelity China Special Situations and Starling Bank investor Chrysalis Investments, which sits at a “hefty discount”.
Ian Cowie
Investment columnist, Sunday Times
Ian’s portfolio is bolstered by “global giant” Alliance Witan, with some spice added by Edinburgh Worldwide, India Capital Growth Fund and JPMorgan US Smaller Companies. He believes Donald Trump’s pledge to cut taxes and make America great again might be especially beneficial for smaller companies that have lagged behind larger rivals recently.
Moira O’Neill
Investment columnist, Financial Times
Are UK equities ripe for recovery? Moira thinks that 2025 could be the year that reliable City of London Investment Trust becomes exciting. Her other picks are Henderson Smaller Companies, International Biotechnology and Polar Capital Technology – the last of which could see further upside as the productivity benefits of AI adoption become more obvious.
Kyle Caldwell
Funds and Investment Education Editor, interactive investor
Kyle has gone for three “core” holdings and a “satellite” trust to add some spice. He chose Alliance Witan, liking its exposure to both growth and value stocks. He’s also picked contrarian Fidelity Special Values and wealth preservation trust Personal Assets Trust. Finally, he hopes to bag a bargain in RTW Biotech Opportunities which trades at a 28% discount and could add a real spark if it rebounds.
Rosie Murray-West
Freelance financial journalist with 25 years’ experience
Rosie’s picks have a North American flavour. She has gone for both Brown Advisory US Smaller Companies and Canadian General Investments, as well as Polar Capital Global Financials which offers exposure to larger US companies outside the Magnificent Seven. Her final pick is deeply discounted battery storage trust Gresham House Energy Storage.
Cherry Reynard
Nine-time winner of AIC Freelance Journalist of the Year
While she’s not going to call the end of the bull run in mega-caps, Cherry thinks it’s time to give smaller companies a shot. She has selected JPMorgan US Smaller Companies as well as Diverse Income Trust, managed by small cap specialist Gervais Williams. Her other picks are Polar Capital Global Healthcare and The Renewables Infrastructure Group.
Important note
The information and trust selections are for entertainment purposes only and do not constitute investment advice or personal recommendations. The opinions expressed are those of the individual writers and not of the AIC. You should not make investment decisions based solely on this information and you should seek independent financial advice to identify investments that suit your own personal circumstances and needs.See our full terms of use.
