Top 20 most viewed investment companies in 2020
Scottish Mortgage top for fourth straight years.
The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) has published its list of the 20 most viewed investment companies on its website www.theaic.co.uk in 2020.
With many blue-chip businesses cutting or suspending dividends in 2020, investor interest in income was strong with half of the top 20 belonging to income-focused sectors.
There was considerable interest in investment companies with track records of consistent dividend growth. Of the top 20 most viewed companies, 14 have increased dividends for 10 or more consecutive years. Ten of the 20 are dividend heroes, having increased their dividends for 20 or more years in a row. Four are in the next generation of dividend heroes, having grown dividends for between 10 and 19 years.
The top 5
Scottish Mortgage was the most viewed company for the fourth consecutive year. The FTSE 100 investment company returned 110% in 2020 and has total assets of £17.7bn.1
City of London was second, maintaining its place from 2019. The investment company increased its dividend for the 54th consecutive year in 2020.
In third place was Murray International. The company from the Global Equity Income sector is consistently popular having been third in 2019 and 2018 and second in 2017.
Completing the top five were Merchants and F&C Investment Trust, having risen three places and one place respectively from 2019.
New entries
There were six new entries: Scottish Investment Trust (14th), BlackRock World Mining (16th), Law Debenture Corporation (17th), Brunner (18th), Murray Income (19th) and BlackRock Throgmorton (20th).
Increasing traffic
Traffic to the AIC website increased 25% in 2020. This included a new all-time high for monthly visits in November.
Annabel Brodie-Smith, Communications Director of the Association of Investment Companies (AIC), said: “With more than half of the FTSE 100 cutting or suspending dividends in 2020, it’s understandable that investment companies with long track records of dividend growth were amongst the most popular with investors last year. Investment companies have strong income benefits which can help them continue to pay dividends even during tough times. However, it’s important to remember that dividends are never guaranteed.
“It’s very encouraging that in the challenging year of 2020, traffic to the AIC website continued to increase and November saw a record number of monthly visits. The website is very helpful for investors with a wide range of investment company information to inform investors’ decisions, from performance and discount data to portfolio holdings and access to investment company documents.”
Top 20 most viewed investment companies on www.theaic.co.uk in 2020
|
Most viewed on AIC website |
Investment company |
AIC sector |
Share price total return (%) 01/01/2020 - |
Share price total return (%) 01/01/2016 - |
Share price total return (%) 01/01/2011 - |
Yield (%) at 11/01/2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Scottish Mortgage |
Global |
110.49 |
351.72 |
857.98 |
0.26 |
|
2 |
City of London |
UK Equity Income |
-11.75 |
19.79 |
96.02 |
5.00 |
|
3 |
Murray International |
Global Equity Income |
-5.28 |
71.80 |
85.93 |
4.66 |
|
4 |
Merchants Trust |
UK Equity Income |
-14.26 |
36.94 |
88.38 |
5.91 |
|
5 |
F&C Investment Trust |
Global |
4.61 |
91.42 |
213.04 |
1.43 |
|
6 |
Temple Bar |
UK Equity Income |
-31.46 |
11.39 |
59.72 |
3.97 |
|
7 |
Edinburgh Investment Trust |
UK Equity Income |
-7.71 |
-6.02 |
83.20 |
4.27 |
|
8 |
Finsbury Growth & Income |
UK Equity Income |
-0.67 |
63.98 |
244.08 |
1.87 |
|
9 |
Allianz Technology Trust |
Technology & Media |
80.33 |
360.47 |
806.87 |
0.00 |
|
10 |
Bankers |
Global |
13.51 |
97.00 |
245.34 |
1.90 |
|
11 |
Alliance Trust |
Global |
9.37 |
92.15 |
202.25 |
1.56 |
|
12 |
Henderson Far East Income |
Asia Pacific Income |
-4.00 |
53.96 |
71.23 |
6.75 |
|
13 |
Edinburgh Worldwide |
Global Smaller Companies |
87.72 |
297.21 |
532.11 |
0.00 |
|
14 |
Scottish Investment Trust |
Global |
-12.61 |
36.57 |
80.29 |
3.20 |
|
15 |
Scottish American |
Global Equity Income |
12.03 |
107.81 |
172.73 |
2.52 |
|
16 |
BlackRock World Mining Trust |
Commodities & Natural Resources |
46.67 |
289.54 |
6.11 |
3.80 |
|
17 |
Law Debenture Corporation |
UK Equity Income |
13.97 |
68.87 |
177.37 |
3.81 |
|
18 |
Brunner |
Global |
-3.09 |
82.83 |
171.81 |
2.28 |
|
19 |
Murray Income Trust |
UK Equity Income |
-2.40 |
55.06 |
105.50 |
4.11 |
|
20 |
BlackRock Throgmorton Trust |
UK Smaller Companies |
12.87 |
129.52 |
388.66 |
1.32 |
Source: AIC/Morningstar.
-ENDS-
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Notes to editors
- Total assets as at 31 December 2020. Source: AIC/Morningstar
- The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) was founded in 1932 to represent the interests of the investment trust industry – the oldest form of collective investment. Today, the AIC represents a broad range of closed-ended investment companies, incorporating investment trusts and other closed-ended investment companies and VCTs. The AIC’s members believe that the industry is best served if it is united and speaks with one voice. The AIC’s mission statement is to help members add value for shareholders over the longer term. The AIC has 358 members and the industry has total assets of approximately £209 billion.
- Disclaimer: The information contained in this press release does not constitute investment advice or personal recommendation and it is not an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity. You should seek independent financial and, if appropriate, legal advice as to the suitability of any investment decision. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of investment company shares, and the income from them, can fall as well as rise. You may not get back the full amount invested and, in some cases, nothing at all.
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