Send for the specialist

Contrary to popular opinion, the investment trust sector is not shrinking, but rather booming on the back of increasing specialisation

A common misconception is that the investment trust sector is shrinking – for the last couple of decades commentators have routinely described the sector as terminally challenged. However, in reality, the industry has continued to grow. Over the last five years the total value of trust assets has appreciated from £57bn to over £80bn. What these statistics fail to show is the dramatic change in the make-up of funds on offer. The conventional fund is now in the minority as these have steadily been replaced by specialist funds. For example, if you were to look at the Japanese sector, tradit...