Why 2014 was a year of change for investment trusts

From fee reductions and discount management, to more board scrutiny. Jeremy Beckwith, director of manager research at Morningstar, analyses the changing story behind investment trusts in 2014.

The ripples from the implementation of RDR at the beginning of 2013 brought investment trusts under the scrutiny of a broader audience of advisers and investors this year. As a result, investment trust boards have begun to understand there is an opportunity to make their funds more attractive for both existing and potential new shareholders. Lower fees The simplification and reduction in fee structures across the sector has been a marked trend in 2014, as the competitive pressures from ‘clean' share classes meant investment trusts have shifted from being cheaper than open-ended funds to...