Sector specialist trusts outperform country-focused peers in first half

Direct Property-Europe is top performing sector over first six months of 2011.

Sector specialist investment trusts have triumphed over their country-focused rivals in the first six months of the year, according to the Association of Investment Companies (AIC). A £100 investment in the Property Direct – Europe sector at the start of the year would have returned £132, with the space proving resilient against a backdrop of sovereign debt woes in the eurozone. However, a spokesperson for the AIC warned with average net gearing of 162% compared to the investment trust universe’s 7% average, the sector could be seen as one of the more risky in which to invest. “...