Consolidation is a growing theme across the investment trust sector against a backdrop of stubbornly-wide NAV (net asset value) discounts and increasing pressure on sub-scale funds.2024 is already a record year for M&A (mergers and acquisitions) in a sector which has just seen the eleventh such deal announced, the value-oriented Invesco Asia Trust (IAT) planning to combine with Asia Dragon Trust (

The long-term case for emerging markets is easy to grasp - less mature economies with more youthful demographics have scope for greater economic growth as they develop.There are also short-term tailwinds thanks to the dollar weakening (a key factor as many countries in the developing world have their debt denominated in dollars) and the Chinese economy fully reopening after Covid.WHY YOU MIGHT WAN