In December 2024, with the risks for equity markets piling up in our minds, Shares put the spotlight on capital preservation funds. As it turns out, stocks are higher now than they were then, but obviously that does not tell the whole story, with investors facing significant volatility in the intervening period. Most of this has been centred around so-called 'Liberation Day' when president...

The period since 'Liberation Day' ? when the Trump administration announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs ? has been extremely volatile and ultimately negative for financial markets. This is reflected in the average performance of the investment trust universe which, excluding VCTs, comes in at -1.9% based on Shares analysis of Sharescope data up until 24 April. It is no surprise to see vehicles...

The sweeping tariffs unveiled by president Donald Trump on 2 April 2025, dubbed 'Liberation Day' by the administration, have significantly impacted financial markets, seemingly disrupting decades of economic norms, at least in the short term. We discuss the details and initial market reaction elsewhere in this magazine and it's only natural as an investor to be somewhat shaken by these...

With US stocks trading close to all-time highs, valuations looking stretched and one of the narrowest markets on record, this could be an opportune moment to consider adding some defensive qualities to your portfolio through capital preservation funds and trusts.These products aim to protect your capital during periods of heightened volatility and equity market drawdowns as well as growing...

Funds can often be in vogue with investors thanks to a big-name manager or a past reputation, but just how well-earned is the popularity of the UK's most popular funds and investment trusts?In this article we've taken a look at the performance of a select group of funds which regularly feature among the most bought and most widely-held in the market to judge whether they are truly delivering...

Capital preservation funds are positioned to help investors avoid large losses while growing their wealth too, albeit more slowly than more risk-tolerant funds. In the investment trusts patch, the three main wealth preservers are Ruffer Investment Company (RICA), Capital Gearing Trust (CGT) and Personal Assets Trust (PNL), while RIT Capital Partners (RCP) also has a capital preservation...

According to data from the AIC, the average investment trust discount to net asset value has widened from 12.2% at the end of 2022 to 14.5% as of 8 September 2023, while sector averages have generally widened. The exception is private equity, which narrowed from 25.1% to 4.5%, skewed by 3i's (III) dramatic swing from discount to premium.While this presents an opportunity to buy into parts of...