Why investment trusts trump unit funds

Over the past decade, investment trusts have performed better than unit trusts and open-ended investment companies in seven out of eight important sectors in the market. Ruth Jackson explains why.

According to Winterflood Securities, over the past decade investment trusts have performed better than unit trusts and open-ended investment companies (OEICs) in seven out of eight important sectors in the market. The biggest discrepancy was in the emerging markets sector, where investment trusts have beaten unit trusts by 6.6 percentage points a year for ten years. The only sector of the eight where unit trusts won was Japan. Yet unit trusts are more popular. What's going on?

Investment trusts tend to perform better for three reasons. Firstly, they can borrow money as well as taking it from investors. This allows them to boost returns in rising markets (although it can lead to bigger losses when the market falls).

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Ruth Jackson-Kirby

Ruth Jackson-Kirby is a freelance personal finance journalist with 17 years’ experience, writing about everything from savings accounts and credit cards to pensions, property and pet insurance.

Ruth started her career at MoneyWeek after graduating with an MA from the University of St Andrews, and she continues to contribute regular articles to our personal finance section. After leaving MoneyWeek she went on to become deputy editor of Moneywise before becoming a freelance journalist.

Ruth writes regularly for national publications including The Sunday Times, The Times, The Mail on Sunday and Good Housekeeping, among many other titles both online and offline.