F&C Investment Trust | About

F&C Investment Trust PLC

INVEST NOW

Over 150 years of innovation

150 years of the F&C Investment Trust

The world’s oldest collective investment scheme

The F&C Investment Trust was launched in 1868, bringing the benefits of investing to a wider audience. Take a look at the short video to see a snapshot of history and the changes since launch.

“We started out in 1868 investing in Emerging Market bonds including Brazil – so we have moved from literally investing in the Amazon – to purchasing Amazon.com some 140 years later. After a fifty fold gain on some of those early purchases, it’s now our largest holding.”

Paul Niven, Fund Manager

Investing with F&C Investment Trust

F&C Investment Trust aims to grow your capital and income over the long term. To find the best opportunities for your money to grow, we invest globally:

In the shares, or equities, of well established companies listed on the world’s major stock markets
In rising star companies in developing markets
In some long-term less liquid investments, such as private equity.

TOTAL ASSETS AS AT 30.04.2021

£

BILLION

We stay on top of the future, to help you shape yours

To succeed in today’s ever changing world and environment, F&C Investment Trust is always looking forward and thinking to the future. We constantly seek out new opportunities for our investors, to help them achieve their own successes.

Well-established and rising star companies – We invest mostly in equities focusing on strong companies, including household names like Unilever and GlaxoSmithKline as well as powerful newcomers like Netflix and Tesla Motors. We also tap into exciting growth prospects of emerging markets, such as China and Latin America.
Private Equity – We don’t restrict our investors to publicly listed equities. Although riskier, well managed private equity investments can be more rewarding. But not everyone has early access to these long-term less liquid, and often innovative, investment opportunities. We add value for our shareholders by holding a diversified proportion through a range of funds.
AIC Dividend Hero – F&C Investment Trust is one of 20 investment companies which has increased dividends for 20 or more years consecutively to its investors, earning the recognition of The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) Dividend Hero. We’ve actually increased our dividend every year for the past 50 years.

Global outreach

We have a global approach with no constraints to specific countries, continents, industries or sectors. Although we mainly invest in publicly listed equities, we still have the flexibility to invest in other types of securities or assets when the time is right.

Adapting to change

F&C Investment Trust has flourished for over 150 years despite two world wars, the great depression, the financial crisis in 2008 and many other ups and downs. We’ve flourished by watching and learning from the markets, innovating and moving with the times and most importantly, never forgetting to take the long-term view.

We spread the risk for smoother returns

Instead of making large investments in a small number of companies, the Trust’s assets are spread more widely over 450 companies. The reason is that if one of the investments doesn’t perform well, then the wider portfolio doesn’t take a big hit. By diversifying our investments, we smooth out the peaks and troughs for our investors.

Income

We recognised long ago the importance of growing dividends for our investors and building up substantial reserves. So, not only have we been prudent by putting money aside, we have increased the payment to investors every year for the past 50 years and it has outpaced inflation in all but one of the last 37 years.

Investment Risks

The value of your investments and any income from them can go down as well as up and you may not get back the original amount invested. Changes in rates of exchange may also reduce the value of your investment. Gearing is used for investment purposes to obtain, increase or reduce exposure to an asset, index or investment. The use of gearing can enhance returns to investors in a rising market, but if the market falls the losses may be greater.

Meet the Board

Beatrice Hollond

Chairman

Appointed to the Board on 1 September 2017 and as Chairman of the Board and the Management Engagement Committee on 1 January 2020. She was appointed Chairman of the Nomination Committee on 1 September Beatrice brings to the Board investment knowledge and expertise in regard to both equities and global fixed income. She also brings leadership skills from her time as a Managing Director of Credit Suisse Asset Management, LLC where she spent 16 years in global fixed income. Beatrice is a member of the Board of Brown Advisory in the United States and chairs its international advisory board. She also holds non-executive directorships at Telecom Plus PLC and Templeton Emerging Markets Investment Trust PLC.

LEARN MORE

Jeffrey Hewitt

Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointed on 15 September 2010 and as Chairman of the Audit Committee in November 2011. A chartered accountant and MBA, Jeff has a strong financial background. He held a number of senior roles and is an advocate of continuous improvement in the quality of corporate reporting. Until 2020 he was Acting Chairman of Cenkos Securities plc. He was the Group Finance Director of Electrocomponents plc (1996 to 2005), Deputy Chairman (2000 to 2005) and Chair of the Pension Scheme (1996 to 2020). Prior to that, he was the Finance Director of Unitech plc (1991 to 1996). He has also Chaired the Audit Committees of several listed and private companies including Vesuvius plc (previously Cookson Group plc) and John Lewis Partnership plc.

LEARN MORE

Sarah Arkle

Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the Board on 2 March 2011 and is a member of the Audit Committee. Sarah brings to the Board investment knowledge and expertise in investment management. She was Vice Chairman of Threadneedle where she was Chief Investment Officer for ten years until her retirement at the end of December 2010. Sarah was previously a Far East Equity Manager and a director at Allied Dunbar Asset Management. Sarah is Chairman and non-executive director of JPMorgan Emerging Markets Investment Trust PLC.

LEARN MORE

Edward Knapp

Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the Board on 25 July 2016 and is a member of the Audit Committee. Edward brings a combination of investment, operational and general management experience worldwide, with expertise in the digital transformation of large-scale organisations, Portfolio Management, Risk, Strategy and Technology. He is Chairman of the Board Risk and Compliance Committee of the £10.6bn Mattioli Woods PLC, where he also serves as a non-executive director, and is a member of the Board and Investment Committee for the £1.5bn investment portfolio of Trinity College, Cambridge. Edward was previously a Chief Operating Officer and Global Head of Business Management within the Technology function at HSBC, and prior to that he was a Chief Operating Officer at Barclays Bank. Until 2012 he was at McKinsey & Company, providing board and advisory services to clients worldwide, focusing on asset management, banking, strategy, risk management and technology. Edward is a Member of the Board of Trustees of Asia House, a centre of expertise on trade, investment and public policy, and is also a non-executive director of Redwood Bank.

LEARN MORE

Francesca Ecsery

Independent Non-Executive Director

Joined the Board on 1 August 2013 and is a member of the Nomination Committee. Francesca brings special expertise in omnichannel consumer marketing, branding and commercial strategies and provides guidance for the effective promotion of FCIT’s investment proposition and access to its shares. Francesca previously held the role of Global Business Development Director at Cheapflights Media and held senior executive roles with STA travel, the Thomas Cook Group and Thorn EMI plc. Francesca is currently a non-executive director of the Association of Investment Companies (“AIC”), Marshall Motors Holding plc and Air France.

LEARN MORE

Quintin Price

Senior Independent Director

Appointed to the Board on 10 March 2020 and is a member of the Audit Committee. Quintin brings investment banking and investment management knowledge and expertise to the Board from a 30 year career working at a senior level for a number of leading companies. From 2005 to 2015 he was at BlackRock where he was Global Head of Alpha Strategies and a member of the Global Executive Committee. Quintin is a Senior Adviser at Actis, a privately-owned private equity, real estate and energy & infrastructure company. He is also a non-executive director of Aperture Investors, a New York based fund manager.

LEARN MORE

Tom Joy

Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the Board on 1 January 2021 and is a member of the Nomination Committee. Tom has extensive investment knowledge, expertise and experience in global equity markets. He is Chief Investment Officer of the Church Commissioners for England which is responsible for managing the endowment portfolio of the Church of England. He began his career at Royal Sun Alliance Investment Management and later joined Schroders holding a variety of different roles ultimately becoming Head of Investment – Multi- Manager. He then joined RMB Asset Management where he was Chief Investment Officer until his appointment at the Church Commissioners for England in October 2009. Tom is a non-executive director of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity and chairs its Investment Committee.

LEARN MORE

Rain Newton-Smith

Independent Non-Executive Director

Ms Newton-Smith is Chief Economist at the Confederation of British Industry (‘CBI’). She provides business leaders with advice on the UK economic outlook and global risks, helping to develop the economic policy response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Rain has expertise in sustainability, governance on reducing carbon emissions and in developing environmental, social and governance (‘ESG’) reporting. Rain was previously Head of Emerging Markets at Oxford Economics, where she was the lead expert on China. Prior to that, Rain worked as a research advisor to Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England including a secondment to the IMF. She is also a Director of Eynsham Partnership Academy, where she is a trustee for six primary schools and two secondary schools and is chair of the finance committee. In 2012, Rain was nominated a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and in 2020 she was asked to join their Global Future Council on Monetary and Fiscal Policy to help shape the global economic recovery plan.

LEARN MORE

Invest with BMO

BMO offer a range of cost-effective savings plans designed to make it easy for you to invest in our range of funds.

Starting from £25 per month or a lump sum of £100, with the flexibility to start and stop contributions whenever you want.

There are no dealing charges on investments made online or through a monthly direct debit.

FIND OUT MORE

Invest with a broker

You can invest through your usual financial adviser, or through a wide range of companies.

Information in this section of the Website is directed solely at persons who are located in the UK and can be categorised as retail clients. Nothing on this website is, or is intended to be, an offer, advice, or an invitation, to buy or sell any investments. Please read our full terms and conditions and the relevant Key Information Documents (“KID”) before proceeding further with any investment product referred to on this website. This website is not suitable for everyone, and if you are at all unsure whether an investment product referenced on this website will meet your individual needs, please seek advice before proceeding further with such product.