13 November 2007

 

ALLIANCE TRUST SAVINGS REVEALS TOP INVESTMENT TRUST CHOICES FOR THIRD QUARTER

 

Alliance Trust Savings, a leading UK investment services provider, today publishes the results of its third quarter ‘Alliance Trust ISA Ranking1’ for 2007.

 

The Alliance Trust ISA Ranking lists the most popular investment trusts that private investors have chosen for their ISA through Alliance Trust Savings, which excludes investments in Alliance Trust PLC due to its disproportionate amount of holdings. The latest ranking shows investors’ new top pick is Law Debenture Corporation, which has climbed to the top for the first time, having been eighth in the first quarter and second in quarter two. In second place is RIT Capital Partners, which moves up three places from fifth slot in the previous quarter. The highest placed new arrival in the third quarter is Witan Investment Trust placed sixth, after dropping out of the top 20 in the second quarter.

 

Claudia Philips, Managing Director of Investment Dealing at Alliance Trust, said, “Our quarterly investment trust ISA ranking gives us a valuable insight into our customers’ investment habits.  This quarter we have seen a few old favourites slipping out of the top twenty with some new choices appearing for the first time.  There has been above average movement this quarter with seven new entries or re-entries, highlighting investors’ willingness to switch investments in reaction to changing market conditions or their personal circumstances.  There is a wide range of trusts available in our ISA investment dealing service allowing investors to create a diversified portfolio to suit their own needs.”

 

Alliance Trust ISA Ranking

 

Q3 2007                                                                                    Change

                                                                                                            compared to

                                                                                                            Q2 2007

 

  1. Law Debenture Corporation                                                         up 1
  2. RIT Capital Partners                                                                   up 3
  3. British Empire Securities & General Trust                                    unchanged
  4. Temple Bar Investment Trust                                                       unchanged
  5. Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust                                             up 2                             
  6. Witan Investment Trust                                                               NEW
  7. Lowland Investment Company                                                     down 6
  8. Merchants Trust PLC                                                                 up 1
  9. Personal Assets Trust                                                                NEW
  10. City of London Investment Trust                                                   down 2
  11. Independent Investment Trust                                                      NEW
  12. Bankers Investment Trust                                                           NEW
  13. Edinburgh Investment Trust                                                         up 5
  14. Caledonia Investments PLC                                                        down 3
  15. Shires Income PLC                                                                    NEW
  16. Templeton Emerging Markets Investment Trust                             unchanged
  17. Jupiter Green Investment Trust                                                    NEW
  18. Jupiter Primadona Growth Trust                                                   down 3
  19. SVM Global Fund PLC                                                               down 5
  20. Merrill Lynch World Mining Trust                                                 NEW

 

 

There are seven new entrants among this quarter’s top 20 that did not appear in the ranking in the previous quarter. These include Witan Investment Trust (number 6); and Bankers Investment Trust (number 12). The remaining five of Personal Assets Trust (number 9); Independent Investment Trust (number 11); Shires Income PLC (number 15); Jupiter Green Investment Trust (number 17).and Merrill Lynch World Mining Trust (number 20) have made it into the top 20 for the first time in 2007.

 

Charles Cade, Head of Investment Trust Research at WINS said, “Net ISA sales through Alliance Trust during the third quarter of 2007 show that the most popular fund was Law Debenture, the Global Growth fund whose investment portfolio is managed by James Henderson of Henderson Global Investors. However, Lowland, the UK Growth & Income trust which shares the same fund manager, slipped down the rankings to seventh from second in the previous quarter.

 

“As usual, RIT Capital Partners and British Empire Securities are amongst the best-sellers, although Caledonia Investments is now further down the list. Witan also features on the list of best sellers this quarter, although Foreign & Colonial IT is still a notable absentee, while the weakness in the property market means that TR Property is no longer among the top 20 best sellers. New entries this quarter include two sector specialist funds, Merrill Lynch World Mining and Jupiter Global Green, reflecting strong interest in Mining and Environmental themes.”

 

Customers in the Alliance Trust Select ISA can pick from more than 1,500 investment choices including hundreds of investment trusts, as well as equities, gilts and other fixed income investments.

 

The full Top 20 factsheet is available on www.alliancetrust.co.uk/isa_top20.pdf

 

                         

 

 

Contacts

Jane Holligan, Media Relations Manager          Anna Schirmer/ Anna Moulds

Alliance Trust                                                   Lansons Communications

Tel  +44 (0)1382 306064                                   Tel  +44 (0)20 7490 8828

Mobile  07745 783212                                      Email  alliancetrust@lansons.com

Email  jane.holligan@alliancetrust.co.uk        Web  www.alliancetrust.co.uk 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes to editors

  1. The Alliance Trust ISA Ranking is compiled by Alliance Trust based on holdings of investment trusts in its Select ISA. The ranking excludes holdings in Alliance Trust PLC, which make up 40% of Select ISA holdings in investment trusts (as at 5 April 2007). The first quarter runs from 6 January to 5 April 2007, allowing the second quarter to begin with the new tax year.

 

  1. Alliance Trust is the brand name of Alliance Trust Savings, a financial services company that offers                  investment dealing, self-invested personal pensions and a choice of investment wrappers. Alliance Trust Savings and its subsidiaries administer nearly £4.8bn on behalf of more than 44,000 customers (as at 31 January 2007). Alliance Trust Savings is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alliance Trust PLC.

 

  1. Photographs of Claudia Philips are available.

 

 

 

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