01 August 2008

 

ALLIANCE TRUST SAVINGS REVEALS TOP INVESTMENT CHOICES FOR FIRST QUARTER OF TAX YEAR

 

ISA investors remain bullish in face of market turmoil

 

Alliance Trust Savings, a leading UK financial services provider, today publishes the results of its quarterly ‘Alliance Trust ISA Ranking1’ for the first quarter of the 2008/09 tax year. 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.

 

Alliance Trust’s analysis shows that despite some significant economic uncertainty investors remained confident in Q1 2008/09, investing more in their stocks and shares ISAs this period than for the same period last year. The latest ranking shows investors’ top two choices are still RIT Capital Partners and Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, which hold first and second spot respectively. The biggest mover in the first quarter was Murray International Trust PLC which moved up eight places to sixth spot, while Lowland Investment Company dropped 10 places, making it the biggest faller for the quarter. Two trusts from the UK High Income sector – Shires Income and City Merchants High Yield Trust – joined the Top 20 in 12th and 13th position as investors were attracted by the yields on offer.

 

Malcolm Dodds, Business Development Manager at Alliance Trust Savings, said, "Our ISA investors have kicked off the new ISA year with a confidence that appears to buck the industry trends following the recent market turmoil. Investors have remained bullish and rather than holding back they have actually subscribed more to their ISAs in Q1 2008/09 than they did in the same period last year. Investment trusts continue to be a popular choice for customers within their ISA accounts as well as our SIPP and Investment Dealing Accounts."

 

Alliance Trust ISA Ranking1

 

1

RIT Capital Partners

Unchanged

2

Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust

Unchanged

3

Merchants Trust PLC

Up 4

4

British Empire Securities & General Trust

Down 1

5

Law Debenture Corporation

Unchanged

6

Murray International Trust PLC

Up 8

7

Templeton Emerging Markets Investment Trust

Down 1

8

Caledonia Investments PLC

Down 4

9

Temple Bar Investment Trust

Up 3

10

JPMorgan Indian Investment Trust

Unchanged

11

Perpetual Income & Growth Investment Trust

Up 2

12

Shires Income PLC

NEW

13

City Merchants High Yield Trust PLC

NEW

14

Murray Income Trust

NEW

15

Personal Assets Trust

NEW

16

SVM Global Fund PLC

Down 7

17

Aberforth Smaller Companies PLC

NEW

18

Lowland Investment Company

Down 10

19

Witan Investment Trust

Down 1

20

Henderson FE INC

NEW

 

 

 

There are six new entrants among this quarter's rankings which were not in the Top 20 ranking in January to March. These are City Merchants High Yield Trust PLC, Murray Income Trust, Personal Assets Trust, Aberforth Smaller Companies PLC, Henderson FE INC and Shires Income PLC, which was the highest ranked new entrant at 12th spot. British Empire Securities & General Trust remained a popular choice even though it fell one place to fourth.

 

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.

             

 

Contacts

Jane Holligan, Media Relations Manager          Stuart Lerman/ Anna Moulds

Alliance Trust                                                   Lansons Communications

Tel  +44 (0)1382 306064                                   Tel  +44 (0)20 7294 3674/ 3681

Mobile  07745 783212                                      Email  alliancetrust@lansons.com

Email  jane.holligan@alliancetrust.co.uk           

Web  http://www.alliancetrust.co.uk

 

 

Notes to editors

1.       The Alliance Trust ISA Ranking is compiled by Alliance Trust Savings based on holdings of investment trusts in its Select ISA. The ranking excludes holdings in Alliance Trust PLC. The latest ranking covers the period from April 6 to July 5, 2008, and is compared to the fourth quarter ranking of the previous tax year.

 

2.       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 administers assets on behalf of more than 56,000 customers. Alliance Trust Savings is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alliance Trust PLC.

 

3.       Photographs of Malcolm Dodds are available.

 

 

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