The trust aims to deliver investors a good yield as well as capital growth over the long term. The fund has underperformed the index since launch but pays a yield of around 5% per annum. In an environment where income is becoming harder to find, this might be an attractive option for investors.
The team explained this is an active investment process which focuses around idea generation, research and peer review. The universe is around 800 stocks of which they look to invest in around 50 to 70.
In terms of the income, companies in Asia tend to hold a high level of cash compared to the US and Europe and are in a better position. Currently they have not had any significant cut in dividends. They have been able to increase dividends yearly over the last ten years and have a cash fund which they can use to top up dividends if needed….read more