We’re the smart place to start

Founded in 1868 to bring the benefits of creative and responsible investing to a wider audience, we’re the oldest investment trust in the world. Our approach hasn’t changed since day one: to provide a reliable foundation that aims to deliver steady, long-term capital growth and a healthy dividend income.

  • Our diverse portfolio spreads risk.
  • Our straightforward approach makes investment easy.
  • Our performance speaks for itself – 53 years of continuously increasing dividends.
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Over 150 years of innovation

F&C’s success is in part down to continually innovating and moving with the times, and this was the inspiration for the new brand design and colour scheme. Take a look at the short video to see more about the design and what the Trust stands for.

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A balanced, proven strategy

Our investment approach is steady and designed for the long-term. Our focus is on strong companies – including household names like Unilever and GlaxoSmithKline – and powerful newcomers – like Amazon and Tesla. We also tap into the growth prospects of emerging markets, including China and Latin America. We don’t restrict our investments to publicly listed equities. We also consider well managed, high-performing private equity funds.

Our aims

Launched in 1868, we are the world’s oldest collective investment scheme – and have since grown to become one of the largest. Our aim is to generate long-term growth and income by investing primarily in an international portfolio of listed equities. We are highly diversified and cautiously managed. Investing with us gives you exposure to over 400 individual companies worldwide.

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Unrestricted vision

Unrestricted vision

We are not limited to investing in specific countries or sectors. Although mainly focusing on publicly listed equities, we also consider other opportunities when the time is right.

Consistently resilient

Consistently resilient

Despite World Wars, the Great Depression and many other global financial crises we’ve flourished. Our success is based on matching responsibility with adaptability and never forgetting to take the long-term view.

Well-balanced

Well-balanced

Rather than making large investments in a small number of companies, we spread our assets across 400+ businesses. By diversifying our investments, we aim to smooth out the highs and lows.

Far-sighted

Far-sighted

By taking a sensible, long-term approach we’ve grown income for our investors and built up substantial reserves. We have increased dividend payments to investors annually for the past 53 years and our returns have consistently outpaced inflation.

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.

Our Board

Our strategies and decisions are guided by an independent, non-executive Board of experienced financial experts.

Beatrice Hollond

Chairman

Appointed to the Board on 1 September 2017, Beatrice is now Chairman of the Board, the Management Engagement Committee and the Nomination Committee. 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 is also the Senior Independent Director at Telecom Plus PLC.

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Rain Newton-Smith

Independent Non-Executive Director

Ms Newton-Smith is Chief Executive of the Confederation of British Industry (‘CBI’). She was previously its Chief Economist, providing business leaders with advice on the UK economic outlook and global risks. Rain has expertise in sustainability, governance on reducing carbon emissions and in developing environmental, social and governance (‘ESG’) reporting. Rain was formerly 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.

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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 PLC Board Audit and Risk Committee Chairman elect of Ten Group, the technology service platform, where he also serves as a PLC Non-Executive Director, and is a former PLC Board Risk & Compliance Committee Chair in wealth management and financial services.  Edward was previously 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 growth strategy, technology, risk and transformation, including across asset management, banking and technology organisations. Edward is a Member of the Board of Asia House, a centre of expertise on trade, investment and public policy, and also brings regulatory, policy, competition and innovation board experience including serving on the Board of The Payment Systems Regulator and UK Endorsement Board (Department for Business & Trade), as well as advisor to a range of Fintech and wider portfolio companies.

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Stephen Russell

Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the Board on 1 February 2022. Steve brings the highest level of investment skills and knowledge to the Board. He is Investment Director and a member of the multi asset investment committee at Ruffer LLP, where he helps direct its investment strategy. He joined Ruffer in 2003 and has managed their flagship pooled funds and developed their institutional pension fund offering into one of the largest multi asset/absolute return fund managers in the UK. Steve previously managed segregated pension funds at Sun Life of Canada and advised pension fund managers as a strategist at HSBC.

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Smart investing made simple

OUR MANAGER, Columbia Threadneedle offer a range of cost-effective Savings Plans

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.

There are a number of ways to invest with us, through a financial adviser or a wide range of companies.

All intellectual property rights in the brands and logos above are reserved by respective owners.

Insights and updates

20 March 24
Insights
Paul Niven
Head of Asset Allocation (EMEA) at Columbia Threadneedle Investments

Market snapshot March 2024

29 February 24
Insights
Paul Niven
Head of Asset Allocation (EMEA) at Columbia Threadneedle Investments

Market snapshot February 2024

6 February 24
Insights
Head of Asset Allocation (EMEA) at Columbia Threadneedle Investments

Market snapshot January 2024

AIC Dividend Hero

Awarded to investment companies with increased annual dividend growth for at least 20 consecutive years. (We’ve been achieving that for over 50 years.)

RSMR Investment Trust

We’re rigorously rated and independently researched by RSMR. So your financial advisers can easily find the important information they need.