When choosing a fund it is important to look at performance consistency as well as returns. A good place to look for consistent performers is the IC Top 100 Funds list, as a number of the investment trusts in this list (which comprises both open-ended and closed-ended funds) have proved themselves in this respect over the last 10 years. The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) has recently drawn up a list of the 20 most consistent and strongly performing investment trusts over the last decade, and eight of these are IC Top 100 Funds. A number of trusts in this list are also IC tips.
The most consistent investment trust over the 10 years to the end of February 2013 is Scottish Oriental Smaller Companies (SST), an IC tip, which has outperformed the average investment company in nine of the last 10 years, as well as delivering an impressive share price total return of 875.31 per cent. This is followed by IC Top 100 Fund F&C Global Smaller Companies (FCS) and Aberdeen New Dawn (ABD), which have also outperformed the average investment company in nine out of the last 10 years.
But UK Smaller Companies trusts dominate the league table as the most consistent and strongest performers of the last decade with seven out of 20 making the list, followed by Asia Pacific ex Japan with five. Six of the trusts are managed by Aberdeen Asset Management, a specialist in Asian equities.