- Record year for investment trust fundraising thanks to alternative asset demand
- Some areas look crowded and not all have succeeded
Investment trust fundraising amounted to £11.4bn in the first 10 months of the year, a record for the ancient fund structure which is now financing a new wave of innovation.
Most striking is the rate at which secondary fundraisings have been taking place. Some 93 trusts raised a combined £9.3bn over the first 10 months of 2021 – the majority of which invest in some form of alternative or unlisted asset. 10 investment trust IPOs have successfully launched this year, with six more in the pipeline at the time of writing. But it hasn't all been plain sailing – six investment trust flotations have been postponed or cancelled owing to lack of demand, and five have been liquidated or rolled into another trust.