Fund Profile

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Disclosure – Non-Independent Marketing Communication

This is a non-independent marketing communication commissioned by Alliance Trust. The report has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and is not subject to any prohibition on the dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.

Overview
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Overview

Alliance Trust (ATST) follows a multi-manager approach to global equity investing, with the board having delegated the management of ATST to Willis Towers Watson (WTW), the global consultancy firm. The Alliance Trust Investment Committee team of Craig Baker, Stuart Gray and Mark Davis at WTW select a suite of managers from a long list identified by their manager research team.

As discussed under Portfolio, ATST’s underlying managers have very distinct styles. Each manager is asked to run a concentrated portfolio of their highest-conviction ideas, with the WTW team then weighting the managers in a way that ensures ATST’s factor risks do not deviate from those of its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI. The central idea behind this strategy is that over the long-run fundamentals should drive performance, even if they can be drowned out by noise in the short-term.

For much of the pandemic period, this balanced approach has been struggling against a market seeing strong stylistic outperformance. ATST’s underlying equity managers’ performance (a metric which removes the effect of underperforming legacy assets) was ahead of the benchmark until November, which saw a sharp correction in markets due to the emergence of the omnicron variant (which will hopefully be shortlived) as we discuss in the Performance section.

In the current year one of the most substantial changes to ATST has been a positive resetting of its Dividend. The board has proposed to substantially increase this, rebasing the dividend upwards to 5.825p a quarter. Annualising this payout, the trust offers a dividend yield of 2.3% on an ongoing basis. ATST has a track record of 54 years of consecutive dividend increases, with the board committed to continuing this record even at the higher level. ATST currently trades on a 7.4% discount, in line with its long-term average.

Analyst's View

ATST, in our view, is a good example of a ‘core’ equity holding. This is not merely due to its on-benchmark risk profile, but also due to its ability to preserve the benefits of active management at the same time. ATST is often the only way that retail investors can access the services of the underlying specialist managers, as they seldom market their services to UK retail investors.

Additionally, ATST offers an enviable track record of dividend growth, and the higher payout should make the yield even more attractive. In a similar manner, ATST’s ESG characteristics remain superior to those of its benchmark, with the board’s clear commitment to ensuring ESG remains a core part of the strategy being an attractive feature. We believe ATST would also serve as a strong alternative to passive equity exposures, as it would not materially alter an investor’s risk profile while still retaining the potential for added alpha; alternatively, it may suit investors looking for a simple solution to broad equity market exposure.

During the pandemic, markets have been dominated by style, with growth outperforming substantially for long periods and a sharp snap-back for value in the middle. These movements have been unpredictable, based on developments in the pandemic rather than anything economic. The benefit of ATST’s approach is that the management team aren’t asked to predict these unpredictable moves. During strong trending markets this style will underperform, but it is over the long run that it needs to be judged.

bull bear
Offers exposure to specialist managers not available elsewhere
May underperform in momentum-driven markets
Forthcoming dividend increase will lead to a higher future yield
Gearing can amplify losses on the downside
Attractive characteristics for a ‘core’ equity allocation
Resurgence of pandemic may not suit balanced approach in the short term
Continue to Portfolio

Fund History

21 Oct 2024 Monthly roundup: news on CHRY and ATST, highlights of our latest webinar series and the most popular investments in September
Jo and Ryan discuss the latest news, reviews and interviews in the investment trust world...
13 Oct 2024 Top of the stocks: most bought and sold shares in September
We run the rule over the most popular shares and investment trusts last month…
24 Sep 2024 Fund Analysis
ATST’s combination with WTAN could produce a FTSE 100 giant…
20 Sep 2024 Stock Spotlight: Skyworks
Vulcan’s C.T. Fitzpatrick explains why Skyworks earns its place in the portfolio with its wide and growing base of applications and strong fundamentals...
18 Sep 2024 Betting it all on black?
We ask what has been driving returns in the global equity sector…
18 Sep 2024 Witan merger with Alliance Trust: circular published
The finer details on the combination with Alliance Trust...
13 Sep 2024 Stock Spotlight: Unilever
As a producer of some of the world’s best-known household brands, Veritas’s Ian Clark looks at why Unilever’s growth strategy into developing markets makes it such an attractive investment opportunity...
12 Sep 2024 Monthly roundup: launch of AVGI, news on TRIG and PRS and the most popular investments in August
Jo and Ryan discuss the latest news, reviews and interviews in the investment trust world...
07 Sep 2024 Top of the stocks: most bought and sold shares in August
We run the rule over the most popular shares and investment trusts last month…
06 Sep 2024 The Big Question – What could a Trump 2.0 mean for the Alliance Trust portfolio?
Interview with Vulcan’s C.T. Fitzpatrick and Ian Clark from Veritas...
04 Sep 2024 Five reasons to be cheerful about the outlook for your portfolio
Our analysts think global markets look likely to continue their ascent…
27 Jul 2024 We are the champions
We run our rule over the sectors gunning for glory in 2024…
17 Jul 2024 Balancing act
We ask why trusts with a more flexible approach have outperformed…
13 Jul 2024 Ch-ch-ch-changes
Politics isn’t the only place where there are big changes at the top, but for shareholders change is often a good thing…
10 Jul 2024 Things can only get better
Discounts are yawning but markets are thawing and boards are on the offensive; Labour might not be the only thing making a comeback this year...
06 Jul 2024 America for growth, Japan for value
Different investment styles are needed for different regions…
05 Jul 2024 Flash update: Alliance Trust
Thoughts on Witan’s proposed merger with Alliance Trust…
04 Jul 2024 Flash update: Witan
Thoughts on Witan’s proposed merger with Alliance Trust…
03 Jul 2024 Monthly roundup: merger news and highlights from our June small cap event
Jo and Ryan discuss the latest news, reviews and interviews in the investment trust world...
31 May 2024 Stock spotlight: Rinnai
Rinnai peaked Dalton Investments' Jamie’s interest when he needed an energy efficient, on-demand hot water solution in his own busy household. Subsequent research has shown that the company has huge market potential...
24 May 2024 Stock spotlight: Nvidia
Brian Kersmanc, GQG Partners, describes how Nvidia’s early call on AI and full end-to-end solution for clients has kept it at the leading edge of computing...
17 May 2024 Stock spotlight: United Rentals
United Rentals is the largest equipment rental and management company in the world, with operations in 1,500 locations across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, serving customers across construction and industrial sectors..
10 May 2024 Dalton Investments: Japan Update
Dalton's Jamie Rosenwald provides an update on Japan, focusing on the status of recent corporate reforms, revisions to the NISA and the potential normalisation of monetary policy...
10 May 2024 O' fickle fortune!
The Magnificent Seven have replaced the FAANGS as the darlings of the stock market, but we think it pays to bear in mind how quickly things can change…
17 Apr 2024 Pretty, pretty, pretty good
Do investment trusts really protect capital and income against inflation? Let's take a look…
07 Mar 2024 Video update: Alliance Trust annual results
Willis Towers Watson global CIO Craig Baker discusses the trust's strong results for its latest financial year...
23 Feb 2024 Stock spotlight: Dexcom
Sands Capital’s Sunil Thakor looks at medical device company Dexcom – leader in the field of continuous glucose monitoring – and examines what makes it a high-quality growth business...
16 Feb 2024 Stock spotlight: Airbus
In our new series of stock spotlight videos, Veritas’ Andy Headly focuses on Airbus and talks about the qualities that make it so attractive compared to its closest competitor...
14 Feb 2024 Investing in multi-manager funds with Alliance Trust – Podcast: Trust Issues #24
We talk about multi-manager funds and what Alliance Trust offers investors looking for a core global equity holding…
23 Feb 2024 Alliance Trust
Stuart Gray
Rewatch this webinar which is part of our single manager February event
Watch Recording
09 Feb 2024 Protecting against the unknown
Accepting that prediction making is flawed makes life easier for investors…
07 Feb 2024 Stock spotlight: Ashtead
Jonathan Mills from Metropolis Capital talks about his conviction in the equipment rental firm, Ashtead, which supplies a wide range of plant and commercial equipment to companies in the UK, US and Canada...
26 Oct 2023 Fund Analysis
ATST’s core equity strategy continues to deliver in an uncertain environment…
04 Aug 2023 A rising sun in Japan
Unprecedented action from Japan’s central bank reflects warming sentiment towards the country…
28 Jul 2023 Results analysis: Alliance Trust
ATST delivered strong NAV returns in the first half of the year…
12 Jul 2023 Many hands make light work
We break down how multi-managers have performed over the past five years and their positioning for the inevitable uncertainty that lies ahead…
02 Jun 2023 An automated future
Labour shortages seem more pressing than building LLMs…
30 May 2023 Fund Analysis
ATST’s specialist managers have added value in volatile market conditions…
16 Mar 2023 Diversity matters
We examine the effect of blending multiple funds within your regional allocation and find that – while the culture wars may rumble on elsewhere – the benefits of diversity for investors are unarguable…
09 Mar 2023 Results analysis: Alliance Trust
ATST’s 2022 full-year results illustrate that its unique approach to portfolio allocation is paying off…
02 Dec 2022 A global equity bounce back?
There are some positive early signs for ATST’s managers…
03 Oct 2022 Slides and Audio: Alliance Trust
Download the presentation and listen to the audio from our 'What next for global equities?' webinar from 29 September...
07 Sep 2022 Fund Analysis
ATST’s diverse core equity offering has outperformed its peers in today’s bear market...
01 Sep 2022 Fewer stocks, more diversification
Alliance Trust has protected shareholders from losses in a tough year for investors…
17 Aug 2022 The world for sale
While investment trusts are lagging their open-ended cousins in the global sector, their discounts may provide an attractive entry point...
28 Jul 2022 Results analysis: Alliance Trust
ATST’s half year results have demonstrated the benefits of its highly diversified approach to active management…
15 Jun 2022 Staying active
We highlight several alternatives to passive investments for investors looking for core exposure in uncertain markets...
27 May 2022 What is a multi-manager investment trust?
Multi-manager trusts let ordinary people leave the hard work of asset allocation, portfolio construction and ongoing active management to expert investors…
18 May 2022 Riding out the storm
We look at trusts with tightly governed discounts which may appeal to investors in volatile markets…
30 Mar 2022 You say tomato…
Do it yourself or put it into a global fund and leave it to the experts - our analyst debate the merits of each approach...
17 Mar 2022 It's the end of the world as we know it
We examine five potential themes for investors seeking long-term returns in a troubled and uncertain world...
02 Mar 2022 Spread 'em!
We explore how much dispersion in returns of stocks drive the differing fortunes of trusts…
28 Feb 2022 Results analysis: Alliance Trust
ATST’s latest results indicate that despite stylistic headwinds it has still generated a competitive NAV return, and now trades on an attractive discount…
19 Jan 2022 A unique structure for dividend seekers
Alliance Trust is the only way ordinary UK private investors can get exposure to a select group of leading asset managers…
21 Dec 2021 Fund Analysis
ATST offers investors a ‘core’ equity exposure, utilising seldom-found managers and having recently upgraded its dividend…
08 Dec 2021 Five expert tips for choosing a fund manager
We asked the expert fund selectors at Willis Towers Watson what they look for when they’re trying to identify a winning fund…
01 Dec 2021 Slides and Audio: Alliance Trust
Our research team at Kepler Trust Intelligence hosted a 45 minute webinar update with Willis Towers Watson, the managers of Alliance Trust...
03 Nov 2021 Don't fear the reaper
With market direction hard to call, we consider the case for taking a long-term view in the investment trust sector…
20 Oct 2021 Board games
Investment trust boards talk a good game about championing shareholders interests - but do they really deliver?
24 Aug 2021 Looks can be deceiving
Top-down portfolio characteristics can obscure the investment characteristics of a trust, particularly when it comes to multi-manager portfolios. Here, we examine how Alliance Trust maintains a high active share while still offering a diversified underlying portfolio…
19 Aug 2021 Pandemic immunity
We ask which global equity trusts have outperformed through the different stages of the pandemic…
23 Jul 2021 Results analysis: Alliance Trust
Alliance Trust released a strong set of results this morning showing strong NAV growth driven by stockpicking, but the trust’s discount remains wider than the peer group average…
10 Jun 2021 Time for the stock pickers
As a decade of growth-led momentum gives way to a choppy value resurgence, the outlook for markets is uncertain. Stock pickers like the team behind Alliance Trust are poised for their moment in the sun…
26 May 2021 Fund Analysis
ATST offers investors access to Willis Towers Watson’s exclusive multi-manager portfolio, which has generated strong returns over the last 12 months…
24 Mar 2021 Keeping a level head: the balanced approach to investing
The recent rotation has put a spotlighted how quickly an investment style can fall in or out of favour. For many investors, timing the market is a challenge, which makes a truly active yet balanced approach appealing…
04 Mar 2021 Results analysis: Alliance Trust
ATST’s unique blend of stockpicking managers has delivered solid absolute returns against a volatile backdrop and extended its impressive dividend track record once again…
16 Dec 2020 My haven’t you grown!
How sustainability has gone from zero to hero in 2020…
27 Nov 2020 Fund Analysis
ATST offers a blended portfolio of nine highly concentrated funds...
29 Oct 2020 Alliance Trust: A standout trust for the uncertain times ahead
With ISA season quickly approaching, we look at a trust which can offer attractive returns in both bull and bear markets, and has a track record to prove it…
21 Sep 2020 Alliance Trust: more than meets the eye
Due to the high alpha approach, capital appreciation often gains the headlines, however ATST is also one of the most dependable income sources in the investment trust universe…
09 Sep 2020 No need for compromise
The volatility of global markets has illustrated how ‘all-in-one’ investment vehicles can be beneficial for investors. We look at ATST, which can offer diversification without compromising growth…
23 Jul 2020 Results analysis: Alliance Trust
The global growth giant holds income steady as COVID continues to batter dividends for investors…
05 Jun 2020 Deep impact
Audio and presentations from our conference this week, where fifteen of the world's best fund managers described a profoundly altered investment landscape...
13 May 2020 Braving the new world
Join 15 of the UK's best known fund managers at the Kepler Trust Intelligence Virtual Summit to find out how they see the world after the pandemic...
03 Apr 2020 Beware the risk: the other side of investing
Return is the focus of most investment discussion - but risk is a vital part of the investing equation too. We discuss Alliance Trust's approach to risk management...
11 Mar 2020 Lessons from the coronavirus: keep things simple when it comes to investment
With two major shocks hitting global markets so far in 2020, the case for a straightforward approach to investment has been thrown into relief...
06 Mar 2020 Results analysis: Alliance Trust
The once sleepy global equities giant released a strong set of annual results this morning, beating its benchmark, reducing its costs, and increasing its dividend for the 53rd consecutive year…
25 Feb 2020 First among equals
Multi-manager is a popular strategy, but some multi-manager funds are cut from a finer cloth…
16 Jan 2020 Fund Analysis
ATST offers exposure to some of the world’s best leading managers via a low cost manager of managers approach…
06 Nov 2019 Alliance Trust portfolio update
Willis Towers Watson CIO Craig Baker discusses the century old trust's 'go anywhere' investment strategy...
10 Apr 2019 Because they're worth it
With the rise of the passives putting more pressure on fees than ever before, we argue that performance fees could be the key to encouraging truly active investment trust managers...
25 Mar 2019 Race ready
Clare Dobie explains how the board upon which she sits set about transforming the once sluggish Alliance Trust into a sleek hulled racing clipper...
27 Feb 2019 A marathon not a sprint
Our research shows that investment trusts' structural advantages give them a significant edge for investors seeking long-term capital growth...
27 Feb 2019 Fund Analysis
After changing its spots in 2017, Alliance Trust continues to deliver a growing dividend and attractive returns...
15 Aug 2018 The income edge
Last year saw investment trusts soar in popularity among both retail investors and wealth managers. We examine why this has happened, as well as the structural advantages of investment trusts for income-hungry investors...
09 Jul 2018 Go big or go home
Our research suggests that fund managers who are willing to back their convictions with punchy bets tend to outperform over the long term...
04 Jul 2018 Fund Analysis
Alliance Trust has changed its spots dramatically, adopting an interesting portfolio management approach that uses 8 sub-managers, each tasked with managing a highly concentrated portfolio...
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