Top 10 most-popular investment trusts: March 2026

Four new names entered our investment trust bestseller list in March, with investors taking advantage of one individual sell-off and otherwise branching out into a variety of areas. 

3i Group Ord (LSE:III) enters the list, in fourth place, in a clear case of investors buying in on bad news.

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The private equity giant, once associated with strong returns and a premium valuation, has had bouts of share price weakness since late 2025, when investors started to worry about a weaker outlook for its dominant holding, European discount retailer Action. 

Bargain hunters have had another shot at the trust’s shares in recent days, after plans for Action to expand into the US appeared to unsettle markets. Our recent in-depth analysis of the trust unpicks those developments and what they may mean for future returns. 

Our figures, which exclude regular investing and therefore give more of a flavour of what tactical buys some ii customers might be making, also put Supermarket Income REIT REIT (LSE:SUPR) in the top 10.

The fund, which invests in grocery properties, has been in expansion mode in recent times, making £398 million of “earnings-enhancing acquisitions” in 2025, something that should contribute to a “sustainable, growing dividend” from the 2027 financial year onwards. 

The trust may well appeal to income-hunters, with the net initial yield for its portfolio coming to 6% at the end of 2025. 

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Speaking of income, another new entry to the table and a frequently popular name among ii customers is Henderson Far East Income Ord (LSE:HFEL).

This is a fund that could spark plenty of debate among investors, given that its 10% share price dividend yield easily makes it the highest-yielding equity trust out there but its total returns have at times looked underwhelming. 

Recent returns are certainly not to be sniffed at, with shareholders making 28.6% in the 12 months to the end of March. But HFEL trails most of its rivals in the Association of Investment Companies (AIC) Asian Equity Income sector over that period. 

The other new entry of the month, F&C Investment Trust Ord (LSE:FCIT), focuses on providing a highly diversified portfolio of global equities with a smattering of exposure to private equity. Its shares have returned 13% over a year, a very respectable showing. That does put it behind the roughly 16.5% return from the MSCI World index, but puts it well ahead of the 4.9% return from one obvious rival, Alliance Witan Ord (LSE:ALW). 

What exited the list? 

Before we turn to the other names in the table, it’s worth asking what has left the list.

This time it’s HgCapital Trust Ord (LSE:HGT), a name that previously drew in bargain hunters amid the software sell-off, Renewables Infrastructure Group (LSE:TRIG), Temple Bar Ord (LSE:TMPL) and Fidelity Emerging Markets Ord (LSE:FEML). These names can often end up drifting in and out of our bestseller lists. 

Those names that stay in the list are quite the mixed bunch. Investors continue to like the future trend-focused Scottish Mortgage Ord (LSE:SMT), which has appeal on various fronts from its chunky exposure to SpaceX to its focus on the artificial intelligence (AI) theme.  

An upwards revaluation of SpaceX recently helped to shunt its unlisted exposure past the 30% threshold, prompting the team to seek some breathing room on this front in March. 

For those interested in an update on Scottish Mortgage, we recently recorded a two-part video interview with trust’s deputy fund manager Lawrence Burns.  

• Watch here: Scottish Mortgage on SpaceX and running winners vs taking profits
• Watch here: Scottish Mortgage on AI, new holdings, and its edge over trackers

From more growth to Greencoat

Investors also continue to love growth companies, technology and AI via Polar Capital Technology Ord (LSE:PCT), which slips down one place.  

And on the space front Seraphim Space Investment Trust Ord (LSE:SSIT), which also serves as a good play on the defence spending theme, slips down to seventh place but stays in the list.

As the table shows, shareholders are sitting on some enormous gains over a year and longer, although the trust’s at times unruly share price premium has moderated to around 5%.

There’s a good mix of other exposures in the list.

Investors are continuing to buy into Greencoat UK Wind (LSE:UKW), which, like some its peers, has performed well in the last month or so. Its fund manager Matt Ridley was also recently in our recording studio, and you can watch the interview via the links below.   

• Watch here: 10%-plus yield but hit by rate rises: will performance turn around?
• Watch here: How we’ll power our inflation-linked dividend

Beyond that, investors also like the steady UK income play City of London Ord (LSE:CTY), as well as BlackRock World Mining Trust Ord (LSE:BRWM). 

The gold price, and shares in companies who mine it, have taken a beating in the last month and BRWM has certainly felt the force of this shift. But investors seem unfazed by this for the time being.

Top 10 most-popular trusts in March 2026 

Source: FE. The top 10 is based on the number of buys in March. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.