Top investment trusts
View the best performing and most popular investment trusts over various timeframes.
Please remember, investment value can go up or down and you could get back less than you invest. The value of international investments may be affected by currency fluctuations which might reduce their value in sterling.
Most popular investment trusts with ii customers
In the table below you will find the most purchased investment trusts by ii customers in an ISA, SIPP or Trading Account.
The following investments should not be taken as personal recommendations to buy or sell a particular trust - they are not intended to provide advice.
Top 10 most-popular investment trusts in May
| Trust | Sector | Rank change from April 2021 | One-year performance to 1 June 2021 (%) | Three-year performance to 1 June 2021 (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scottish Mortgage | Global | No change | 61.8 | 137.4 |
| 2 | BlackRock World Mining | Commodities & natural resources | Up 3 | 88.1 | 90 |
| 3 | Polar Capital Technology | Technology & Media | New entry | 14.2 | 74.6 |
| 4 | City of London | UK Equity Income | Down 2 | 20.7 | 4.4 |
| 5 | Edinburgh Worldwide | Global Smaller Companies | Down 2 | 33.7 | 88.8 |
| 6 | Baillie Gifford US Growth | North America | Up 2 | 58.8 | 161.9 |
| 7 | Monks | Global | Down 3 | 35.9 | 63.9 |
| 8 | Capital Gearing | Flexible | New entry | 12.3 | 24.8 |
| 9 | Alliance Trust | Global | Up 1 | 30.5 | 38.5 |
| 10 | Smithson Investment Trust | Global Smaller Companies | Down 1 | 15.4 | N/A* |
Source: Interactive investor. FE Analytics used for performance figures. Note: the top 10 is based on the number of “buys” during the month of May 2021. *Insufficient track record.
Best performing investment trusts
Below are the top performing investment trusts up to 1 June 2020. For a more comprehensive overview of fund, investment trust and ETF performance, read our latest update.
The data is provided by Morningstar, a global financial services firm. interactive investor accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies in the data.
How to use the data
The tables showcase the best performing investment trusts across the entire investment trust universe. As such, you may see more specialist investment trust types feature as the best performing investment trusts across the various timeframes.
Such investment trusts tend to invest in a single country, sector or commodity, and may be more suitable for adventurous investors with a long timeframe.
Investment trusts can be held in an ISA, SIPP, and other investment accounts. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may be subject to change.
Please remember that past performance is not a guide to future performance. The tables simply offer a snapshot of the best-performing funds over time. When doing your research, it makes sense to look at an even greater variety of time periods to assess performance across different market conditions. It is also a good idea to look at performance on a yearly basis in order to ensure good long-term performance is not just the result of one outstanding year.
Investment trust performance figures – also bear in mind
The performance figures show the total return in sterling unless otherwise specified. Figures are calculated on a share price total return basis.
Like funds (open-ended investment companies or unit trusts), investment trusts are a pooled investment that invest in a 'basket' of underlying assets such as equities, bonds or property; but unlike funds, trusts are listed on the London Stock Exchange and their share prices go up and down according to investor demand and supply.
Therefore, one of the key differences compared to funds is that there are two 'layers' of activity: the performance of the underlying investments (the net asset value) held in the investment trust, and its share price.
Choosing the right investment trusts for your portfolio
There are around 400 investment trusts available to UK investors – so finding the best investment trusts can be difficult. .
As well as fund performance over time, you should consider your investment goals and appetite for risk.
In general, five years is the minimum recommended period for investing in funds, as the stock market can be unpredictable in the short term.
Important information
Our most popular investments should not be taken as personal recommendations to buy or sell a particular stock or fund, and are not intended to provide advice.
The value of your investments can fall as well as rise and you may not get back all the money that you invest. Please note the tax treatment of these products depends on the individual circumstances of each customer and may be subject to change in future.