The research agency said the expansion of its ratings service was in response to growing demand from users for information on investment companies – with 11 now awarded an ‘elite rating’ across global, European, Asia and Japanese equities as well as one trust in the property sector.
More ratings are expected in the coming months, with FundCalibre claiming the sector looks increasingly attractive to investors looking to “tap into a revenue reserve and maintain dividend payments”.
Tony Yousefian, FundCalibre’s investment company research specialist, said: “A recent poll conducted among our visitors showed a strong interest in learning about, and investing in, investment companies. But picking the right fund – be it closed-ended or open-ended – can be daunting with so much choice on offer.”
He added: “At a time when income is such a scarce resource and demand is putting pressure on dividend yields, the ability to tap into a revenue reserve and maintain dividend payments, for example, is a characteristic of investment companies that we think will interest many investors.”
The expansion comes just a few days after the Association of Investment Companies (AIC) claimed the under-representation of the sector signified a ‘market failure’ in its response to the FCA’s Asset Management Market Study.
Annabel Brodie-Smith, communications director at the AIC, said: “We have seen increased interest in investment companies from both private investors and advisers, with adviser purchasers tripling since 2012.
“Investors are recognising the benefits of investment companies with their strong long-term performance records, closed-ended structure and income advantages.
“We very much welcome more research on investment companies and we frequently receive investor requests for more independent research.”
