Investing Basics: Multi-manager investment trusts

Multi-manager trusts let investors leave the hard work of asset allocation, portfolio construction and ongoing active investment to expert investors – writes Christian Leeming 

Investment trusts are often comprised of investments in a particular asset class; for example, a trust might focus on bonds or stocks, and might further focus within a single region, country or industrial theme.

Wind farms, distribution hubs, forests and even tea plantations are included in the more niche corners of the market which single-theme investment trusts offer exposure to; however, a key attraction of investment trusts is that they can provide very broadly diversified exposure to a portfolio of investments.

Multi-manager trusts take this diversification one step further. By investing in shares in other investment trusts or funds, or by investing in a group of underlying managers, multi-manager funds offer a compelling combination of diversification and active management – letting ordinary investors hand the job of identifying the best possible funds to fund selectors with the knowledge and resources to make an informed choice.

What is a multi-manager investment trust?

Multi-manager investment trusts combine the skills of a number of underlying managers in a single portfolio, built, monitored and tuned by a single overall manager.

The manager may choose a ‘fund of funds’ approach, in which the trust buys shares of other funds or trusts, or a ‘manager of managers’ approach where the trust’s capital is allocated to selected fund managers, in both cases according to the overall managers asset allocation strategy.

The goal may be to become a one-stop shop for investors seeking general market exposure by spreading funds across a wide variety of managers in different regions, sectors and asset classes.

Multi-manager funds also offer the ability to gain exposure to a group of managers who are ‘best in class’, chosen and monitored by expert fund selectors who can ensure they continue to deliver on their promises.

Having said that, it’s also not uncommon for a multi-manager trust to skew towards a particular investment style or asset class; for example, a trust could have a larger exposure to US equities that invest in value stocks than anything else.

How do multi-manager investment trusts work?

Analysts at a multi-manager trust select managers in much the same way they would if they were picking individual stocks, building a portfolio designed to achieve their asset allocation goals.

Firstly they set their own goals; for example, the trust may have been set up to deliver income to shareholders. Alternatively the goal could be to deliver capital growth or a combination of capital growth and income. These factors act as a starting point for the trust managers and have a big influence on how they allocate funds.

Then they look at how different managers invest and what they invest in; although no indicator of future performance, they also look at a manager’s track record. Underperformance may not actually be a reason to avoid a manager, if the overlying fund manager thinks the underlying manager can explain why that underperformance has occurred – and in what circumstances outperformance will occur.

This is to a large extent a similar process to the one that the trust managers would go through if they were investing directly in assets themselves. The difference is that multi-manager trusts have to spend much more time gauging how competent the managers are that they’re allocating funds to, as opposed to just analysing individual assets.

Manager of managers trusts vs fund-of-funds trusts

So, ‘multi-manager’ is a catch-all phrase that can refer to either a ‘fund of funds’ or a ‘manager of managers’ trust; the key difference is that fund of funds invest in the shares or units of other funds, whereas a manager of managers trust will get a mix of managers to pick assets to invest in but they hold those assets themselves.

Fund-of-funds and manager-of-managers trusts both have their advantages but the latter arguably possess some traits which are likely to make them the preferred option for DIY investors.

One is that fund-of-funds invest in existing funds which may be available to investors anyway. In contrast, multi-manager trusts are often made up of bespoke portfolios created by leading fund managers. So the picks that a manager makes in a multi-manager trust are unlikely to be available anywhere else.

On top of that, the fact that a multi-manager trust holds all of the assets itself means that there is likely to be only one layer of fees and more transparency in what it has invested in. In contrast, the fund-of-fund model can make it much harder to understand what you’re actually invested in and lead to layers of fees that you don’t realise you’re paying.

Why invest in a multi-manager investment trust?

The main appeal of multi-manager trusts is that they’re a simple way of getting a diversified portfolio; rather than picking lots of managers, stocks or investment trusts yourself, you can invest in one and get exposure to a diversified portfolio in the process.

In addition, you get access to specialist analysts tasked with finding the best managers to meet a certain goal. Just as analysing equities, fixed-income, or real estate requires some level of expertise, so too does analysing funds and picking good managers.

Multi-manager trusts sift through hundreds of different managers in order to find those most suitable for the goal their trust has. That means you can access the best managers to help meet whatever goals you have.

Another key attraction is that you may be able to get exposure to fund managers that would otherwise be off-limits to you. Fund managers that don’t have a retail offering or which are inaccessible to UK investors, for example, may be accessible via a multi-manager trust.

In some instances, you may also be able to access more niche asset classes that are otherwise hard to get exposure to. Private equity funds, for example, feature in some multi-manager trusts, even though they’re often very difficult for individuals to invest in if they want to go it alone.