Last year saw investment trusts soar in popularity among both retail investors and wealth managers. Statistics from the AIC show that during 2017, independent financial advisors bought £990m-worth of investment trusts through platforms. That was 46% more than in 2016, and 41% more than the previous record of £704m in 2015. This increased demand has shown itself in the average discount across the investment trust universe, which has narrowed markedly, as shown in the chart below.
