F&C Investment Trust
F&C Investment Trust is the world's oldest investment trust (founded 1868), London-listed under ticker FCIT, offering UK retail investors diversified exposure to over 400 global equities and select private equity funds, with a claimed 55 consecutive years of dividend growth.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1868
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What F&C Investment Trust does
F&C Investment Trust is a London-listed, closed-ended investment trust (LON: FCIT) founded in 1868, recognised as the world's oldest investment trust. It provides investors with diversified exposure to global equity markets through a single shareholding, investing in 400+ of the world's leading companies across developed and emerging markets, alongside select private equity funds. The trust is managed externally by Columbia Threadneedle Management Limited (FCA-authorised, Firm Reference 517895), with Fund Manager Paul Niven responsible for portfolio strategy and shareholder communication.
The company's core product is the investment trust itself, supplemented by Columbia Threadneedle Savings Plans that allow regular monthly contributions from £25 and minimum opening investments of £2,000 (adult) or £1,000 (child). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the company's website and indirect through more than ten UK retail platforms, including Hargreaves Lansdown, Interactive Investor, AJ Bell, Barclays Smart Investor, Fidelity, Aviva, M&G Wealth Platform, Interactive Brokers, and EQi. The trust reported a market capitalisation of £6.02 billion as of April 2026 and a 90.89% net margin, with a claimed 55 consecutive years of dividend growth.
Strategically, F&C has prioritised accessibility and engagement in 2026: a 4-for-1 nominal share split took effect on 11 May 2026 following AGM approval, intended to broaden retail accessibility by reducing per-share price while preserving NAV. The company also runs the F&C Live 2026 investor event and publishes AGM recordings, shareholder updates, and educational content to reinforce its "foundation holding" positioning. Customer base is retail-skewed, served through diversified UK distribution, with no disclosed enterprise or anchor-customer concentration.
F&C Investment Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- F&C Investment Trust
- Legal name
- F&C Investment Trust
- Website
- https://fandc.co.uk
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1868
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- F&C Investment Trust is the world's oldest investment trust (founded 1868), London-listed under ticker FCIT, offering UK retail investors diversified exposure to over 400 global equities and select private equity funds, with a claimed 55 consecutive years of dividend growth.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where F&C Investment Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
F&C Investment Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Investment Management Fees and Performance: F&C Investment Trust generates returns through investment in diversified global equities and private equity funds, providing shareholders with capital growth and dividend income. The trust has a net margin of 90.89%, indicating efficient operations as an investment vehicle.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Standard investment share pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels3 records
F&C Investment Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
F&C Investment Trust is a publicly listed closed-end investment trust that invests in a diversified portfolio of global equities (400+ of the world's leading companies) plus selected private equity funds, aiming to deliver long-term capital growth and dividend income to shareholders. The trust is managed by Columbia Threadneedle Management Limited and supplemented by Columbia Threadneedle Savings Plans that allow regular monthly investing from £25 and lump-sum investments from £2,000 (adults).
Product overview
F&C Investment Trust operates as a single core investment trust product—a London-listed investment vehicle that provides diversified exposure to over 400 global equities and select private equity funds. The trust is managed by Columbia Threadneedle Investments and is designed for both new and experienced investors seeking long-term capital growth and reliable dividend income. Supplementary offerings include savings plans that facilitate regular investing with low minimum contributions. The trust is accessible through multiple UK broker platforms including Hargreaves Lansdown, Interactive Investor, AJ Bell, Barclays Smart Investor, Fidelity, Aviva, M&G Wealth, and Interactive Brokers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- F&C Investment Trust The world's oldest investment trust (founded 1868), offering exposure to over 400 of the world's leading companies across global stock markets plus private equity fund exposure. The trust aims to deliver long-term capital growth and dividend income, having increased dividends for 55 consecutive years, and is targeted at UK retail investors seeking a single, diversified global equity vehicle.
- F&C Investment Trust Savings Plans Cost-effective savings plans managed by Columbia Threadneedle allowing regular monthly contributions from £25 or one-off additional investments from £100, with minimum opening investments of £2,000 for adult accounts and £1,000 for child accounts, and no online dealing charges. Designed for UK investors who want to build exposure to F&C Investment Trust through regular, automated investing.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90.89% net margin
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use F&C Investment Trust
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
F&C Investment Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
F&C Investment Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Columbia Threadneedle InvestmentscoreColumbia Threadneedle Management Limited manages F&C Investment Trust and offers cost-effective Savings Plans for investing in the trust, starting from £2,000 for adult accounts and £1,000 for child accounts.
- Hargreaves LansdowncoreHargreaves Lansdown is one of the UK's largest investment platforms distributing F&C Investment Trust shares to retail investors.
- Interactive InvestorcoreInteractive Investor provides platform access for purchasing and managing F&C Investment Trust shares.
- AJ BellminorAJ Bell Youinvest platform offers F&C Investment Trust as part of its investment options.
- Barclays Smart InvestorminorBarclays Smart Investor provides access to F&C Investment Trust for Barclays customers.
- FidelityminorFidelity provides factsheet data and investment platform access for F&C Investment Trust.
- AvivaminorAviva platform offers F&C Investment Trust as an investment fund option.
- M&G Wealth PlatformminorM&G Wealth Platform distributes F&C Investment Trust to UK investors.
- Interactive BrokersminorInteractive Brokers provides international access to F&C Investment Trust shares.
- EQiminorEQi platform offers F&C Investment Trust with detailed stock information.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
F&C Investment Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bankers Investment Trust: Long-running UK global equity investment trust managed by Janus Henderson; similar heritage, similar global equity focus with some emerging market and private investment exposure, and similar retail distribution footprint.
- Monks Investment Trust: UK-listed global growth investment trust managed by Baillie Gifford; comparable to F&C in global equity focus, retail distribution, and long-term capital growth orientation, though with higher growth tilt.
- Personal Assets Trust: UK-listed multi-asset investment trust focused on capital preservation and growth; comparable to F&C in being a long-established, diversified retail-facing investment trust distributed via major UK platforms.
- Witan Investment Trust: Long-established UK diversified global equity investment trust with multi-manager structure; closely comparable to F&C in heritage, scale, retail distribution, and global equity mandate.
- RIT Capital Partners: UK-listed investment trust with diversified global exposure spanning listed equities, private equity, and alternatives; closely comparable to F&C's portfolio construction with its PE sleeve and global mandate.
- Alliance Trust: UK-listed diversified global equity investment trust with a multi-manager investment approach; directly comparable in product structure, retail distribution model, and long-term capital growth mandate.
- Brunner Investment Trust: UK-listed global equity investment trust with a long dividend track record; directly comparable to F&C as a long-established, dividend-focused diversified global equity trust distributed via UK platforms.
- Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust: UK-listed investment trust focused on global growth equities with selected unlisted/PE exposure; one of the largest and most comparable diversified global equity trusts to F&C, sharing the same retail distribution channels and active management model.
- JPMorgan Global Growth & Income: UK-listed global equity investment trust with a balanced capital growth and income mandate; closely comparable to F&C's global equity diversification and dividend focus, distributed through the same UK platforms.
Broad incumbents
- Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF: Massive passive global equity vehicle from Vanguard offering comparable diversified international equity exposure at very low cost; competes with F&C for the same retail investor seeking global diversification, but at a fraction of the fees and without active management.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
F&C Investment Trust social profiles
Digital presenceF&C Investment Trust compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
F&C Investment Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
F&C Investment Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
F&C Investment Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
F&C Investment Trust M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about F&C Investment Trust
What does F&C Investment Trust do?
F&C Investment Trust is a publicly listed closed-end investment trust that invests in a diversified portfolio of global equities (400+ of the world's leading companies) plus selected private equity funds, aiming to deliver long-term capital growth and dividend income to shareholders. The trust is managed by Columbia Threadneedle Management Limited and supplemented by Columbia Threadneedle Savings Plans that allow regular monthly investing from £25 and lump-sum investments from £2,000 (adults).
Is F&C Investment Trust a public or private company?
F&C Investment Trust is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was F&C Investment Trust founded?
F&C Investment Trust was founded in 1868. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is F&C Investment Trust based?
F&C Investment Trust is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does F&C Investment Trust make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Management Fees and Performance.
Who are F&C Investment Trust's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bankers Investment Trust, Monks Investment Trust, Personal Assets Trust, Witan Investment Trust, RIT Capital Partners, Alliance Trust, Brunner Investment Trust, Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and JPMorgan Global Growth & Income. Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does F&C Investment Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for F&C Investment Trust.