Bankers Investment Trust (The)

Investment summary

The Bankers Investment Trust (BNKR) has re-established its trend of long-term outperformance of its benchmark, after a slightly disappointing H218. While the portfolio retains a cyclical tilt, manager Alex Crooke at Janus Henderson Investors has overseen a gradual shift toward more defensive market areas in recent months. The trust’s regional sub-portfolio managers focus on finding well-managed, cash-generative companies whose growing dividends can support BNKR’s own impressive 52-year record of dividend growth. Crooke recognises the delicate balance between positive and negative factors in the global macro picture, and over the past year has taken some profits in highly rated technology names and kept gearing low at c 2–3%. He expects greater clarity on the macro outlook in the second half of 2019, but in the meantime is taking advantage of more attractive equity valuations resulting from the Q418 market sell-off.