The Bankers Investment Trust

Greater investment flexibility may boost returns

24 May 2024

The Bankers Investment Trust (BNKR) focuses on cash-generating companies and FY23 (ended 31 October 2023) was its 57th consecutive year of dividend growth. Dividends rose by 10%, maintaining the trust’s track record of above inflation dividend growth over the long term. The board expects dividends to rise by at least 5% in FY24. While this is commendable, BNKR’s recent relative total return performance has been adversely affected by its lack of exposure to most of the so-called Magnificent Seven US tech stocks, which the manager, Alex Crooke, has avoided as they do not pay dividends. However, BNKR’s board has recently indicated that it will adopt a more flexible approach to using revenue reserves. This will enable the manager to invest in a broader pool of investments. This greater flexibility has the potential to deliver better capital returns, while ensuring the trust keeps delivering progressive dividend growth. MORE »

Core option with solid long-term track record

30 July 2021

The Bankers Investment Trust (BNKR) has continued to post solid returns (NAV TR +17.4% in the six months to 30 April 2021) from its diversified global equity portfolio. Lead manager Alex Crooke oversees a team of regional fund managers, as well as setting the trust’s overall asset allocation and managing its gearing. While gearing has been low in recent times (averaging 1.25% net over the past 12 months), two newly announced loan note issues totalling c £75m will boost the available borrowing to c 10% of NAV, allowing the manager greater flexibility to express positive market views or take advantage of undervalued opportunities. Crooke is guardedly optimistic on the outlook for equities, particularly in Europe and Japan, which have a greater proportion of attractively valued stocks that should do well in a more inflationary environment. BNKR remains on track for a record-equalling 55th year of annual dividend growth in FY21, and currently yields 1.8%. MORE »

Quality-focused global growth and income fund

31 July 2020

The Bankers Investment Trust (BNKR) has continued to deliver on its twin objectives of long-term capital and income growth, rebounding strongly from the global market declines of Q120 and declaring increased dividends for H120 despite the difficult backdrop for corporate earnings. Coming into 2020, manager Alex Crooke had positioned the trust relatively cautiously with a net cash position of c 3%, which he put to work during the sell-off, boosting the portfolio’s long-term total return potential. At the half year the board reiterated its intention to increase BNKR’s FY20 total dividend by c 3%, using reserves as necessary, which would secure a record-equalling 54th consecutive year of dividend growth for the trust’s shareholders. MORE »

Global outperformer on track for 53rd divi increase

17 December 2019

The Bankers Investment Trust (BNKR) has recently moved from a slightly geared to a small net cash position, as manager Alex Crooke seeks to lock in gains and await a more favourable re-entry point. The global fund is run as a collection of regional portfolios, with an overall tilt towards a value style of investment, although this varies from one sub-portfolio manager to another. Over 12 months to end-September almost all the regional portfolios have outperformed local indices, with the exception of the UK and the small and now largely liquidated non Asian emerging markets allocation. BNKR invests for both capital and income growth, and is on track to grow its dividend by c 6% for FY19 (ended 31 October), a 53rd consecutive annual increase. MORE »

Outperforming benchmarks old and new

29 May 2018

The Bankers Investment Trust (BNKR) is celebrating its 130th anniversary with a 51st consecutive year of annual dividend growth, and a new FTSE World index benchmark that better reflects its investment approach. Recent performance has been strong, buoyed by good returns from the US portfolio and eye-catching outperformance in China, while dividends grew ahead of forecasts in FY17. Manager Alex Crooke cautions that recent sterling strength could be a headwind for overseas dividend income in the current period, although the trust’s large revenue reserve (1.8x the FY17 dividend) and focus on stocks with attractive dividend growth should help to ensure that BNKR’s long record of year-on-year growth is maintained. Crooke has recently been appointed co-head of equities at Janus Henderson Investors, but remains committed to overseeing BNKR. MORE »

Stock selection drives positive performance

2 October 2017

The Bankers Investment Trust (BNKR) invests globally, with the aim of generating higher long-term total returns for its largely UK investor base than it could have achieved in its home market. Share price and NAV returns are ahead of the benchmark FTSE All-Share Index over both the short and longer term, with annualised NAV total returns of more than 15% pa over five years. BNKR also aims to grow its dividend ahead of inflation, and has the second-longest record of unbroken dividend growth of any investment company, on track for a 51st year in FY17. Lead manager Alex Crooke, at the helm since 2003, has slightly reduced the North America allocation as leading economic indicators begin to look less favourable, diverting resources to European portfolio manager Tim Stevenson, who is finding good value opportunities particularly among financial stocks. MORE »

50 years of growing dividends

14 March 2017

The Bankers Investment Trust (BNKR) aims to reward investors who take the additional risk of investing overseas with total returns in excess of those they could have achieved at home (as measured by the FTSE All-Share Index). The trust has a diversified approach, with lead manager Alex Crooke setting the geographical allocation, and regional sub-portfolios managed by specialists at Henderson Global Investors. Value and income are key tenets of the investment process, and the trust has recently achieved a record 50th year of annual dividend growth. BNKR has a long-term record of outperformance versus its benchmark. In the past year it has simplified its fee structure and acted as one of two rollover vehicles for investors in Henderson Global Trust, boosting assets under management by c £60m. MORE »

Global portfolio with 49 years of dividend growth

14 March 2016

The Bankers Investment Trust (BNKR) is a long-established, globally invested fund with a focus on achieving long-term capital growth greater than that of the FTSE All-Share index, and above-inflation dividend growth. Lead manager Alex Crooke makes use of the substantial resources of Henderson Global Investors, delegating ex-UK stock selection to regional specialists. BNKR has recently achieved its 49th consecutive annual dividend increase, the joint-longest record in the investment company sector. A proposal to merge its stablemate Henderson Global Trust with Henderson International Income Trust could see BNKR – which will be offered as a rollover option to investors who wish to retain a global growth mandate – receive a boost to its assets under management. MORE »

Global growth with growing income

13 July 2015

The Bankers Investment Trust (BNKR) is a global investment trust that aims to deliver capital growth in excess of the return on the FTSE All-Share index, as well as growing its dividend by more than the rate of UK inflation. Lead manager Alex Crooke looks after UK stock selection (c 38% of the portfolio) and sets the geographical asset allocation; regional portfolios are run by specialists from Henderson Global Investors’ well resourced fund management team. While there is no overall ‘house style’, all the managers are focused on not overpaying for growth. 12-month returns to 30 June have been particularly strong versus the benchmark and the trust is on track to grow its dividend for a 49th successive year. MORE »

Global generalist with 47 years of dividend growth

10 December 2014

The Bankers Investment Trust (BNKR) invests in global equities with the objective of beating the FTSE All-Share capital return and increasing its dividend annually ahead of RPI inflation. Managed by Alex Crooke at Henderson Global Investors, it has a relatively high weighting (c 40%) in the UK, although this is expected to fall gently in the coming years. BNKR has one of the highest yields in the AIC Global sector (2.5% at 8 December), which may have helped propel it to a premium to NAV in late 2013/early 2014, and has raised its dividend for 47 successive years. It has fallen to a slight discount in the recent spell of market volatility, which may represent a more attractive entry point for long-term investors. MORE »