by Nick Britton
Nick Britton
They say you can’t choose your family. You have even less choice about when they get the flu. Over the past fortnight, all three of my kids have been ill, my wife’s ill, now I’m ill, and pretty much everyone we might have relied on to help has got it as well.
But though a dose of seasonal flu is deeply inconvenient, not to mention unpleasant, I hesitate to complain when the new coronavirus has locked down a whole city, disrupted millions of people’s lives, and already caused over 400 deaths. Ian Cowie’s thoughts this month turn to the impact of the coronavirus on investors.
Life must go on, and one area of our industry that is at its liveliest at this time of year is venture capital trusts (VCTs). VCT managers – always busy people at the best of times – are currently in fundraising mode, zipping up and down the country as they pitch their offerings to advisers. We’ve caught up with some of them about the influence of Brexit on their portfolio companies, where they’re seeing opportunities, and the outlook for the sector, while John Davies of Seneca Growth Capital VCT offers an insight into his investment process.
Meanwhile, fashionistas are dusting off their best frocks and fedoras and preparing to venture out of hibernation for London Fashion Week. What would you know about any of that, I hear you ask? Precious little, I’d admit. But I do know that it’s big business. We’ve collated the views of Nick Train of Finsbury Growth & Income, Catharine Flood of Scottish Mortgage and others on the enduring power of some of fashion’s biggest brands. Lovers of Burberry, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Next, Moncler and Zara take note.
Finally, we are getting ready for our spring workshop tour, where we will visit 15 locations around the country. A full list of locations and dates is on the next page, and although our booking form is not yet live, you can pre-register by emailing us stating which workshop you wish to attend.
Nick Britton, Head of Intermediary Communications, AIC
Providing a comprehensive introduction to investment trusts in a friendly and practical way, the AIC’s two-hour workshops have been very highly rated by previous attendees. We are visiting 15 locations around the UK and you can pre-register by emailing us stating which workshop you wish to attend.
Wednesday 22 April 2020, 14:00-16:15 – Brighton (Hilton Brighton Metropole, Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2FU)
Thursday 23 April 2020, 14:00-16:15 – Tunbridge Wells (The Spa Hotel, Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8XJ)
Wednesday 29 April 2020, 9:45-12:00 – Chelmsford (The Ivy Hill Hotel, Writtle Road, Margaretting, Chelmsford, Essex CM4 0EH)
Thursday 30 April 2020, 9:15-11:30 – London (The AIC Offices, 9th Floor, 24 Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 4YY)
Tuesday 5 May 2020, 14:00-16:15 – Salisbury (Holiday Inn Salisbury-Stonehenge, Mid-Summer Place, Amesbury, Solstice Park SP4 7SQ)
Wednesday 6 May 2020, 9:45-12:00 – Southampton (Meon Valley Hotel Golf & Country Club, Sandy Lane, Shedfield, Southampton SO32 2HQ)
Thursday 7 May 2020, 14:00-16:15 – London (The AIC Offices, 9th Floor, 24 Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 4YY)
Thursday 14 May 2020, 14:00-16:15 – Cambridge (Hotel Felix, Whitehouse Lane, Huntingdon Road, Girton, Cambridge CV3 0LX)
Tuesday 19 May 2020, 14:00-16:15 – Knutsford (The Cottons Hotel & Spa, Manchester Road, Knutsford WA16 0SU)
Wednesday 20 May 2020, 9:00-11:15 – York (Principal Hotel York, Station Road, York YO24 1AA)
Wednesday 20 May 2020, 14:00-16:15 – Sheffield (Copthorne Hotel Sheffield, Bramall Lane, Sheffield S2 4SU)
Thursday 21 May 2020, 9:45-12:00 – Leicester (Leicester Marriott Hotel, Grove Park, Smith Way, Enderby, Leicester LE19 1SW)
Tuesday 2 June 2020, 14:00-16:15 – Exeter (Mercure Exeter Rougemont Hotel, Queen Street, Exeter EX4 3SP)
Wednesday 3 June 2020, 9:00-11:15 – Bristol (Aztec Hotel & Spa, Aztec West, Almondsbury, Bristol BS32 4TS)
Wednesday 3 June 2020, 14:15-16:30 – Cardiff (Clayton Hotel Cardiff, St Mary Street, Cardiff CF10 1GD)
Thursday 4 June 2020, 9:45-12:00 – Tewkesbury (Hilton Puckrup Hall, Puckrup Lane, Tewkesbury GL20 6EL)