Trustnet Magazine Issue 35 December 2017 | Page 2

EDITOR’S LETTER 14 Issue 35 / December 2017 2017 in review LOOKING UP Your guide to every sector next year PLATFORM 9¾ (OUT OF 10) Picking the right online broker for you SHAKING IT UP The quiet revolution in investment trusts 000 Front Cover.indd 1 13/12/2017 19:04 ISSUE 35 CREDITS TRUSTNET MAGAZINE (FORMERLY INVESTAZINE) IS PUBLISHED BY THE TEAM BEHIND FE TRUSTNET IN SOHO, LONDON. WEBSITE: WWW.TRUSTNETDIRECT.COM EMAIL: [email protected] CONTACTS: T HIS TIME OF YEAR traditionally sees Trustnet Magazine round up the events of the past 12 months. On the face of it, this may seem like a facile exercise used to spare your editor the effort of coming up with anything more original. However, it never fails to surprise me how much the investment landscape can change in such a short period of time and how often the major events that took place in the early part of the year have largely been forgotten about by the time Christmas rolls around. For example, there was a notion prevalent at the start of the year that, with four elections set to take place in major European nations and populism on the rise, 2017 could well be the beginning of the end of the EU. It is worth bearing in mind just how wide of the mark the experts often find themselves when you read another one of our December staples – the outlook on every major investment trust sector for the year ahead. Our final festive fixture sees me asking three analysts to review their trust picks from last year – and reveal which ones they are backing in 2018. In our regular features, John Blowers weighs up the pros and cons of each investment platform in light of Trustnet Direct’s closure, Quilter Cheviot’s Simon Doherty and Navin Chauhan explain why they are backing Henderson European Selected Opportunities and Lucy Macdonald of the Brunner Investment Trust names three stocks whose use of technology is creating long-term value. From everyone at Trustnet Magazine, have a happy Christmas and we will see you next year. IN THIS ISSUE 10 12 20 Anthony Luzio Editor T: 0207 534 7652 Art direction & design Javier Otero W: www.feedingcrows.co.uk Editorial Gary Jackson Editor (FE Trustnet) T: 0207 534 7680 Rob Langston News editor T: 0207 534 7696 Jonathan Jones Reporter T: 0207 534 7640 Anthony Luzio Editor Trustnet Magazine Sales Richard Fletcher Head of publishing sales T: 0207 534 7662 Richard Casemore Account manager T: 0207 534 7669 Photos supplied by Istock and Photoshot Cover illustration: Javier Otero In association with: THE CALM AFTER THE STORM Trustnet Magazine looks back at 2017 – a year that allowed investors to get their breath back following the roller coaster ride of 2016 P. 2-5 / SHAKING IT UP Cherry Reynard says investment trusts could be entering an exciting new phase as she rounds up the major activity in the sector over the past 12 months P. 6-8 / WHY TECHNOLOGY WILL TRANSFORM HEALTHCARE Douglas Brodie, manager of Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust, reveals why he is so optimistic about the biotech sector P. 10-11 / BACK TO THE FUTURE Anthony Luzio asks the experts to review their trust picks from last year – and reveal which ones they are backing in 2018 P. 12-14 / FUND, PENSION, TRUST Franklin UK Equity Income, Schroder High Yield Opportunities and Biotech Growth Trust find themselves under the spotlight this month P. 16-18 / LOOKING UP Adam Lewis finds fund managers and analysts in a positive mood as he sums up their outlook on every major investment trust sector in 2018 P. 20-23 / PLATFORM 9¾ (OUT OF 10) With the closure of Trustnet Direct, John Blowers offers advice on what you should look for when choosing the right investment platform for you P. 24-27 / GETTING DIGITAL Lucy Macdonald of the Brunner Investment Trust names three stocks whose use of technology is creating long-term value P. 28 / WHAT I BOUGHT LAST Quilter Cheviot’s Simon Doherty and Navin Chauhan explain why they are backing Henderson European Selected Opportunities P. 29