In this edition of the Money Makers Investment Trusts Podcast, Jonathan Davis, editor of the Investment Trusts Handbook (winner of the AIC Best Broadcast Journalist Award 2024 and 2025), is joined once again by Ben Conway, head of fund management at Hawksmoor. Their discussion this time includes the health of the investment trusts sector, the role of activist investors and board responsibilities, and regulatory changes that might entice pension funds back to the sector.
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336: Ben Conway

0:01:22 – The health of the investment trusts sector
0:04:48 – Activists and boards
0:15:56 – The return of pension funds?
0:26:47 – A short break
0:27:33 – The equity market situation
0:37:00 – Quality growth investors
0:41:29 – Barriers to new investment trusts
0:45:02 – Reasons for optimism
0:46:35 – Close
OUT NOW: The Investment Trusts Handbook 2026
The Investment Trusts Handbook 2026 is the ninth edition of the highly regarded annual handbook for anyone interested in investment trusts – often referred to as the City’s best-kept secret, or the connoisseur’s choice among investment funds. It is expertly edited by well-known author and professional investor Jonathan Davis, founder and editor of the Money Makers newsletter and podcast. The Investment Trusts Handbook 2026 is an independent educational publication, available through bookshops and extensively online. With articles by 30 different authors, including analysts, fund managers and investment writers, plus more than 80 pages of detailed data and analysis, the latest edition is an indispensable companion for anyone looking to invest in the investment trust sector.

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Disclosures about the editor’s holdings of investment trusts can be found here. Our podcasts are also available on the Association of Investment Companies website (www.theaic.co.uk). The producer of the podcasts is the brilliant Ben Gamblin – more details on him here.