Now you see it

There’s a strong theme of visibility in this quarter’s Investment Trust Insider e-zine. From climate change to women’s rights and music royalties, we’re looking at areas that are sometimes hidden.

While it appears the world is pouring into renewable power ahead of next month’s UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Jeremy Gordon finds investment trust fund managers are finding a broad range of opportunities in the environmental challenge, including, somewhat counter intuitively, in traditional big oil companies.

Michelle McGagh interviews Abby Glennie, who as Citywire’s Alpha Female report this month revealed, remains a bit of a rarity as sole manager of the Aberdeen Smaller Companies Income trust. One advantage from being one of the few women in investment is standing out from the crowd of males in her career.

Glennie’s profile looks set to rise further should she succeed small-cap veteran Harry Nimmo on the bigger Standard Life UK Smaller Companies in the next few years.

Lastly, Jennifer Hill kicks off a new series of head-to-head comparisons of specialist investment trusts, pitching Hipgnosis Songs against its recent rival Round Hill Music. The rapid development of music streaming has excited investors about the prospects for income and capital growth in song copyrights held by both funds.

But while it’s easy to grasp the broad investment proposition, there are a lot of complex factors in valuing songs. ‘I can see clearly now,’ may not be the tune investors sing when looking under the bonnet of these companies.