345: Money Makers Investment Trusts Podcast - Emma Bird (01 Aug 2026)

In this edition of the Money Makers Investment Trusts Podcast, Emma Bird, head of investment trust research at Winterflood joins Jonathan Davis, editor of the Investment Trusts Handbook (winner of the AIC Best Broadcast Journalist Award 2024 and 2025), in a discussion that includes the position of the sector in the current cycle, narrowing discounts, retail investor demand, and corporate activity. This discussion was recorded on Thursday 30 July 2026. Jonathan is now writing market and other comments on Substack (jdinvestor.substack.com), and for those of you who follow Money Makers on social media, two new channels are now available - TikTok (@moneymakers_its) and Bluesky (@money-makers.co). Do give us a follow! *** OUT NOW: The 2026 Investment Trusts Handbook *** Available to order from Harriman House: https://harriman-house.com/authors/jonathan-davis/the-investment-trusts-handbook-2026/9781804094358 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. It is available through bookshops and extensively online. The next edition of the Handbook, an independent educational publication, is now in preparation. 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. *** Section Timestamps: 0:00:37 - Introduction 0:00:56 - The state of the sector 0:07:11 - Retail investor demand 0:11:17 - Saba and the future of EWI and IEM 0:18:31 - A short break 0:19:16 - Herald Investment Trust (HRI) 0:22:10 - Brown Advisory US Smaller Companies 0:25:25 - Enhanced dividends 0:27:40 - Commercial property 0:32:52 - Top and bottom net buy-sell ratio trusts 0:36:19 - Discount opportunities 0:39:47 - Close If you enjoy the weekly podcast, why not also try the Money Makers Circle? This is a membership scheme that offers listeners to the podcast an opportunity, in return for a modest monthly or annual subscription, to receive additional premium content every week, including interviews, performance data, links to third party research, market/portfolio reviews and regular comments from the editor. A subscription costs £12 a month or £120 for one year, with a two week free trial available for new subscribers. This week, as well as the usual features, the Circle features a profile of TwentyFour Select Monthly Income (SMIF). Future profiles include Ashoka India Equity (AIE) and Utilico Emerging Markets (UEM). Our weekly subscriber email includes a comprehensive summary of all the latest news plus the week's biggest share price, NAV and discount movements. Subscribe and you will never miss any important developments from the sector. For more information please visit https://money-makers.co/circle. Membership helps to cover the cost of producing the weekly investment trust podcast, which will continue to be free for the foreseeable future. We are very grateful for your continued support and the enthusiastic response to our more than 340 podcasts since we launched in 2020. You can find more information, including relevant disclosures, at www.money-makers.co. Please note that this podcast is provided for educational purposes only and nothing you hear should be considered as investment advice. Our podcasts are also available on the Association of Investment Companies website, www.theaic.co.uk. Produced by Ben Gamblin - www.bgprofessional.co.uk