Whilst not likely to influence your investment decision, you may be interested to know about the trust’s background. 

The Temple Bar Investment Trust has a proud history and pedigree, having invested on behalf of others since 1926. Its original name was Cable, Telephone and General Trust Company Ltd. It was established to invest primarily in the bonds of North and South American telephone companies, but has been investing in UK equities for well over half a century. 

Since it was established, it has confronted the challenges of the Great Depression of the 1930s, World War II, the inflationary 1970s and subsequent periods of equity market strength and weakness. While short term losses could not be avoided on these occasions, the Investment Trust has recovered strongly to post solid gains for long term investors. Please remember however that past performance should not be taken as a guide to the future, the value of investments can fall as well as rise and losses may be made. 

The Trust’s current name was adopted in 1977 following a reverse takeover. The Temple Bar name has an interesting heritage: 

  • It was once one of the long line of structures marking the boundary between Westminster and the City of London 
  • It originally stood at the junction of Fleet Street and The Strand 
  • Temple Bar was associated with a celebration following the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 and the funeral of Lord Nelson in 1806 
  • The heads of executed traitors used to be displayed above the central arch 
  • Temple Bar was moved to Theobald’s Park near Waltham Cross in 1878, but returned in 2004 to London’s Paternoster Square 

Key facts

+50 years

of investment experience

  • Portfolio managers Nick Purves and Ian Lance have more than 50 years of investment experience between them. 
  • Value strategies struggled in the growth-dominated markets that accompanied the long period of interest rates from 2009 to 2021, but recent market behaviour increasingly provides evidence that this style of investing may be resuming its former dominance.
  • The Trust is one of the last remaining UK investment trusts to pursue a disciplined value approach to investing. 
  • Temple Bar is an independent company with a board of directors whose responsibility is to seek the best investment return for its shareholders. 
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