Henderson Global Investors has launched an investment trust focussed on generating high and rising dividends from securities outside of the UK.

The Henderson International Income Trust’s mandate has a secondary target to also deliver capital appreciation and the investment house believes it will become the only trust in the AIC global growth and income sector to invest exclusively outside of the UK.

Initially, the portfolio will be invested completely in equities although there is the freedom for this to switch into fixed income securities if deemed necessary.

The parameters for the trust’s asset allocation have been set at between 10 and 50 per cent for North and South America and the same for the Asia/Pacific and Continental Europe regions, while fixed interest (including secured loans) can only make up 25 per cent of the portfolio.

Ben Lofthouse is to manage the fund, expanding his existing role within the Value and Income team, lead by Job Curtis.

Bill McQuaker, head of the multi-manager team and Lofthouse will negotiate the asset allocation split between them. Stock selection will decided by Henderson’s specialist regional fund managers; Lofthouse for Continental European equities; Antony Gifford for North and South American equities; Mike Kerley for Asia/Pacific equities and John Pattullo’s Retail Fixed Interest Team will select fixed interest securities if deemed necessary.

James de Sausmarez, director and head of investment trusts at Henderson Global Investors, said that returns on cash and gilts are at disappointingly low levels with the top seven companies in the FTSE 100 Index now contributing 48 per cent of the index yield.

He added, ‘The geographic and sector diversification provided by the trust’s focus on providing a high and rising level of income, and capital growth, from an international portfolio of securities is a compelling proposition.

‘Henderson’s established expertise in managing investment trust income portfolios makes this an ideal new issue for investors’