Investing in F&C Investment Trust might notice they now hold four times as many shares as before, without having bought any more. They might also spot the share price is much lower than it was before. There is no reason to worry.
F&C has undertaken a share split. It’s a common tool used by companies to help keep the cost of one share at an affordable level.
A share price above £10 or even £100 can feel expensive to someone who only has a small amount of money to invest. Share splits are a way to bring the price down. To balance the equation, the company will give investors more shares, so their overall investment value is unchanged.
In F&C’s case, it has replaced each share in issue with four new ones. F&C shareholders didn't have to buy these new shares – the total amount they hold in their portfolio has automatically increased four-fold.
For example, if someone held 100 shares in F&C, the investment was worth £1,318 at the market close on 8 May when the trust traded at £13.18. Following the 4:1 share split on 11 May the investor would hold 400 shares trading at 329.50p at the time of the switch. The total value of their investment remained at £1,318. Any future dividends will factor in the share split.
Eve Maddock-Jones: Funds and Investment Trust Writer
Eve joined AJ Bell in 2026 as a funds and investment trust writer. She was previously editor at Investment Week, reporting on all major retail investor news, covering funds and investment trusts, ETFs and regulation...
