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M&G Credit Income Investment Trust

Please see our glossary for information on the financial terms used in this webpage.

An investment trust from the fixed income experts

The M&G Credit Income Investment Trust looks to generate high-quality, reliable income from a diversified credit portfolio, while seeking to preserve investors’ capital through low net asset value (NAV) volatility.

The trust has the flexibility to invest in both public and private debt, which allows individual investors to access potential opportunities normally only available to large institutions.

By investing in these specialised areas of fixed income, we can construct an investment grade-quality portfolio with the potential to produce superior income to traditional bond portfolios without compromising on credit quality.

This is thanks to our position as one of Europe’s largest private debt fundraisers and our decades of experience in these markets, which enable us to source deals unavailable to other asset managers.

Through the trust’s closed-ended structure, we can benefit from holding these private assets to their maturity, while investors retain access to their capital via the trust’s publicly listed shares. Using a closed-ended trust structure (‘investment trust’), as opposed to an open-ended fund vehicle (‘OEIC’, or ‘mutual fund’), we can benefit from holding these private assets to their maturity, while investors retain access to their capital via the trust’s publicly listed shares.

The value of investments will fluctuate, which will cause share prices to fall as well as rise and you may not get back the original amount you invested. There is no guarantee that the Company’s (M&G Credit Income Investment Trust plc) Investment Objective will be achieved. Company's Investment Objective is stated as per the Key Facts table below.

Watch these short videos to learn more about the M&G Credit Income Investment Trust.

Future trends in investment trusts: Adam English

Future trends in investment trusts

Adam English, Fund Manager of the M&G Credit Income Investment Trust, joins Asset TV's Rory Palmer to provide a background on the trust, how they deal with volatility in the markets and private credit.

Credit Income Investment Trust - Update with Adam English - Video 1

M&G Credit Income Investment Trust

Introduction to the M&G Credit Income Investment Trust.
This short video discusses the Trust and how it works.

24088_Adam_English_v09

Update on the Trust

Update on the M&G Credit Income Investment Trust, including what the Trust has delivered, recently purchased assets and outlook for the asset class.

M&G Credit Income Investment Trust - Current opportunities

Join Adam English, Fund Manager of the Credit Income Investment Trust, for a deep dive into the trust and the opportunity for investors to benefit from the higher interest rate environment.

Why invest in the trust?

Seeks to pay dividends of 4% above cash

which move in line with interest rates and help to protect against inflation. Please note that changes in interest rates may adversely affect the market value of some of the Company’s investments

Potential for high-quality, reliable income

sourced primarily from private credit, with 70%+ of the portfolio invested in investment grade-quality assets

Stable capital value

of private assets, which are typically held to maturity, compared to other investments that can offer similar income, such as equities and high yield bonds

Higher income potential

than traditional bond portfolios thanks to private credit opportunities sourced through M&G

Investment trust structure

allows investors to buy and sell the trust’s shares to suit their circumstances without affecting the underlying portfolio

Zero discount policy

designed to enable investors to buy and sell shares at close to Net Asset Value (NAV)

Key facts

Company nameM&G Credit Income Investment Trust plc
ListingPremium segment of the Official List and Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (Ticker MGCI.LN)
Investment objectiveAims to generate a regular and attractive level of income with low asset value volatility
Investment policyInvesting in a diversified portfolio of public and private debt and debt-like instruments
GeographyThe Company will be invested primarily in sterling-denominated assets
Target long-term
dividend		4.0% pa + Sterling Overnight Index Average (SONIA)
Dividend policyPaid quarterly
Gearing policyUsed for tactical investment purposes and liquidity management (limit of 30% NAV [net asset value], typically not expected to exceed 20% NAV)
Discount controlLiquidity window every five years and standard share buy-back authority (≤14.99% annually)
BoardChairman and three other non-executive directors
Management fee0.7% pa of the prevailing NAV 

UKIM Investor Award Winner

In December 2023 we were presented the prestigious Best Debt Income Trust Award for the Credit Income Investment Trust.

Past Performance is not a guide to future performance

Meet the manager

Adam English

Fund Manager

Adam joined M&G Investments in 1999 and is a fund manager for Prudential’s Life and Annuity Funds and the M&G Credit Income Investment Trust. Adam manages investment grade and high yield portfolios across both public and private markets.

Before joining M&G, Adam worked for the United Bank of Kuwait. Whilst there, he worked within the credit and high yield departments, with representation on the bank’s Credit Committee. Prior to this, he worked for Price Waterhouse, gaining membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Adam graduated from Christ Church, Oxford University with a degree in Physics and is a CFA charter-holder.

Investment process

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Explore alternative credit income

Learn more about potential alternative credit opportunities

Alternative credit income options

Asset-backed securities

What are asset-backed securities (ABS)?

ABS are bonds backed by an underlying pool of assets, such as mortgages, auto loans or credit card loans. Investors receive regular, variable interest payments generated from these borrowings. ABS bonds mature over short-to-medium time horizons.

Interest payments are prioritised through a process called ‘securitisation’, where bonds are placed into ‘tranches’ (slices) according to their prospective risks. Investors can choose to be first in line to receive interest payments by investing in senior tranches, which offer lower potential returns. Investors in junior tranches are placed at the back of the queue to receive payments and therefore demand higher compensation, but also face greater risks of not receiving the expected full amount, as they must absorb potential losses before other investors.

The trust may invest in mezzanine tranches, which sit between the most senior and junior tranches. This can provide higher potential income than the senior bonds alongside higher protection than junior tranches.
 

What’s the opportunity?

European ABS could offer a substantial income premium over conventional government or corporate bonds that carry the same level of credit risk. One reason is the lack of standardisation among transactions, which are often backed by a large number of underlying loans and require extensive resources to analyse. M&G has developed sophisticated proprietary research tools to help gain a demonstrable edge in evaluating deals and modelling potential future scenarios. We are often approached before deals have come to market.

Historical defaults on senior European ABS are very low over multi-decade periods, including during the 2007-09 global financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic. This is partly due to the typically robust underwriting and credit processes in place across Europe, particularly compared to the US.

We are also finding an increased number of potential opportunities in Asia Pacific – for example, we recently invested in ABS backed by personal loans originated from a new technology platform in New Zealand with a strong reputation for responsible lending. These loans are typically used for home improvements or debt consolidation. 

Real estate debt

What is real estate debt?

Real estate debt (or ‘commercial mortgage loans’) consists of loans made to commercial property owners to finance the purchase or redevelopment of real estate. This real estate may comprise offices, hotels or retail properties, which the borrower rents out to tenants.

Loans are secured against the physical real estate, which provides lenders with a claim to ownership of the property if the borrower faces challenges in meeting its obligations. The property can be ringfenced and therefore legally separated from the borrower’s other assets and liabilities.

The terms of the loan will also stipulate certain ongoing conditions, such as a minimum current property value relative to the size of the loan (‘loan to value’, or ‘LTV’), and expected rental income relative to the loan’s interest payments (‘interest coverage ratios’). The borrower’s own creditworthiness is also assessed.

Repayments are subject to variable (‘floating’) interest rates and the loan term is usually three to five years.
 

What’s the opportunity?

M&G is one of the world’s largest investors in real estate, with around £31 billion of property assets under management1. Real estate debt therefore represents an opportunity to combine the knowledge and resources derived from our leading positions in both fixed income and real estate markets.

When we invest in real estate debt, we normally negotiate with each individual borrower to create bespoke payment terms they are comfortable with while providing additional security for our investors.

In conducting due diligence, we will, for example, evaluate the lease terms agreed with each of the property’s tenants and assess factors such as tenancy exit and entry dates; rent reviews; potential void periods; and ongoing demand for floor space in comparable properties.

1 Source: M&G, as at 31 December 2021

Leveraged loans

What are leveraged loans?

Leveraged loans are normally used to finance mergers and acquisitions of privately owned businesses (companies not listed on public stock exchanges). Loan terms are negotiated individually between the borrower and lender. Usually, the process is led by a bank, which may fund the loan with capital provided by a group of investors.

Leveraged loans are normally rated below investment grade and therefore require extensive prior due diligence and ongoing analysis, which at M&G is performed by specialist in-house credit researchers. We take a highly selective approach to these transactions and invest in only a small proportion of the deals we evaluate.

The trust invests both directly in leveraged loans and via a holding in the M&G European Loan Fund, which is only available to professional investors and institutions.

What’s the opportunity?

Investors are being increasingly drawn to leveraged loans due to their potentially higher levels of income than high yield bonds; their relatively short maturities; variable interest rates, which could protect against interest rate rises; and, in many cases, additional levels of safety provided by senior secured loans. 

Senior/Junior debt

What is Senior and Junior debt?

When a company borrows money, its outstanding debts are ordered in terms of priority for repayment should the firm ever struggle to meet its financial obligations. Creditors that hold senior debt are first in line to receive any money owed, but they typically receive lower interest rate payments than other lenders. Holders of junior debt face higher risks of not recovering all of the money they are owed, but in return they can demand higher interest rates on the money they lend.

The trust invests in a combination of senior and junior debt depending on prevailing risks and potential returns available in the market, while seeking to maintain an overall investment grade credit rating for the portfolio.
 

What’s the opportunity?

The trust’s ability to invest in alternative forms of credit means that it can access senior debt that may offer a significant premium over conventional investment grade corporate bonds. Many of these potential opportunities currently exist in the asset-backed securities, commercial mortgage loans and leveraged loans markets.

At times, markets can also present potential opportunities to invest in investment grade senior bonds at higher interest rates. In such instances, the trust may invest a greater proportion of the portfolio in these bonds due to their potentially more attractive income for comparatively lower risk.

The trust also holds a small amount of junior debt, which is designed to boost overall portfolio returns. When the outlook for default rates is low, the potential benefits of owning these assets – particularly those with short-to-medium maturities – can outweigh the risks.

Secured/Unsecured debt

What is Secured and Unsecured debt?

Some types of debt can be ‘secured’ against collateral, such as an individual property or a pool of loans. This provides the lender with a claim to ownership of those assets should the borrower face the risk of failing to repay some or all of its debts. Secured debt can therefore offer extra layers of protection for investors.

Unsecured debt can still carry a high credit rating, which is based on the perceived creditworthiness of the issuer. Many conventional government and corporate bonds, for example, are unsecured.

The trust can invest in both secured and unsecured types of debt, with each potential opportunity carefully analysed on an individual basis.
 

What’s the opportunity?

The trust may hold a significant proportion of the overall investment portfolio in secured debt, either directly or indirectly. This includes asset-backed securities, such as UK residential mortgage-backed securities and auto loans; European commercial mortgage loans; and European leveraged loans.

This provides the portfolio’s assets with additional layers of protection if market conditions deteriorate. A large portion of the portfolio’s leveraged loans, for example, is senior secured. These loans may pay higher interest rates than conventional high yield bonds, while also ringfencing some of the companies’ assets in the event that their financial situation changes. Similarly, the portfolio’s commercial mortgage loans are primarily senior and secured against physical real estate.

Given the historically low interest rates available on conventional government and corporate bonds, secured debt is a potential way to increase income while providing these additional levels of security.

Risks associated with the strategy

  • The Company may be exposed to the possibility that a debtor will not meet its repayment obligations.
  • Debt Instruments may be repaid by issuers at short notice: as a result it may be difficult for the Company to reinvest capital at an attractive price or at all, which may affect it adversely.
  • A variety of factors, such as market conditions, liquidity concerns or Company performance may lead to a reduction in trading volume or shares trading at a discount to their net asset value. Shareholders may also be unable to realise their investment at quoted market prices or at all.
  • Please note this is not an exhaustive list, please refer to the risk section in the Prospectus for further details.

The value of investments will fluctuate, which will cause prices to fall as well as rise and you may not get back the original amount you invested. The views expressed on this page should not be taken as a recommendation, advice or forecast. We are unable to give financial advice. If you are unsure about the suitability of your investment, speak to your financial adviser. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.

Contact the team

If you would like to subscribe for shares in M&G Credit Income Investment Trust plc, please contact one of the Online fund platforms

M&G Investment Management Limited (MAGIM), M&G Alternative Investment Management Limited (MAGAIM), M&G Securities Limited (MGSL) and M&G Financial Services Limited (MGFS) are registered in England and Wales under numbers (936683, 2059989, 90776, 923891) respectively. The registered address of MAGIM, MAGAIM, MGSL, and MGFS is 10 Fenchurch Avenue, London, EC3M 5AG. MAGIM, MAGAIM, MGSL, and MGFS are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) under numbers 119328, 122011, 122057, 122058 respectively.