Henderson Alternative Strategies Trust - Looking ahead with differentiated portfolio

Henderson Alternative Strategies Trust (HAST) has recently passed its three-yearly continuation vote, underlining investor confidence in the rebuilt portfolio of specialist and alternative funds. Medium-term NAV total returns are now in line with the informal annualised target of c 8% over rolling three-year periods, and in FY17 (to 30 September) all the underlying strategies – hedge funds, private equity, property, specialist sector and specialist geography – contributed positively to returns. In an environment of increased market volatility, the differentiated nature of many of the underlying assets could provide a source of diversification for investors, and a progressive dividend policy underpins the current yield of 1.8%.