Are you looking to make potential gains from the growth in value of company shares on the stock market but don’t have the time to manage a share portfolio yourself? If the answer is ‘yes’, then open-ended investment companies (OEICs) could be worth considering. They are stock market-quoted collective investment schemes. Like unit trusts and investment trusts, they invest in a variety of assets to generate a return for investors.

An OEIC, pronounced ‘oik’, is a pooled collective investment vehicle in company form. They may have an umbrella fund structure allowing for many sub-funds with different investment objectives. This means you can invest for income and growth in the same umbrella fund, moving your money from one sub fund to another as your investment priorities or circumstances change.

Each fund is divided into shares of equal size. The price of each share moves in line with the fund’s underlying portfolio performance and is calculated daily. New shares can be created if more investors want to invest in the fund, or cancelled when investors decide they want to sell their holding. OEICs may also offer different share classes for the same fund.

By being ‘open ended’, OEICs can expand and contract in response to demand, just like unit trusts. The share price of an OEIC is the value of all the underlying investments divided by the number of shares in issue. As an open-ended fund, the fund gets bigger and more shares are created as more people invest. The fund shrinks and shares are cancelled as people withdraw their money.

You may invest into an OEIC through a stocks and shares Individual Savings Account (ISA). Each time you invest in an OEIC fund you will be allocated a number of shares. You can choose either income or accumulation shares, depending on whether you are looking for your investment to grow or to provide you with income, providing they are available for the fund you want to invest in.

Management charges will be applicable if investing in OEIC’s. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up and you may not get back your original investment. Past performance is not an indication of future performance. Tax benefits may vary as a result of statutory change and their value will depend on individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates and tax legislation may change in subsequent Finance Acts.