Henderson European Trust

Henderson European Trust was a British investment trust whose portfolio was focused predominantly on listed companies in Europe. The trust was quoted on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker HET and was managed by Janus Henderson. Its investment-trust structure gave public-market investors access to a professionally managed portfolio of European equities rather than operating as an ordinary trading company or consumer-facing financial brand. The vehicle was established in January 1947 as the London and Gartmore Investment Trust. Its identity and management context changed several times over the following decades as the investment business associated with Gartmore evolved. In November 1986, the trust was renamed Gartmore European Investment Trust, reflecting a more explicit European investment mandate and its relationship with the Gartmore organization. A further corporate transition followed the acquisition of the Gartmore Group by Henderson Group in 2011. In November of that year, the trust became Henderson European Focus Trust. The name connected the vehicle to Henderson while emphasizing its European equity focus. Henderson subsequently became part of the broader Janus Henderson organization, under which the trust continued to be managed. The trust later absorbed the assets of Henderson Eurotrust through a scheme of reconstruction. In July 2024, following that restructuring, it adopted the name Henderson European Trust. The reconstruction and renaming represented an attempt to consolidate related investment-trust assets under a single vehicle and brand. The trust’s final phase began in 2025. On 19 June 2025, it was announced that Fidelity European Trust would acquire the assets of Henderson European Trust after manager resignations at Janus Henderson. The transaction was completed on 29 September 2025. Henderson European Trust was then wound up as a separate investment trust, ending the independent life of the listed vehicle. Its history therefore spans more than seven decades, but its current status is defunct rather than active. As an investment trust, Henderson European Trust’s principal offering was the managed portfolio itself. It did not sell a range of packaged consumer products under the brand. Its relevance lay in its listed-company structure, European equity mandate, investment manager, board oversight, and ability to provide shareholders with exposure to European businesses through a single quoted security.

Henderson European Trust originated in January 1947 as the London and Gartmore Investment Trust. It was established as a public investment vehicle, giving shareholders access to a professionally managed portfolio rather than operating as an industrial or commercial company. In November 1986, the trust was renamed Gartmore European Investment Trust. The new name reflected its association with Gartmore and made its European investment orientation more explicit. The trust remained a listed investment vehicle focused on investments in European companies. The next major change came after Henderson Group acquired the Gartmore Group in 2011. In November 2011, the trust changed its name to Henderson European Focus Trust. This marked the transition from the Gartmore identity to the Henderson brand and associated the trust with Henderson’s investment-management platform. The trust later underwent a scheme of reconstruction under which it absorbed the assets of Henderson Eurotrust. After that transaction, it changed its name again, becoming Henderson European Trust in July 2024. The restructuring consolidated the assets of the related investment vehicles and created the final form of the trust’s brand. The vehicle’s final restructuring was announced in June 2025. Following manager resignations at Janus Henderson, Fidelity European Trust agreed to acquire the assets of Henderson European Trust. Completion took place on 29 September 2025. The Henderson vehicle was subsequently wound up as a separate trust, bringing its long operating history to an end.

• 2025

  Assets transferred to Fidelity European Trust

  [1]Henderson European Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Fidelity European Trust completed its acquisition of Henderson European Trust’s assets on 29 September 2025, after which the Henderson trust was wound up.

• 2024

  Reconstructed and renamed Henderson European Trust

  [1]Henderson European Trusten.wikipedia.org

  The trust absorbed the assets of Henderson Eurotrust through a scheme of reconstruction and adopted the Henderson European Trust name in July 2024.

• 2011

  Renamed Henderson European Focus Trust

  [1]Henderson European Trusten.wikipedia.org

  After Henderson Group acquired Gartmore Group, the trust changed its name to Henderson European Focus Trust in November 2011.

• 1986

  Renamed Gartmore European Investment Trust

  [1]Henderson European Trusten.wikipedia.org

  In November 1986, the trust adopted the Gartmore European Investment Trust name.

• 1947

  Trust established as London and Gartmore Investment Trust

  [1]Henderson European Trusten.wikipedia.org

  The investment trust was established in January 1947 under the name London and Gartmore Investment Trust.

A London-listed investment trust providing investors with professionally managed exposure to European listed companies.

• Listed investment trust · 2024

  Henderson European Trust shares

  The trust’s principal investor-facing product was its ordinary share listing on the London Stock Exchange under ticker HET. The shares represented ownership interests in a closed-end investment vehicle whose assets were invested predominantly in listed European companies. The listing ended when the trust’s assets were acquired by Fidelity European Trust and the vehicle was wound up in September 2025.

• Investment portfolio · 1947

  European listed-equity portfolio

  The managed portfolio was the trust’s underlying offering. It provided diversified exposure to listed companies in Europe and was managed for shareholders through the investment-trust structure. The portfolio was not a separately branded retail fund range and ceased to be offered through Henderson European Trust after the 2025 asset transfer.

• 2025

  Transfer of assets to Fidelity European TrustM&A

  Background

  Manager resignations at Janus Henderson preceded a decision to transfer the trust’s assets to another European investment trust.

  Action taken

  Fidelity European Trust agreed to acquire the assets of Henderson European Trust. The transaction was announced on 19 June 2025 and completed on 29 September 2025.

  Aftermath

  Henderson European Trust was wound up as a separate vehicle and ceased to operate as an independent listed investment trust.

  Source

• 2024

  Absorption of Henderson Eurotrust assetsM&A

  Background

  Henderson European Trust underwent a scheme of reconstruction involving the related Henderson Eurotrust vehicle.

  Action taken

  The trust absorbed Henderson Eurotrust’s assets and changed its name to Henderson European Trust in July 2024.

  Aftermath

  The reconstruction consolidated the related investment-trust assets under the Henderson European Trust identity.

  Source

• 2011

  Transition from Gartmore to Henderson brandingStrategy

  Background

  Henderson Group acquired the Gartmore Group, creating the basis for a change in the trust’s corporate identity.

  Action taken

  The trust was renamed Henderson European Focus Trust in November 2011.

  Aftermath

  The vehicle continued as a Henderson-branded European investment trust and later became part of the Janus Henderson management context.

  Source

1. 1Henderson European Trusten.wikipedia.org