European Opportunities Trust - Positioned for positive news and growth

European Opportunities Trust’s (EOT’s) manager, Alexander Darwall, invests in globally focused companies with unique technologies, comparative advantages and multiple growth channels, with the aim of constructing a resilient portfolio capable of generating capital growth in all economic climates. This strategy has delivered positive returns and outperformance over the long term; in the 10 years to end February 2023, the portfolio has made an average annualised return of 9.1% in NAV terms, compar

Quality risk

EOT is positioned for growth in a difficult environment. Managed by Alexander Darwall of Devon Equity, EOT takes quality risk combining quality investees with a concentrated portfolio. Risk is managed via careful attention to investee’s products, end-markets (including the market structure), management and balance sheets. In contrast to most professional managers, Darwall takes advantage of the investment trust structure to embrace concentration risk preferring not to dilute his stock selections

European Opportunities Trust

A sustainable growth portfolio for more uncertain times...

European Opportunities Trust - Consistent, resilient trust returning to form

European Opportunities Trust’s (EOT’s) manager, Alexander Darwall, invests in globally focused companies with unique technologies, favourable industry structures and multiple growth channels, with the aim of constructing a resilient portfolio capable of generating capital growth in all economic climates. EOT’s long-term performance is strong in absolute and relative terms, with average annualised returns of 11.4% on an NAV basis and 10.2% in share price terms over the 10 years to end-July 2022.

European Opportunities

European Opportunities Trust (EOT) owns a portfolio of companies selected by long term manager Alexander Darwall because of their “special” qualities. In Alexander’s view, these companies are differentiated and have unique products which makes them likely a leader not just in Europe, but globally.

European Opportunities Trust - Tough times expected to reaffirm a tested strategy

European Opportunities Trust’s (EOT’s) manager, Alexander Darwall, aims to construct an ‘all weather’ portfolio comprising stocks able to generate profits and capital growth in all economic climates. He seeks out globally focused companies with unique technologies, favourable industry structures and multiple growth channels. Recent performance has been mixed, in part due to the trust’s quality bias, but long-term performance has been strong in absolute and relative terms. EOT made annualised ret

European Opportunities - Overview

European Opportunities Trust (JEO) has been managed by Alexander Darwall since launch in 2000. Alexander focusses squarely on fundamentals, ignoring the short-term noise of the stock market, and invests based on his own analysis of each portfolio company, and taking a long-term view. Alexander aims to build a low turnover portfolio of “special” companies that will outperform over the economic cycle. However, his portfolio construction aims to ensure that those companies in which he has highest

What next for European equities?

Despite Europe’s popularity among holidaymakers, it appears that investors prefer sunnier shores. According to The Investment Association, UK investors were net sellers of European equities in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Historically low returns from European equity markets (compared to other regions) and low GDP growth seem to have soured investors’ moods. In this article we will examine the AIC Europe and AIC European Smaller Companies sectors over the last 12 months, to see whether this pessimism is

European Opportunities Trust - A 'fund for all seasons' targeting global winners

European Opportunities Trust (JEO) invests in European and UK companies offering good prospects for capital growth. Alexander Darwall has managed JEO since its inception in 2000. He aims to construct a ‘fund for all seasons’ comprising stocks capable of generating profits in all economic climates. Darwall is a high-conviction investor and JEO is a concentrated portfolio of ‘special’, globally focused companies that benefit from unique technologies or favourable industry structures and possess mu

Spring Conference ‘21

Starting on Tuesday we heard from managers running investment trusts across all of the world’s major equity regions and found a bullish but cautious outlook was prevalent as the tide begins to turn on COVID-19.

European Opportunities - Overview

European Opportunities Trust (JEO) has been managed by Alexander Darwall since launch in 2000, applying the same consistent approach to stock picking. Alexander believes that his focus on ‘all-weather’ businesses stands the trust in good stead in these uncertain times. In the recent interim results, Alexander identified several new challenges. However, he believes that when the era of ‘endless free money’ ends and interest rates start to rise, his portfolio of ‘special’, lowly levered global com

Eurovision 2021

Europe, despite its intention to put past crises to rest, may end up being a major economic flashpoint in 2021. With sudden developments in Italian politics, battles over vaccinations and bonds that guarantee a loss, investors may be forgiven for expecting the once benign region to be the next big source of volatility. Yet there is an equal argument for a European renaissance with pan-European stimulus, attractively valued equities and increasing demand for sustainable investing; the argument is

Has the time come for Europe?

Indeed, sometimes whether a risk pays off is dependent on your approach to it (just ask Icarus and Daedalus), as opposed to being dependent on the risk itself. In this vein, we think it is sometimes important to understand the investment risks you are taking. Not in terms of volatility; however, we think there may be one obvious macroeconomic risk (or opportunity, depending on your viewpoint) that needs to be considered when constructing portfolios and selecting strategies at this time. That is

European Opportunities - Overview

European Opportunities Trust (JEO) has been managed by Alexander Darwall since launch in 2000. In late 2019, JEO followed Alexander to his new fund-management company – Devon Equity Management. The same bottom-up, fundamental investment strategy is applied as has always been. Alexander looks to identify companies that retain high-growth characteristics and profitability longer than the market expects and to hold them for the long term. Another characteristic of JEO has meant that 2020 has been

Uncertain outlook comes as no surprise

We take a positive view of Legal & General’s FY 22 results. Despite the tough environment, the Group managed to outperform expectations – something which was hardly a given for such a large asset manager. With L&G being widely exposed to the UK economy, it might be a call one does not want to make but the firm’s business remains one of spreads – as long as a default does not occur. We remain positive but concede that L&G embeds more risk than we had assumed.

Very strong CY22 - CY23 upgraded 10%

LIBERUM: Alpha Group International* - Highly attractive global growth opportunity

Ambitious winds of change

M&G’s FY 22 results were strong. It was also the opportunity for new CEO Andrea Rossi to depict clearly his strategy for the upcoming months. While the impetus is clear and the objectives are ambitious, we rather believe in a structural improvement of the business (driven by the higher rates environment) than a commercial one.

Hybridan Small Cap Feast - 06 Mar 23

6 March 2023 @HybridanLLP Status of this Note and Disclaimer This document has been issued to you by Hybridan LLP for information purposes only and should not be construed in any circumstances as an offer to sell or solicitation of any offer to buy any security or other financial instrument, nor shall it, or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any contract relating to such action. This document has no regard for the specific investment objective

Belvoir Group - Debt free, entrepreneurial and diverse

2022 followed on from the strongest year for property in recent history, but Belvoir has, nevertheless, reported a robust set of full-year results further evidencing the power of its franchised model and strategy. FY 2022 revenue was up +14% (+2% like-for-like), gross profit up +6% and adj. PBT down -1% as the resilient Lettings income and expanding Financial Services business continued to grow (both +4% LFL), while housing Sales fell (-15% LFL) as market conditions weakened and administrative c

Morning Note – 27 March 2023

LIBERUM: Real Estate Investors* - Profitable sales drive valuation increase and NTA outperformance

Hybridan Small Cap Feast - 14 Mar 23

14 March 2023 @HybridanLLP Status of this Note and Disclaimer This document has been issued to you by Hybridan LLP for information purposes only and should not be construed in any circumstances as an offer to sell or solicitation of any offer to buy any security or other financial instrument, nor shall it, or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any contract relating to such action. This document has no regard for the specific investment objectiv

Critical Metals Plc - Initiating Coverage - 20th March 2023

Critical Metals is a British company that has acquired a 70% interest in a producing Molulu copper mine in the Katanga region of the DRC. The focus of the company is in the natural resources sector in Africa focused on the strategic or critical metals as defined by the United States Government Survey list in Open-File Report 2018-1021 and the Critical Raw Minerals as defined by the European Commission. The main catalysts for 2023 will be the announcement of the first sales of copper ore. This i

LIBERUM: Pollen Street * - Clear fundraising momentum

NAHL Group - Finals

NAHL generated growth in both its Personal Injury (PI) and Critical Care divisions, the former despite a continuation of subdued market conditions – hence market share gains. Results were in line with our forecasts but with a significant reduction in net debt which is especially welcome in the current high interest rate environment. Group strategy remains intact and in PI that means building the embedded value of future cash flows in NAL while flexing enquiry placements to maximise cash generati

Positive update - EPS upgraded by 5% p.a.

H&T (initiation of coverage): Pawnbroking royalty, with strong, profitable growth

Founded in 1897, H&T is the UK’s leading pawnbroker, with 269 stores, and it has gained a strong pawnbroking market share in recent years. While it is growing ancillary gold buying and forex products, its core is pawnbroking and related retail services. As other small-sum, short-term lenders have withdrawn, H&T’s well-capitalised, low-risk proposition has unique growth opportunities, with the pledge book up over 50% in 2022. The lessening of legitimate competition at a time of heightened demand

Interims in line, undervalued high quality income stream

Income quality stands out here: lfl rental growth continues, occupancy is full and rental collection is strong. The asset class is demonstrating the ability to perform in challenging conditions, reflecting the structural undersupply of high quality PRS homes in the UK. Pre-announced, EPRA NAV was largely unchanged at 117p in H1 with no yield compression and all rental earnings distributed. We make no changes to forecasts at this stage. We see an attractive total return with the shares trading at