Montanaro UK Smaller Companies

2022 was a perfect storm of headwinds for MTU. Will the stock picking prowess deliver a recovery..?

Montanaro UK Smaller Companies – Riders on the storm

After a tough year for quality-growth strategies of all kinds, Montanaro UK Smaller Companies (MTU) may finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, thanks to the possible plateauing of interest rates. Manager Charles Montanaro remains focused on picking high-quality stocks with long-term growth potential, sticking with the approach despite the headwinds of early 2022. In fact, the selloff in UK small caps has meant that MTU has become even more attractive on a fundamental basis, with

Montanaro UK Smaller Companies – Riders on the storm

After a tough year for quality-growth strategies of all kinds, Montanaro UK Smaller Companies (MTU) may finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, thanks to the possible plateauing of interest rates. Manager Charles Montanaro remains focused on picking high-quality stocks with long-term growth potential, sticking with the approach despite the headwinds of early 2022. He feels that the selloff in UK small caps has meant that MTU has become even more attractive on a fundamental basis,

Global Macro Commentary & Investment Companies Roundup January 2023

• Performance: Atrato Onsite Roof soars as investors look on the bright side. • Premiums and discounts: Investors deserting Pollen Street following dividend cut. • Money in and out: Funds struggle to attract new funding.

Global Macro Commentary & Investment Companies Roundup January 2023

• Performance: Atrato Onsite Roof soars as investors look on the bright side. • Premiums and discounts: Investors deserting Pollen Street following dividend cut. • Money in and out: Funds struggle to attract new funding.

Montanaro UK Smaller Companies - Selloff provides opportunities

Shares in the good-quality growing businesses that Montanaro UK Smaller Companies (MTU) seeks to buy appear to have experienced a sharp selloff since the beginning of 2022, when interest rates began to rise in response to rampant inflation. Manager Charles Montanaro says he is focused on picking stocks for the long term rather than trying to second-guess macroeconomic trends. He and his extensive team aim to have a strong dialogue with the management of these companies. He observes that high-qua

Long COVID effect requires a focus on corporate health

In absolute terms, Montanaro UK Smaller Companies Trust (MTU) has been generating healthy returns for its shareholders; both the share price and the NAV are close to all-time highs. However, recently MTU has given up some of its earlier outperformance. As vaccines are rolled out, the end of lockdowns is finally in sight and we are all eager to get back to ‘normal’. Last November, the news that a number of vaccines were effective triggered a surge in stock markets and a sharp rotation from high q

Long COVID effect requires a focus on corporate health

In absolute terms, Montanaro UK Smaller Companies Trust (MTU) has been generating healthy returns for its shareholders; both the share price and the NAV are close to all-time highs. However, recently MTU has given up some of its earlier outperformance. As vaccines are rolled out, the end of lockdowns is finally in sight and we are all eager to get back to ‘normal’. Last November, the news that a number of vaccines were effective triggered a surge in stock markets and a sharp rotation from high q

Reputation restored

Following the return of Charles Montanaro as manager in 2016, Montanaro UK Smaller Companies Trust (MTU) has rebuilt its long-term record of outperformance of its benchmark over the last three and a half years. A strong uplift in net asset value (NAV) during the second half of 2019 (helped by some clarity on Brexit) has improved the trust’s standing against its competitors. Versus its peers, MTU ranked second out of 11 funds in our peer group during the second half of 2019 in terms of its NAV to

LIBERUM: Plus500: Strategic progress pays dividends

Tatton Asset Management (TAM LN) - Record net inflows

Tatton, the leading on-platform discretionary fund manager (DFM) and IFA support services Group has released a trading update ahead of its results to 31 March 2024, due on 18 June 2024.

Hardman & Co Insight: 2023 was an annus horribilis for Quoted UK Infrastructure and Renewable Energy

The focus of Hardman & Co Research is on the nine quoted Infrastructure Investment Companies (IICs) and on the 22 Renewable Energy Infrastructure Funds (REIFs): the stocks analysed are all members of the Association of Investment Companies (AIC). We are updating our publication of January 2023, assessing both the lacklustre share price performances during 2023 and the key issues, including interest rates, inflation and power prices. As a 31-strong group, its combined market capitalisation is no

Ondo InsurTech FY24 Trading Update

Ondo InsurTech has released a brief post-YE update revealing its good progress continued through 2H24 and consequently FY24 will be in line with market expectations.

Foxtons Group (FOXT LN) - 1Q24 IMS shows real momentum

Foxtons Group plc first quarter revenue rose 9% to £35.7m (1Q23: £32.9m) with growth delivered across all business segments. Trading is in line with management's expectations.

BlackRock World Mining

BRWM’s managers: we see all the classic signs of high commodity prices...

Morning Note – 18 April 2024

NextEnergy Solar Fund - Attractive Refinancing

The refinancing of a £135m revolving credit facility and the extension of a similar £70m facility gives NESF firepower as development opportunities for new solar are especially attractive thanks to lower module prices in Europe. They give the fund key financial flexibility at a critical time as it pursues its capital recycling programme.

Foxtons Group - FY24 underpinned by market share gains

Foxtons Group’s Q1 revenue grew by 9%, supported by growth in all three divisions as the strategic initiatives continue to gain significant momentum, driven by investment in staff, best-in-class bespoke IT and data platforms. This implies that Foxtons’ medium-term targets are now coming into focus. Market share is being gained in all divisions, which puts Foxtons in a good position as the sales market stabilises. We maintain our valuation of 132p/share and believe that if interest rates stabilis

NextEnergy Solar Fund – High- and growing-income opportunity?

NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF) is almost 10 years old. Since launch, it has built a £1.2bn, 933MW portfolio of 100 operating solar assets, powering the equivalent of over 330,000 homes, declared dividends totalling £333m, and avoided the emission of about 2.2 Mt CO2e. NESF is on track to pay 8.35p in dividends, with forecast dividend cover of about 1.3x. Share price weakness that has afflicted the whole sector means that dividend translates to a yield of 11.1%, one of the highest in its sector, a

The Hardman & Co Monthly: April 2024

Feature article: Steady as she goes, but could be better: A review of investment company liquidity since 2016 Liquidity is the lifeblood of equity markets. The measurement of liquid asset availability to a market or company is a way of gauging a market’s health. This article builds on our previous work, which analysed the liquidity data for non-financial trading companies, by applying the same analytical techniques to the investment companies (IC) space. We analyse liquidity for ICs as a whol

Initial Equity Trading Comments - 19 February 2024

M Winkworth+ (WINK, House Stock at 163p) - Solid FY23A results, well placed to grow

Hybridan Research: Sector Review: Artificial intelligence in UK cybersecurity: the human uplift 17/04/2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a double-edged sword in cybersecurity. Whilst new AI models, architectures, and innovations are emerging to protect the security posture of organisations, attackers are also benefiting from deepfakes, sophisticated phishing, and automation of malicious codes. To ensure the impact of AI on cybersecurity to be a net-positive, we need to pit good AI against bad AI. Point solutions enhanced with machine learning: Global cybersecurity has been built with point soluti

Resilient FY24, confident long-term outlook

Vp’s full year update highlights sector-leading results, once again benefiting from the diversity of its end markets and the quality of its specialist businesses. With results expected to be broadly in line with expectations, we trim our FY24 PBT forecast by c.5% to £39.0m, a shade below the FY23 outturn (£40.2m). We consider this an impressively resilient performance set against a mixed market backdrop. Under new leadership, a strategic refresh is underway and management is confident in long