Canadian General Investments - Outperformance from doing what it says on the tin

Canadian General Investments’ (CGI’s) manager Greg Eckel at Morgan Meighen & Associates (MMA) employs a steady, level-headed and patient approach to investing with low portfolio turnover. However, this strategy should not be underestimated as CGI has a very commendable long-term track record of outperformance. The manager is unconstrained by benchmark allocations and so far this year, CGI’s performance has benefited from a meaningful above-market weighting in technology companies and a larger be

Canadian General Investments - Benefits from patient and consistent approach

Canadian General Investments (CGI) has been managed by Greg Eckel at Morgan Meighen & Associates (MMA) since 2009. He has a very patient and consistent fundamental investment approach, which has delivered significant outperformance over the long term for CGI’s shareholders. Last year proved to be a difficult period, as essentially energy stocks were the ‘only game in town’ and the fund has an underweight position in this sector. Also, technology stocks, which had served CGI well over a multi yea

SHORE CAPITAL - Canadian General Investments + (CGI, House Stock at C$33) - Leveraged recovery play

Canadian General Investments - Recent performance affected by top-down events

Canadian General Investments (CGI) is managed by Greg Eckel at Morgan Meighen & Associates (MMA). He explains that in 2022, the stock market has been driven by macroeconomic events and investors have essentially ignored company fundamentals, which are the long-term drivers of share prices. The manager is sticking to his principles and continuing to focus on stock selection – a strategy that has led to a very commendable long-term record of outperformance. Eckel believes that stock market volatil

Canadian General Investments - Keeping the faith during stock market volatility

Canadian General Investments (CGI) has been managed by Greg Eckel at Morgan Meighen & Associates (MMA) since 2009. Despite elevated levels of stock market volatility, he is maintaining his disciplined approach to stock selection, seeking high-quality companies that can be held for the long term. The manager believes the chance of a recession in Canada is ‘slim to none in the near to medium term’ as the economy is in ‘good shape’. However, if changes to the portfolio are required, due to a sustai

Canadian General Investments - Very long-term record of outperformance

Canadian General Investments (CGI) has been managed by Greg Eckel at Morgan Meighen & Associates (MMA) since 2009. He has an unconstrained investment process, seeking quality companies on a bottom-up basis that can be held for the long term. This approach means that the fund’s sector weightings can differ meaningfully from those of the benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index. The manager invests across the market cap spectrum including niche smaller companies that may not be on everyone’s radar screen

Canadian General Investments - Building on strong long-term performance record

Canadian General Investments (CGI) has been managed by Greg Eckel at Morgan Meighen & Associates (MMA) since 2009. He comments that his strategy of investing in high-quality companies for the long term has proved to be successful, and he aims to ‘deliver more of the same’. The manager is ‘very happy with the value CGI has generated for its shareholders’. Its diversified portfolio includes a number of themes including companies offering decarbonisation products and services, while the manager con

New Year optimism tempered by old year realities

Canadian General Investments - Reaping rewards from sound investment process

Canadian General Investments (CGI) has been managed by Greg Eckel at Morgan Meighen & Associates (MMA) since 2009. He is encouraged by the company’s performance during 2020, a period during which investors have had to endure significant stock market volatility. Stock selection and positive sector allocation, along with remaining calm during the extreme sell-off in Q120, have all contributed to CGI’s strong absolute and relative performance. While Eckel is aware ‘there can be bumps in the road’,

Capturing secular trends

Canadian General Investments - Sticking to the fundamental, long-term process

Canadian General Investments (CGI) is managed by Greg Eckel at Morgan Meighen & Associates. He stresses that despite the tough macro backdrop as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, he is sticking to the company’s philosophy and fundamental investment process, which has generated a very long-term record of outperformance versus the Canadian market. The manager says: ‘We will not veer off into unknown, dangerous territories and away from our core, proven strengths. It is easy to fall victim to n

Canadian General Investments - Executive interview

Canadian General Investments (LSE:CGI and TSE:CGI) was launched in 1930, it is North America’s second-oldest closed-end fund. Since 1956, it has been managed by Morgan Meighen & Associates. Portfolio manager Greg Eckel invests with a medium- to long-term outlook in a broad selection of primarily Canadian equities, aiming to outperform the total return of the benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index. CGI has a favourable tax status, but to maintain this, the company is unable to repurchase its shares to

Canadian General Investments - Continuing to find interesting investment ideas

Canadian General Investments (CGI) is a well-established company with a long-term track record of outperformance. Manager Greg Eckel is ‘sticking to his knitting’, seeking companies with strong fundamentals and well-respected management teams, that are trading on reasonable valuations and can be held for the long term. While there are economic headwinds, including the ongoing US-China trade dispute, the manager says that ‘Canada remains an island of stability’, and suggests investors may benefit

Morning Note – 22 April 2024

Benefits of scale set to materialise

Frenkel Topping - Resilient with strong growth potential

FY 2023 was a challenging year for Frenkel with higher interest rates encouraging clients to place money into lower margin money market funds. Despite this, sales grew +32% (supported by recurring revenue +9% and +51% in non-recurring), EBIT margins remained strong at 22% and adj. EPS grew +17% (taking into account the higher number of shares). FY 2024 has seen a solid start to transactional business and there is a strong pipeline of new FUM opportunities both of which support further growth. Wi

S&U - PBT ahead, encouraging volume trends

S&U reported FY24 PBT of £33.6m, down from £41.4m in FY23 on higher funding and regulatory costs and higher impairments in Advantage in H2. PBT was 2% ahead of our forecast as stronger revenues – up 12% to £115.4m – and better costs offset higher-than-expected impairments. Net receivables grew to a record at both Advantage and Aspen and management noted particular strength in Q4 and a good trading environment in the current year. Having absorbed a significant rise in funding cost as well as addi

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

Foresight Solar Fund - Termination of coverage

Edison Investment Research is terminating coverage on ABC Arbitrage (ABCA), paragon (PGN), Foresight Solar Fund (FSFL), Kendrion (KENDR), Lithium Power International (LPI), Triple Point Energy Transition (TENT), 4iG (4IG), e-therapeutics (ETX), Pharnext (ALPHA) and Shield Therapeutics (STX). Please note you should no longer rely on any previous research or estimates for this company. All forecasts should now be considered redundant. Previously published reports can still be accessed via our web

LIBERUM: PayPoint: On track for £100m of EBITDA in FY 26

LIBERUM: Speedy Hire: Weakness in FY 24 but recovery in FY 25

Hybridan Small Cap Feast - 22 April 2024

22nd April 2024 * A corporate client of Hybridan LLP ** Arranged by type of listing and date of announcement *** Alphabetically arranged **** Potential means Intention to Float (ITF) has been announced Dish of the day Admissions: Delistings: What’s baking in the oven? ** Potential**** Initial Public Offerings: Reverse Takeovers: 16 April 2024: Electric Guitar (ELEG.L) Concurrent with its Admission to trading on AIM, Electric Guitar is proposing to acquire the entire issued share capital of 3radi

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

Regional REIT - Performing as expected ahead of refinancing

In a challenging market, Regional REIT’s (RGL’s) FY23 operational and financial performance was robust, in line with expectations and previous guidance. Investor focus remains on the company’s loan to value (LTV) reduction and bond refinancing plans, explored in detail in our previous note and RGL will provide an update on this in due course.

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.

Morning Note – 29 February 2024

Jupiter Green

Hardman & Co Insight - Asset managers had a poor 2022

Asset managers had a poor 2022: the S&P Composite 1500 Asset Management Index was down 22% and, according to the Investment Company Institute (ICI), worldwide mutual funds fell by 20%, from $76tr to $60tr. When bond and equity markets fall, the results are unlikely to be pretty: with revenues trending down and multiples contracting, there is a double whammy to contend with. So how do valuations shape up now, after a bullish start to the new year? The first chart is my favourite chart of asset m