The European Smaller Companies Trust - Termination of coverage

Edison Investment Research is terminating coverage on The European Smaller Companies Trust (ESCT). 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 website.

Probably better asking an octopus

When a boy of the Algonquin people of Quebec reached puberty, they were taken to a secluded area and given a powerful and extremely hallucinogenic poison called Wysoccan, in the hope that this would purge their young minds of any memory of their childhood and leave them with a clean slate to face the years ahead. Some were so badly stricken by the drug that they would also lose the ability to speak and be unable to recognise members of their own family. Having spent most of the last fortnight

The European Smaller Companies Trust - Top of the peer group over short and long term

The European Smaller Companies Trust’s (ESCT’s) manager, Ollie Beckett at Janus Hendersons Investors (JHI), remains very positive about the outlook for European small-cap companies, which is reflected in a relatively high level of gearing of c 15%. He considers the last three years, where small-cap stocks have lagged the performance of large-cap equities, an anomaly and a result of macroeconomic events and recession fears, which have led to elevated investor risk aversion. The manager believes t

European Smaller Companies

ESCT’s manager follows the returns not the crowd...

The European Smaller Companies Trust - An attractive entry point to a small-cap specialist

In contrast to many industry participants, The European Smaller Companies Trust’s (ESCT’s) manager, Ollie Beckett, is positive about the prospects for European small-cap companies as he believes that low valuations discount a recession. Although small-cap equities have outperformed large caps in Europe over the long term, unusually, small caps are currently in their third consecutive year of underperformance in anticipation of an economic downturn. The trust’s cyclical bias and a double-digit sh

The European Smaller Companies Trust - It is always darkest before the dawn

In our last note on The European Smaller Companies Trust (ESCT) (Does what it says on the tin), we communicated to investors fund manager Ollie Beckett’s market views and how this has affected the fund’s positioning. In this note we update investors on Beckett’s latest thinking and why he feels that, despite all of the negativity and volatility, European smaller companies and ESCT particularly are well placed to deliver long-term growth for investors.

The European Smaller Companies Trust - Does what it says on the tin

The European Smaller Companies Trust (ESCT) (formally TR European Growth Trust – please refer to our last note for more details) is positioned further down the market capitalisation scale than its AIC peers making full use of its permanent capital base. The stylistically balanced profile incorporating growth, value and core characteristics gives it the potential to outperform over the longer term regardless of shorter-term market leadership. The experienced and long tenured fund manager, Ollie B

TR European Growth Trust - Making changes but keeping successful approach

TR European Growth Trust (TRG) is looking to attract a broader investor audience through a range of changes announced after a recent strategic review. The board hopes the change of name (due in January 2022) to The European Smaller Companies Trust will make TRG’s investment focus more explicit, while an eight-for-one share split (due on 13 December) should boost liquidity and help attract smaller regular savers on retail platforms. A reduction in the base management fee (already in place) will b

TR European Growth Trust - Differentiated option at a significant discount

TR European Growth Trust (TRG) stands out among its more mid-cap focused peers for being a genuinely small-cap fund with a strong valuation awareness. This has served it well over the past year, and while it has yet to report its FY21 results, over the year to 30 June 2021 it posted share price and NAV total returns of 79.5% and 63.5% respectively, well ahead of comparator indices. The management team (lead manager Ollie Beckett, assisted by Rory Stokes and Julia Scheufler) caution that this was

TR European Growth Trust - Back to winning ways

TR European Growth Trust (TRG) has enjoyed a stellar period of performance since the COVID-19-driven stock market sell-off in March 2020 (beating the benchmark by c 25pp over one year to 28 February 2021), helped by its managers sticking to their valuation-aware investment process, as well as a timely increase in the trust’s gearing. Lead manager Ollie Beckett says the team is optimistic on the prospects for small-cap European stocks – many of which have stronger balance sheets than their large-

TR European Growth - Overview

TR European Growth Trust (TRG) aims to deliver capital growth by investing in smaller and medium-sized companies in Europe (excluding the UK). It tends to own smaller companies, on average, than the majority of its peers and pursues a contrarian valuation driven approach which sees it more highly exposed to ‘value’ plays than others in the sector. With a strong record of dividend growth, the trust offers a solid yield, and is insulated from the threat of dividend cuts by a large revenue reserve.

TR European Growth Trust - Focusing on valuation and recovery potential

TR European Growth Trust (TRG) suffered in the recent equity market sell-off for a number of reasons, including its relatively high level of gearing, procyclical bias and structural focus on the smaller end of the European small-cap market. However, by taking advantage of the chance to buy good companies at low valuations, and disposing of holdings whose balance sheets looked vulnerable, manager Ollie Beckett has so far outperformed the EMIX Smaller Europe ex-UK Index since the mid-March lows. T

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

International Public Partnerships - Consistently and responsibly delivering

International Public Partnerships’ (INPP’s) FY23 results show that it continues to deliver consistent and predictable returns for investors, while delivering environmental and social benefits for the individuals and communities that are served by its assets. Despite this strong performance and a substantial need for private infrastructure funding, the macroeconomic environment has weighed on INPP’s share price, in common with the wider sector. Regardless, attractive returns are available from th

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.

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

Witan

Business as usual for WTAN’s executive team, while the board reviews investment management arrangements…

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.

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

H&T Group (HAT): Core franchise build, short-term retail noise

In our 15 March 2023 initiation, 'Pawnbroking royalty, with strong, profitable growth', and subsequent notes, we have highlighted the strong market for pawnbroking and why H&T, as the market leader, is uniquely placed to take advantage of these opportunities. These results reconfirmed both, with the pledge book up 28% and net pawnbroking revenue up 36%. Like many in the retail space, H&T faced the challenge of customers focusing on lower-value, lower-margin items in the key run-up to Christmas 2