Over the six months to the end of October 2014, the gearing effect provided by its zero dividend preference shares worked against Smaller Companies Dividend Trust as small cap. values fell. The MSCI Small Cap. Index fell in value by 3.1% over the period while Smaller Companies Dividend Trust’s net asset value fell by 5.9%. […]
Spark Ventures interim results fro the six months to the end of September 2014 show a net asset value of 6.1p. It sold part of its stake in IMI Mobile but the balance is locked up until June 2015. The rest of the portfolio is supposed to be sold off by the end of March 2015 […]
BlackRock North American Income results for the year that ended on 31 October 2014 show the fund’s net asset value underperforming its benchmark. Over the period the total return on net asset value was 11.8%, 5.1% less than the return generated by the Russell 1000 Index. Shareholders though were also impacted as the shares moved from […]
Over the year to the end of September 2014, Henderson European Focus Trust’s net asset value total return was 14.5% – well ahead of the return generated by its benchmark, the FTSE World Europe ex UK Index. Shareholders did even better, with a return of 19.3%. It even beat its peer group by a significant […]
Infrastructure India has published interim results for the six months ended on 30 September 2014. Over this period its net asset value fell from 62p to 43p – a fall of 31%. This was largely the consequence of a dilutive issue of shares at a price less than asset value in August. Unfortunately all these shares […]
Lowland, managed by James Henderson (pictured), has published its results for the year that ended on 30 September 2014. Over this period the fund generated a total return on net assets of 5.7% – a little bit below the return on the FTSE All-Share Index of 6.1%. The dividend was increased by 8.8% to 37p, paid […]
MedicX has published results for the year ended 30 September 2014. Over that period its net asset value fell from 69.4p to 65.3p – about 6%. It paid dividends of 5.8p (up from 5.7p for the year before), so the total return on NAV was positive but these dividends were not covered by earnings and […]
Crystal Amber, managed by Richard Bernstein (pictured), has been consulting its shareholders about expanding the fund. Crystal Amber buys stakes in companies that it thinks can benefit from a bit of self-help or active engagement by Crystal Amber. It points to its three year track record (65% NAV growth and 85% share price growth) and says […]
Land Securities has announced the sale of ‘The Centre’ and the ‘Almondvale West Retail Park’ in Livingston to HSBC Alternative Investments for £224.1m. The sale reflects Land Securities strategy of refocusing its shopping centre portfolio on ‘dominant regional and Greater London assets’. ‘ The Centre’ is Scotland’s second-largest covered shopping and is home to over 160 retailers. ‘Almondvale West […]
Lyxor Focus, the LSE listed fund of hedge funds, has announced details of an EGM, scheduled for 30 December 2014, in which shareholders will consider a resolution to wind up the company. Assuming the resolution passes, it is intended that Lyxor’s listing on the LSE will also be cancelled with effect of the close of the market […]
