SQN Asset Finance Income Fund (SQN) has announced its interim results for the year ended 31 December 2016. During the period, the company’s ordinary share NAV decreased by 0.01% but the ordinary shares are paying a monthly dividend equivalent to 7.25% of NAV annually and, in October 2016, the c-shares achieved a level of income […]

B.P. Marsh and Partners has acquired, through a newly established company Paladin NewCo Limited, an effective 35% shareholding in CBC UK Limited. CBC is a Retail and Wholesale Lloyd’s Insurance Broker, offering a wide range of services to commercial and personal clients as well as broking solutions to intermediaries. For the year ending 31(st) December […]

Infrastructure India says that Distribution Logistics Infrastructure Limited (“DLI”) has, along with the wider logistics sector in India, experienced a dramatic deceleration of cargo movements in the immediate aftermath of the Government of India’s announcement of demonetisation and official withdrawal of certain high value currency denomination notes from circulation. India is an overwhelmingly cash economy […]

Witan Investment Trust has announced the appointment of GQG Partners, LLC as a manager of a segregated emerging markets portfolio for Witan, with an initial allocation of GBP70m, approximately 4% of the Company’s net assets. GQG Partners LLC is an independent, employee-owned investment boutique formed in June of 2016 by Rajiv Jain. As of 31st […]

Epiris is pleased to announce that its portfolio company AXIO Group has sold OAG, the global leader in aviation information and intelligence, to funds managed by Vitruvian Partners for approximately $215 million. This is the fifth major realisation from AXIO’s portfolio. Electra Private Equity PLC has received proceeds from AXIO of GBP104 million*, an uplift […]

Herald Investment Trust has announced its annual results for the year ended 31 December 2016. During the year, the Trust’s NAV increased by 22.8% to 1,083.2p per share, whilst the share price increased by 18.4%. This reflected a widening of the discount, over the year, from 15.5% to 18.5%. The Trust says that during the […]

Landore Resources (LND.L:AIM) Announced a Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate for the BAM East Gold Deposit on its Junior Lake Property, Ontario, Canada. The resource estimate was 301,000 oz consisting of an indicated resource of 193k oz at 1.35 g/t Au and an inferred resource of 108k oz at 1.23 g/t Au. The estimated cost to […]

The boards of Hansteen and Industrial Multi-Property Trust (IMPT) have announced that have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended all cash offer for the entire issued ordinary share capital of IMPT by Hansteen. Under the terms of the offer, IMPT shareholders will receive 300p in cash for each IMPT share. This values the […]

Custodian REIT has sold a 22,286 sq ft public house on Palmerston Road, Southsea for GBP1.67 million, GBP0.19 million ahead of the 31 December 2016 valuation.  The property is let to JD Wetherspoon plc on a lease expiring in 2040. The property was part of a portfolio acquired in August 2014.  The Company intends to use […]

Foresight Solar Fund has announced results for the year ended 31 December 2016. The NAV at the end of the period was 102.9p, the total return on NAV was 7.04% and the return to shareholders 6.58%. The company made profits after tax of £30.7m, equivalent to earnings per share of 10.38p. They say the fund […]

Blackstone / GSO Debt Funds Management Europe Limited has informed Blackstone/GSO Loan Financing that Alan Kerr has decided to leave GSO during 2017.   Mr. Kerr is a Senior Managing Director and Head of GSO’s European Customized Credit Strategies business (“CCS”).  Mr. Kerr joined GSO in 2012 at the time of Blackstone’s acquisition of Harbourmaster Capital […]

Murray Income Trust says that, over the six months ended 31 December 2016,its NAV per share rose 8.7% on a total return basis; the wider UK market returned 12.0%. The share price ended the period at a discount to NAV of 11.1%, compared to 12.3% at 30 June 2016, resulting in a total return to shareholders over the period […]

NB Private Equity Partners has appointed Jefferies International to act as its sponsor and financial adviser as it considers a change in its listing arrangements. It is looking at a  number of initiatives including the potential for increasing the voting rights of the company’s class A ordinary shares (“A Shares”) and a transfer of listing of […]

Over the year ended 30 November 2016, Brunner Investment Trust’s NAV increased by 20.2% on a total return basis, outperforming the benchmark which generated a total return of 18% over the period. The total dividend payment for 2016 was upped to 15.8p, an increase of 3.3% on last year. For the majority of its history, Brunner […]

BlackRock Throgmorton says that, during the year to 30 November 2016, the Net Asset Value per share returned 7.3% compared with a return of 6.3% from the benchmark, the Numis Smaller Companies excluding AIM (excluding Investment Companies) Index. They are paying a total dividend for the year of 7.50 pence per share, an increase of […]

Crystal Amber has announced that it has acquired a further 16.08 per cent. of the issued Chess Depositary Interests (“CDI”) in GI Dynamics Inc (“GI Dynamics”), taking the Fund’s CDI holding in the company to 38.73 per cent. GI Dynamics is the developer of EndoBarrier, the first minimally invasive device therapy approved for the treatment […]

UK Commercial Property has completed the forward purchase of a pre-let 258,370 sq ft distribution warehouse development in Burton upon Trent for a total consideration of circa GBP22.2 million, reflecting a yield on capital of 5.8%. The transaction is in line with UKCPT’s strategy to focus its portfolio on assets that deliver a higher and […]

Bob Shearer, co-manager of BlackRock North American, has notified the Board of his intention to retire from BlackRock later this year and will therefore step down as co-manager of the Company at the end of August 2017. The Board and managers will review the portfolio management arrangements at that date, but the current intention is […]

Picton Property Income has disposed of a non-core property in Drury Lane, Oldham, for GBP2.2 million, completing its business plan for the asset. The warehouse was purchased in April 2010 for GBP0.4 million with an annual rent of GBP74,000 as part of the acquisition of Rugby REIT. During Picton’s ownership, it secured planning consent to […]

For the second half of 2016, A&J Mucklow has reported EPRA earnings per share up to 12.54p from 11.89p, an interim dividend up to 9.88p from 9.59p and an EPRA NAV per share up a little to 448p from 446p. They say that average rental increases on new lettings and lease renewals have been maintained […]

For the past couple of months our investment trust bargain hunter series has flagged up various discount opportunities in the out-of-favour UK smaller companies and Europe sectors. read more here

Mariana Resources (MARL:AIM) (MARL:TSX.V) Reported initial drilling results from their 100% owned Ergama project in western Turkey, located 90km SE of Teck’s Pilot Gold Halilaga Au-Cu project and 230km west north west of Eldorado Gold’s Kisladag gold mine which produced 211k oz of gold in 2016. The Ergama project license covers an area of 2,168 Ha (21.6 km2). Drill […]

Proposed discount control management policy In view of the proposed changes to Aberdeen Diversified Income & Growth (formerly BlackRock Income Strategies) as announced on 30 November 2016, and following further consultation with many shareholders, the Board has given detailed consideration to the appropriate discount control mechanism for the company following the implementation of the proposals. […]

BlackRock World Mining says it is revaluing its investment in the Avanco Royalty. The valuation is being increased from $12m to $25.2m. This has the effect of adding 6p to the fund’s net asset value. BlackRock World Mining bought the royalty in 2014 – read that story here. BRWM: BlackRock World Mining revalues Avanco

The activist investor, responsible the massive recent changes at the Victorian era trust, has built up a near twenty per cent stake, that was spoiling investor sentiment following the implementation of a new investment strategy. read more here

Strategic Equity Capital has published its interim report covering the six months ended 31 December 2016 – the NAV per share and the NAV total return per share increased by 13.7% and 14.1% respectively. By contrast, the benchmark returned 18.0%. The chairman’s statement attributes the underperformance to the lack of natural resource exposure in the […]

Scottish American has reported results for the year ended 31 December 2016. Its net asset value total return (capital and income) for the year was 29.9% and the share price total return was 28.7%. The total return from the global equity market was 29.6%. A final dividend of 2.725p is recommended which will take the full […]

The board of JPMorgan Japan Smaller Companies has agreed with the manager to reduce the management fee payable on the trust. The old fee was calculated as 1% of gross assets. The new fee is 1% on the first £150m of net assets and 0.8% on any net assets above the £150m level. The new […]

UK Smaller Companies was the only investment sector to lose money in 2016 despite a turbulent political and economic landscape, new research has revealed. See more here

In a brief statement this morning, it was announced that Stuart Widdowson had resigned as manager of Strategic Equity Capital. At the time of writing the shares are off 6%. The full text of the announcement is reproduced below. The Board of Strategic Equity Capital plc (the “Company”) announces that it has been informed by […]