News

24 Oct 2024
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CQS City Natural Resources benefits from substantial discount narrowing

CQS Natural Resources Growth and Income has published results for the year ended 30 June 2024. It delivered an NAV total return in the year under review of 7.2%. This is similar to the return of 7.3% produced by the MSCI World Metals and Mining Index (sterling adjusted) but lagged the 17.4% return from the […]

24 Oct 2024
Vietnam Opportunity makes fee changes

VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity new team in place following sad passing of Andy Ho

VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity has published results for the 12 months ended 30 June 2024. The NAV total return for the period was 7.8%, ahead of the 4.9% return posted by the VN Index. Dividends for the period total 14.25 cents. 8m shares were bought back at a weighted average discount of 20.5% and at a […]

24 Oct 2024

Schroder Oriental Income navigates weak Chinese market successfully 

Schroder Oriental Income says that over the 12 months ended 31 August 2024, it generated a NAV return of 18.2% and share price return of 15.3%, both well ahead of the return on its benchmark MSCI AC Pacific ex Japan Index in Sterling terms, which rose by just 8.6%. Over the financial year, the company […]

24 Oct 2024

Schroder BSC Social Impact working to secure sustainability impact label

Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust’s results for the 12 month period ended 30 June 2024 show a modest 1.5% NAV return for the period, below the 2.8%  per annum return achieved since launch in December 2020. The share price traded at a 16.7% discount to NAV at the period end, and as of 22 October […]

24 Oct 2024

Asset allocation weighs on abrdn Asia Focus returns relative to benchmark

abrdn Asia Focus has published results covering the 12 month period ended 31 July 2024. Over that period, its NAV total return was 7.9% and share price return 8.8%, both well behind the 14.1% return posted by the MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Small cap Index. The trust’s annual dividend was upped very marginally from […]

24 Oct 2024

GCP Infrastructure hints at big disposal in the works

GCP Infrastructure says that at close of business on 30 September 2024, its NAV was 105.22p, down 2.36p from the figure at end June 2024, which is disappointing. However, GCP says it won’t tell us what drove this move as “The company is in active due diligence and negotiations on disposals of material components of […]

24 Oct 2024

QuotedData’s morning briefing 24 October 2024 – ALW, ALF, AEWU, AGR, AERI

In QuotedData’s morning briefing 24 October 2024: Alliance Witan’s investment manager, Willis Towers Watson has completed the transition of assets from Witan Investment Trust to Alliance Witan (ALW). Blackrock Inc. helped to manage the transition and keep the costs to a minimum. While Blackrock was completing the transition of assets, WTW took the opportunity to […]

23 Oct 2024

PRS REIT puts itself up for sale

PRS REIT has announced that it is undertaking a strategic review to consider the future of the company following shareholder pressure. The review will explore all the various strategic options available to the company, which may include a potential sale. This follows the requisition notice made by a number of shareholders to replace the chairman, […]

23 Oct 2024

QuotedData’s morning briefing 23 October 2024 – HOME, DSM, PPET, AIE, BEMO

In QuotedData’s morning briefing on 23 October 2024: Home REIT (HOME) announced that it has sold a further 152 properties at auction for a total of £26.8m. Following the completion of these sales, it has sufficient proceeds to fully repay the outstanding Scottish Widows loan, which amounted to £72.0m as at 30 September 2024. It […]

22 Oct 2024

Volta Finance continues to impress despite stubborn discount

Volta Finance (VTA) announced its annual results for the 12 months to 31 July 2024. The company saw a NAV total return of 19.7%, while the share price total return was 13.6% with the discount widening to 27.1% despite the strong results. The dividend was maintained in line with the board’s current policy of 8% […]

21 Oct 2024

Good news for Hansa as Ocean Wilsons sells Brazilian business

Ocean Wilsons Holdings Limited says its wholly-owned subsidiary, OW Overseas (Investments) Limited has agreed to sell its 56.47% interest in Wilson Sons S.A. to SAS Shipping Agencies Services Sàrl, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA, for R$4.352bn ($768m) or R$17.50 per share. After Brazilian withholding tax, the net proceeds should be about […]

21 Oct 2024

Starwood European Real Estate Finance’s Irish office portfolio impaired by 50%

Starwood European Real Estate Finance (SWEF) says that, following new operational updates from the sponsor of its “office portfolio, Ireland” loan, SWEF’s board has evaluated various business plan scenarios, and the uncertainty related to these scenarios, and, as a consequence of this new information, combined with the challenging local office market dynamics, SWEF’s board has […]

21 Oct 2024

JPMorgan Emerging EMEA Securities updates on Russian court order

JPMorgan Emerging EMEA Securities (JEMA) says that it received the following update from the trust’s manager on 18 October 2023: “The Russian court has granted VTB’s claim for $439m in full against eight (including JEMA) of the nine J.P. Morgan legal entities named as defendants in the original claim. The J.P. Morgan defendants have 30 […]

21 Oct 2024

QuotedData’s morning briefing 21 October 2024 – RNEW, AUGM, IHR

In QuotedData’s morning briefing 21 October 2024: Ecofin US Renewables Infrastructure (RNEW) has agreed an amendment and extension to its existing revolving credit facility (RCF) with KeyBank, one of the main lenders to the US renewable energy industry. The RCF is now due to mature in October 2025 and there is scope for the size […]

18 Oct 2024

QuotedData’s weekly news show 18th October 2024

Thank you to everyone that listened in today on our YouTube channel. In this week’s show, James Carthew covered the week’s top stories: AVI Japan Opportunity (0:15) Gore Street Energy Storage (2:55) Cost disclosure – RIT Capital (5:57) This week’s interview was with Katie Potts from Herald Investment Trust – watch it again here

18 Oct 2024

Investment company cost disclosures – job done(?)

The long campaign on cost disclosure The past month has brought a flurry of activity over the cost disclosure rules under MiFID and their impact on investment trusts. Bill MacLeod, managing director at Gravis, and one of the key players in the team that has lobbied for the proper treatment of investment trust costs, is, […]

18 Oct 2024

Why invest in private companies?

The Scottish Mortgage team explains why investing in private companies gives shareholders access to the most innovative and unique growth opportunities globally. Capital at risk.

18 Oct 2024

Gore Street Energy Storage’s Big Rock secures 12-year RA contract

Gore Street Energy Storage (GSF) has announced that “Big Rock”, its 200MW California asset that it acquired in February 2023, has secured a resource adequacy (RA) contract with J. Aron & Company LLC, a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs. Big Rock is GSF’s largest asset and is on track to be energised by December 2024 and […]

18 Oct 2024

QuotedData’s morning briefing 18 October 2024 – HEIT, GABI

In QuotedData’s morning briefing 18 October 2024: Harmony Energy Income Trust (HEIT) has issued a brief update on its asset sale process. As previously announced, JLL has been appointed to seek offers for some or all of the Company’s assets and HEIT now says that it “is encouraged by the level of interest and non-binding […]

17 Oct 2024

International Public Partnerships backs BeNEX to buy Abellio Germany

International Public Partnerships says that BeNEX, its portfolio company, has successfully completed the acquisition of Abellio’s regional rail operations in Germany. BeNEX will become one of the largest providers of local rail passenger transport in Germany. The trust owns all of BeNEX. BeNEX is an investor in both rolling stock and five train operating companies […]

17 Oct 2024

Empiric Student Property raises £56.1m for new acquisitions and refurb projects

Empiric Student Property has raised £56.1m in a placing and retail offer as it looks to take advantage of favourable market conditions for the student accommodation sector. A total of 59,686,950 new ordinary shares representing 9.9% of the company’s existing share capital have been placed at a price of 93p, raising proceeds of £55.5m. In […]

17 Oct 2024

Another great year for Ashoka India but returns lag benchmark index

Ashoka India Equity has published results for the 12 month period ending 30 June 2024. The trust delivered great absolute returns but actually underperformed over this period, returning 35.5% in NAV terms and 35.9% in share price terms as compared to 37.7% for the MSCI India IMI Index. There is no dividend. The trust’s shares […]

17 Oct 2024

Gulf bows out with another good set of results

Over the 12 months ended 30 June 2024, Gulf Investment Fund generated a NAV return of 10.2%, well-ahead of the 2.6% return on its benchmark (S&P GCC Composite Index). Since the mandate widened from Qatari-focused to Gulf-wide in December 2017, NAV has risen 198.7% (dividend adjusted), as against the 85.3% returns recorded by S&P GCC […]

17 Oct 2024

Castlenau’s Dignity buys Augmentum Fintech’s Farewill

Dignity, the UK’s leading funeral services business is owned by Castlenau (see our interview on 4 October). It is buying Farewill, a company in Augmentum Fintech’s portfolio at a valuation for the entire business of £12.9m. Farewill, founded in 2015 by Dan Garrett (its current CEO) and Tom Rogers, offers a range of later-life products, […]

17 Oct 2024

QuotedData’s morning briefing 17 October 2024 – ORIT

In QuotedData’s morning briefing 17 October 2024: Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust (ORIT) has completed the purchase of a newly constructed 42MW solar farm located close to Dublin, Ireland. Together with the four nearby operational solar farms bought earlier this year, the five-site solar complex now totals 241MW  (the largest solar complex in Ireland) and will […]

16 Oct 2024

QuotedData’s morning briefing 16 October 2024 – IPU, HMSO, BOOT

In QuotedData’s morning briefing 16 October 2024 Invesco Perpetual UK Smaller Companies Investment (IPU) announced its interim results for the six months to 31 July 2024. The company saw a strong NAV total return of 13.8%, ahead of the benchmark index return of 12.1%. Shares were up 13.3%. IPU also paid its first interim dividend […]

15 Oct 2024

Annual results a sign of what’s to come for Seraphim Space Investment Trust

Seraphim Space Investment Trust (SSIT) has announced its annual results for the year ended 30 June 2024. The company saw a NAV total return of 2.6%, while shares rallied 102.2%. The strong performance saw the company’s discount narrow significantly, although the share price remained depressed at a discount of 43.2% highlighting the extent of the […]

15 Oct 2024

QuotedData’s morning briefing 15 October 2024 – BBH

In QuotedData’s morning briefing 15 October 2024: Bellevue Healthcare (BBH) says that redemption requests were received for the 22 November 2024 redemption point for 163,834,887 shares, representing 36.34% of the company’s issued share capital. Given the size of the proposed redemption, the board is proposing to create a redemption pool (carving off a slice of […]

14 Oct 2024

JPMorgan UK Small Cap Growth & Income reports on “momentous year”

JPMorgan UK Small Cap Growth & Income (JUGI) has published its annual results for the year to 31st July 2024, which its chairman, Andrew Impey, says has been a “momentous year” for the company. During the year, JUGI provided an NAV total return of 28.4% and a share price total return of 43.3%, both massively […]

14 Oct 2024

AVI Japan Opportunity to offer annual tender offers

AVI Japan Opportunity Trust (AJOT) will be offering shareholders the opportunity to tender all or part of their shareholdings in the company at a 2% discount to NAV. When AJOT was launched in October 2018, its IPO prospectus said that the directors may, at their discretion, offer a full or a partial exit opportunity to […]