| Year End | 30 June |
| Accounts Published | August |
| Annual General Meeting | October |
| Dividend Paid | April, October |
Standard Life UK Smaller Companies Trust plc
Capturing the growth potential of UK smaller companies
Latest news
An update from our investment manager, Harry Nimmo - 12 July 2021
Although it is still early days, our screening tool, “The Matrix”, is starting to suggest price and earnings momentum factors. Growth and quality are starting to turn up while value measures are turning down.
Recent results from our holdings have been invariably ahead of expectations, such as Future (media) which is our largest holding at 5%, and other top ten stocks Gamma (telecoms), DiscoverIE (electronics), Hilton Foods (beef, fish). We have also seen recent trading statements from Impax (ESG asset management) and Robert Walters (recruitment) that were significantly ahead of expectations.
We have now seen three proper “Dash for Trash” value rallies during the life of the Trust: April to September 2003, March to August 2009, November 2020 to March 2021. These occur after the turning point in expectations for the economy and markets. They last around six months, and are always a good time for smaller companies. Our investment process means that we always underperform these rising markets by 15% or more, whilst conversely providing resilience when markets are falling. We remain optimistic that our focus on companies who are growing earnings and beating expectations places us in a good position to achieve long-term outperformance. The first half of the economic/market cycle is also usually good for smaller companies.
Profile
The Company intends to achieve its investment objective by investing in a diversified portfolio consisting mainly of UK-quoted smaller companies. The portfolio will normally comprise around 50 individual holdings representing the Investment Manager’s highest conviction investment ideas. In order to reduce risk in the Company without compromising flexibility, no holding within the portfolio should exceed 5% of total assets at the time of acquisition.
The Company may use derivatives for portfolio hedging purposes (i.e. only for the purpose of reducing, transferring or eliminating the investment risks in its investments in order to protect the Company’s portfolio).
Within the Company’s Articles of Association, the maximum level of gearing is 100% of net assets. The Directors have set parameters of between 5% net cash and 25% net gearing (at the time of drawdown) for the level of gearing that can be employed in normal market conditions. The Directors have delegated responsibility to the Investment Manager for the operation of the gearing level within the above parameters.
The Investment Manager’s investment process combines asset allocation, stock selection, portfolio construction, risk management, and dealing. The investment process has evolved out of the Investment Manager’s “Focus on Change” philosophy and is led by Quality, Growth and Momentum. The Investment Manager’s stock selection led investment process involves compiling a shortlist of potential investments using a proprietary screening tool known as “The Matrix” which reflects Quality, Growth and Momentum based factor analysis. The final portfolio is research intensive and includes face to face meetings with senior management of these potential investments. This disciplined process has been embedded for many years and has delivered a consistency of performance through economic and market cycles.
Key people
Harry Nimmo
Investment Director
Harry graduated with an MBA from the University of Edinburgh in 1984 and joined Standard Life as an Investment Analyst with responsibility for UK equity funds in 1985. He became Senior Investment Analyst with sector responsibility for larger UK-quoted companies funds in 1990 and Investment Manager responsible for the UK equity smaller (quoted) company funds in 1993.
Abby Glennie
Investment Director
Abby Glennie is an Investment Director at Aberdeen Standard Investments. She is responsible for UK Opportunities, Smaller Companies Pension Fund, and Bothwell Smaller Companies fund. Abby joined Standard Life in 2013 from Kames Capital where she was an Investment Analyst
Abby graduated with a joint 1st MA, in Economics and Finance from University of Aberdeen and is a CFA charterholder.
Amanda Yeaman
Investment Manager
Amanda is an Investment Manager at Aberdeen Standard Investments. Amanda is responsible for providing research support predominantly for our UK Smaller Companies strategy but also to the wider Smaller Companies team. Amanda Joined the company in June 2019 from Investec Securities where she was a small and mid-cap equity sales specialist.
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Harry Nimmo
Investment Director
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Abby Glennie
Investment Director
Abby Glennie is an Investment Director at Aberdeen Standard Investments. She is responsible for UK Opportunities, Smaller Companies Pension Fund, and Bothwell Smaller Companies fund. Abby joined Standard Life in 2013 from Kames Capital where she was an Investment Analyst
Abby graduated with a joint 1st MA, in Economics and Finance from University of Aberdeen and is a CFA charterholder.
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Amanda Yeaman
Investment Manager
Amanda is an Investment Manager at Aberdeen Standard Investments. Amanda is responsible for providing research support predominantly for our UK Smaller Companies strategy but also to the wider Smaller Companies team. Amanda Joined the company in June 2019 from Investec Securities where she was a small and mid-cap equity sales specialist.
Liz Airey
Chairman
Liz was appointed as a Director on 21 August 2019 and was appointed Chairman on 1 April 2020. She also chairs the Nomination Committee. She is currently a non-executive director of Kirk Lovegrove & Company Limited, a member of the Investments Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and Chair of Trustees of the Rolls-Royce UK Pension Fund. She has previously been the non-executive Chairman of Jupiter Fund Management plc, a non-executive director of Tate & Lyle plc, Dunedin Enterprise Investment Trust plc, JP Morgan European Smaller Companies Trust plc, Zetex plc and AMEC plc. In her executive career, Liz was Finance Director of Monument Oil and Gas plc, a post she held from 1990 until the sale of the company to Lasmo plc in 1999.
Ashton Bradbury
Director
Ashton was appointed as a Director on 2 July 2018. He has previously held roles at Charterhouse Tilney, Hill Samuel Investment Management and HSBC Asset Management Europe and was, until 2014, a fund manager with Old Mutual Global Investors Limited, where he established its Small and Mid Cap equities team. Ashton is currently a non-executive Director of Hargreave Hale AIM VCT plc and is a director of Golf Union of Wales Limited. Ashton holds a BSc in Banking and Finance from Loughborough University of Technology.
Alexa Henderson
Director
Alexa was appointed as a Director on 8 October 2018. Alexa has over 30 years’ experience in finance, accounting and audit having worked with KPMG, Arthur Andersen and Deutsche Bank (WM Company). She is currently a non-executive Director of BMO Real Estate Investments Limited and Chairman of JP Morgan Japan Smaller Companies Trust PLC. In addition, Alexa sits on the board of James Walker(Leith) Limited and Bravura Solutions Ltd, incorporated in Australia. Previous directorships include Scottish Building Society (which she chaired for 4 years) and Adam & Company Group PLC (a private wealth subsidiary of RBS). Alexa Henderson holds a BSc in Economics and Accounting from Edinburgh University and is a Chartered Accountant .
Caroline Ramsay
Director
Caroline was appointed as a Director on 22 August 2016 and is Chair of the
Audit Committee . Caroline is currently a member of the Supervisory Board of Aegon NV and was previously a non-executive Director of Aegon UK PLC, Scottish Equitable plc, Scottish Equitable Holding Ltd and Cofunds Ltd. She is a
non-executive director of Tesco Underwriting Limited and Brit Syndicates Limited
and is a member of the Financial Conduct Authority’s Regulatory Decisions
Committee. Until June 2015, Caroline was the Group Chief Auditor for RSA plc
having held previous senior positions at RSA plc including UK Chief Financial
Officer. After qualifying and practising as a chartered accountant with KPMG, she
held various roles within Aviva Plc.
Tim Scholefield
Director
Tim was appointed as a Director on 20 February 2017 and is the Company’s Senior Independent Director. He also chairs the Management Engagement Committee. Tim is an Associate of the Society of Investment Professionals and previously held roles at Royal Sun Alliance Investments and Scottish Widows Investment Partnership. He was, until 2014, Head of Equities at Baring Asset Management. Tim is currently Chairman of City Merchants High Yield Trust Ltd, a non-executive Director of BMO Capital and Income Investment Trust Plc and Fidelity Asian Values Plc. In addition, he is a member of the Investment Committee of the General Medical Council, a non-executive director of Jupiter Unit Trust Managers Ltd and a consultant to Gresham House Asset Management.
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Liz Airey
Chairman
Liz was appointed as a Director on 21 August 2019 and was appointed Chairman on 1 April 2020. She also chairs the Nomination Committee. She is currently a non-executive director of Kirk Lovegrove & Company Limited, a member of the Investments Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and Chair of Trustees of the Rolls-Royce UK Pension Fund. She has previously been the non-executive Chairman of Jupiter Fund Management plc, a non-executive director of Tate & Lyle plc, Dunedin Enterprise Investment Trust plc, JP Morgan European Smaller Companies Trust plc, Zetex plc and AMEC plc. In her executive career, Liz was Finance Director of Monument Oil and Gas plc, a post she held from 1990 until the sale of the company to Lasmo plc in 1999.
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Ashton Bradbury
Director
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Alexa Henderson
Director
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Caroline Ramsay
Director
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Tim Scholefield
Director
Financial calendar
Listen to Harry's presentation from our recent AGM