An update from our co-managers, Abby Glennie and Amanda Yeaman - 21 September 2021
We feel positive about the outlook for the rest of this year and beyond. Small- and mid-cap stocks tend to lead a market recovery. Companies in our portfolio are reporting strong results, which is driving earnings upgrades.
Performance in recent months has been encouraging, with the value rally feeling a long way behind us now. While it has been a busy year for initial public offerings, this summer season has been quieter for listings but we expect this to accelerate later in the year. Mergers and acquisitions are topical at the moment in the UK, and while many of these bids are for recovery stocks and somewhat opportunistic, we have had some interest. While bids are coming heavily from cash-rich private equity firms, there are also trade buyers; UK assets are attractive relative to other regions, with Sterling weakness helping to attract international buyers.
Company engagement remains the key to our ability to identify the quality-growth-momentum businesses we like to back. While we are in the quieter summer season for company results and meetings, we look forward to the next reporting period with optimism that our holdings will see further earnings upgrades. Encouragingly, balance sheets are healthy and we are seeing dividend growth coming through. We believe that we are well on the way to a more normal dividend situation across the portfolio.
Abby Glennie is an Investment Director at abrdn. She is responsible for UK Opportunities, Smaller Companies Pension Fund, and Bothwell Smaller Companies fund. Abby joined the company 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 is an Investment Manager at abrdn. 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.
Investment Director
Abby Glennie is an Investment Director at abrdn. She is responsible for UK Opportunities, Smaller Companies Pension Fund, and Bothwell Smaller Companies fund. Abby joined the company 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.
Investment Manager
Amanda is an Investment Manager at abrdn. 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.
Robert Lister, appointed in March 2012, is a non-executive director of Investec Wealth and Investment Limited. He has over 20 years' experience of investment management and formerly global head of equities at Dresdner Kleinwort and head of European equities at Barclays de Zoete Wedd.
David Fletcher, appointed on 1 August 2016, is Group Finance Director of Stonehage Fleming Family & Partners, a leading independently owned family office, having joined in 2002. Prior to that, he spent 20 years in investment banking with JPMorgan Chase, Robert Fleming & Co. and Baring Brothers & Co Limited, latterly focused on financial services in the UK (asset management and life insurance). He started his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers and is a chartered accountant. He is also an independent non-executive director of JP Morgan Claverhouse Investment Trust plc.
Dagmar Kent Kershaw, appointed on 2 May 2017, has over 20 years’ investment experience specialising in credit and structured finance markets. She was Head of Credit Fund Management for Europe and Asia-Pacific at Intermediate Capital Group from 2008 until 2016. Prior to that she was the founder and Head of Structured Products at Prudential M&G and was also Head of Debt Private placements. Her previous experience in credit markets included roles at Scotiabank and NatWest Bank.
Christopher, has over 30 years’ experience in investment management, having been an investment manager at Newton Investment Management from 2006-2017, and prior to that at Schroder Investment Management and Henderson Administration Group.
He is currently a non-executive director of Martin Currie Global Portfolio Trust plc and JP Morgan US Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc.
Chairman
Robert Lister, appointed in March 2012, is a non-executive director of Investec Wealth and Investment Limited. He has over 20 years' experience of investment management and formerly global head of equities at Dresdner Kleinwort and head of European equities at Barclays de Zoete Wedd.
Independent Non-Executive Director
David Fletcher, appointed on 1 August 2016, is Group Finance Director of Stonehage Fleming Family & Partners, a leading independently owned family office, having joined in 2002. Prior to that, he spent 20 years in investment banking with JPMorgan Chase, Robert Fleming & Co. and Baring Brothers & Co Limited, latterly focused on financial services in the UK (asset management and life insurance). He started his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers and is a chartered accountant. He is also an independent non-executive director of JP Morgan Claverhouse Investment Trust plc.
Independent Non-Executive Director
Dagmar Kent Kershaw, appointed on 2 May 2017, has over 20 years’ investment experience specialising in credit and structured finance markets. She was Head of Credit Fund Management for Europe and Asia-Pacific at Intermediate Capital Group from 2008 until 2016. Prior to that she was the founder and Head of Structured Products at Prudential M&G and was also Head of Debt Private placements. Her previous experience in credit markets included roles at Scotiabank and NatWest Bank.
Independent Non-Executive Director
Christopher, has over 30 years’ experience in investment management, having been an investment manager at Newton Investment Management from 2006-2017, and prior to that at Schroder Investment Management and Henderson Administration Group.
He is currently a non-executive director of Martin Currie Global Portfolio Trust plc and JP Morgan US Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc.
| Year End | 31 December |
| Accounts Published | May |
| Annual General Meeting | April |
| Dividend Paid | January, April, July, October |
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