FP Matterley Equity Fund

Transcription

1 FP Matterley Equity Fund Short Report for the six months ended 31 July 2015 Investment Objective and Policy The investment objective of the FP Matterley Equity Fund is to generate capital growth from a portfolio consisting predominantly of companies which form the FTSE 350 Index. There may be occasions when the investment manager chooses to hold Collective Investment Schemes and a high level of bonds, government securities, cash and money market instruments. Fund Facts Risk Profile Interim/Annual Accounting End Dates 31 July 31 January Ex-dividend (xd) Dates 01 August 01 February Income Distribution/ Accumulation Dates 30 September 31 March Please refer to the Full Prospectus for details of all the risks. The Fund has exposure to credit, counterparty and usual market risks. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of investments and any income from them may go down as well as up. Exchange rate changes may cause the value of any overseas investments to rise or fall. You should always regard investments in the Fund as medium to long term. Charges Share Class Initial Charge Annual Management Charge as at 31/07/15 Ongoing Charge Figures as at 31/07/15 Ongoing Charge Figures as at 31/01/15 Share Class A Income 0.00% 1.25% 1.55% 1.57% Share Class A Accumulation 0.00% 1.25% 1.55% 1.57% Share Class B Income 0.00% 0.75% 1.05% 1.07% Share Class B Accumulation 0.00% 0.75% 1.05% 1.07% Page 1

2 Distributions/Accumulations The distribution for Share Class A Income is p per Share, payable 30 September The distribution for Share Class A Accumulation is p per Share, payable 30 September The distribution for Share Class B Income is p per Share, payable 30 September The distribution for Share Class B Accumulation is p per Share, payable 30 September Comparative Tables Net Asset Value Date Net Asset Value of Share Class ( ) Shares in issue Net Asset Value per Share (p) Share Class A Income 31/01/13 1,591,456 1,059, /01/14 1,487, , /01/15 289, , /07/15 233, , Share Class A Accumulation 31/01/13 8,082,753 4,733, /01/14 8,331,359 4,456, /01/15 549, , /07/15 519, , Share Class B Income 31/01/ /01/14 177, , /01/15 1,180,954 1,031, /07/15 1,216,213 1,052, Share Class B Accumulation 31/01/13 31,019 29, /01/14 389, , /01/15 8,503,895 7,070, /07/15 8,482,109 6,895, Page 2

3 Comparative Tables (continued) Price and Revenue History Calendar Year Share Class A Income Highest Published Share price (p) Lowest Published Share price (p) Net Revenue per Share (p) Share Class A Accumulation Share Class B Income Share Class B Accumulation From 10 December to 31 December From 1 January to 31 July Includes the distributions paid 31 March and payable 30 September Share Class B Income and B Accumulation were launched 10 December Major Holdings Top 10 Holdings % of Fund as at 31/07/15 Inmarsat 3.31 Reed Elsevier 3.21 Prudential 3.10 Reckitt Benckiser 3.03 Johnson Matthey 2.93 Croda 2.91 British American Tobacco 2.82 Unilever 2.78 Bellway 2.77 BG 2.61 Top 10 Holdings % of Fund as at 31/01/15 Prudential 3.54 Reed Elsevier 3.30 Johnson Matthey 3.25 Inmarsat 3.25 British American Tobacco 3.12 Senior 2.94 Unilever 2.78 Reckitt Benckiser 2.76 SABMiller 2.58 BP 2.54 Page 3

4 Portfolio Information Breakdown by Investment type % 15.53% 14.11% % % % 6.78% % 4.12% 3.77% 3.41% % 0 Comparative figures shown above in square brackets relate to 31 January Risk and Reward Profile As at 31 July 2015 Typically lower rewards Lower risk Typically higher rewards Higher risk FP Matterley Equity Fund Share Class A FP Matterley Equity Fund Share Class B This indicator is based on historical data and may not be a reliable indication of the future risk profile of the Fund. The risk category shown is not guaranteed to remain unchanged and may shift over time. The lowest category does not mean risk free. The Fund appears as a 5 on the scale. This is because it invests in the shares of companies whose values tend to vary more widely. Page 4

5 Investment Manager s Report Investment Review and Market Overview The period under review started strongly in the UK equity market and both the headline FTSE 100 Share Index and the Fund s benchmark FTSE 350 Share Index posted record highs at the end of February. It has taken since 1999 for them to pass the previous high point and after a pause for breath the market pushed on to record a new all-time high at the end of April. This was a surprising move as the result of the UK general election due in May was far from clear and traditionally, uncertainty ahead of an election can put a damper on stock-market activity. When the outcome was known it is fair to say that the majority of pundits were well and truly caught out by the result and although the market tended to drift lower until the end of July any setback could have been steeper if we had been burdened with the economic uncertainty created by a hung parliament. The other factors that have weighed heavily on stock market activity over the last six months have been the crisis in the Greek economy, the big question mark over just when interest rates will rise, worries about collapsing commodity prices, and the faltering Chinese economy. After more than 5 years of increasingly regular European Union(EU) emergency summits to tackle the economic crisis in Greece matters finally came to a head in July when a settlement had to be reached or a so called Grexit from the EU and inevitable bankruptcy for a country already in dire problems would have been unavoidable. An eleventh hour settlement with EU partners was tentatively agreed and EU leaders returned to their countries but there is still a lot of behind the scenes negotiating to be completed before the problem can be described as even remotely solved. Despite the headlines and political histrionics surrounding the Greek hiatus, equity markets in the UK and also in much of Europe remained remarkably firm and unlike the early days of the crisis more than 5 years ago, there was little fear of contagion among weaker members of the EU. Commodity prices have fallen throughout the period under review as the Chinese demand for raw materials waned. The Fund has been traditionally overweight in mining shares and despite the weakness we have kept faith with BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto even though they recorded falls of 18.1% 1 and 15% 1 respectively for the last 6 months. Both companies are financially strong enough to survive any continuing weakness and should be well to the forefront of any recovery. BHP spun off some of their mining interests into a new company called South 32 which was first quoted in May. The holding was relatively small and we decided to sell rather than hold. Johnson Matthey, a refiner of rare metals has also suffered with a fall of 10.6% 1 as demand fell but again we never fail to be impressed with the management team and will continue to hold. The most disruptive fall has been in the price of crude oil. Not only do we hold the leading oil companies but also engineering companies which specialise in oilfield support. In June we decided to trim our exposure and sold BP. In addition to the usual woes allied to a low oil price the company will continue to be bogged down with law suits surrounding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in We retained Royal Dutch Shell which although it fell by 11.6% 1 over the period surprised markets with a bid for BG Group. We hold the latter which thanks to the bid appreciated by 23.2% 1. Although the terms of an agreed bid were announced in April it is unlikely that the take-over will be completed before the first quarter of 2016 although their respective strengths are complimentary rather than overlapping. Page 5

6 Investment Manager s Report (continued) Investment Review and Market Overview (continued) We also sold the holding of IMI to decrease our weighting in companies which have a high dependency on the fortunes of the oil industry. IMI was also relying on growing trade in China and Brazil, two economies where growth is fading. Another total disposal was Elementis, a producer of bulk chemicals which had performed well over the first four months of the year but could have easily surrendered the rise if the uncertainty in commodity markets continues. We also made partial sales of Senior, Inmarsat, Prudential, BATs, and Sage Group with the idea of protecting profits after periods of out-performance and adding to our cash position. Merger and acquisition activity has come to life in 2015 and in addition to the bid by Royal Dutch Shell for BG we have seen approaches to Rexam by the Ball Corporation of USA and an agreed bid for BRIT Insurance by the Canadian group Fairfax. BRIT was a recent purchase and we had been attracted to the company by its strong cash generation and bullish outlook whereas Rexam has been a valuable contributor to our performance since inception. A successful merger of Ball and Rexam will create monopolies in certain product lines in the United States thus adding to the regulatory hurdles that have to be crossed. With a successful outcome far from certain we sold approximately one third of our holding to consolidate a profit. New purchases have included IG Group, S&U, Victrex, IP Group, and Auto Trader. The first three companies generate a high level of excess cash thanks to a niche presence in their respective sectors. IG Group has been established for more than 40 years and provides specialist spread betting services, on line stockbroking and foreign exchange trading to more than 125,000 clients worldwide 2. S & U is a provider of motor finance to customers looking to buy a second hand car. The company and its management are well known to the managers of the fund having been held in the Regular High Income Fund since Historically the company had a low rating but paid a high dividend thanks to strong cash flow. Over the years, growth in earnings and the share price has out-stripped the growth in dividends and although they may no longer be the preferred investment of an income fund they have ample growth credentials for the Equity fund. Victrex is a provider of high performance polymer solutions serving 40 countries and several industries ranging from aerospace to medical 3. The financial management of the company is exemplary and the barrier to entry for would-becompetitors is high. IP Group and Auto Trader are a slight departure from our traditional disciplines of seeking out companies that generate cash and can deliver earnings growth which in turn fuels a consistent pattern of dividend increases. IP Group is in the research commercialisation sector, which broadly means they endeavour to create value for shareholders through the commercialisation of University Research programmes. This is a growing area as UK research and development spend is approximately 10bn per annum and growing at 4.3%p.a. (source: Company statement at time of major fund raising in May 2015). IP Group will be raising cash rather than re-paying shareholders but their model of financing and managerial assistance should in the long term prove highly profitable and in many ways is very similar to Oxford Instruments which is a more mature company and which we have held for some time. Our most recent purchase is Auto Trader the UK s leading automotive market place; originally a car listing magazine for 37 years it has now converted to a fully digital platform. The company only came to the market in March 2015 and will not be paying a dividend until 2016 but it has a very strong position in the car market with 80% of retail forecourts advertising through the website and a loyal following of both buyers and sellers. The rating is high but certainly no more expensive than other digital providers like Moneysupermarket.com and Zoopla (on line estate agency). However Auto Trader should grow earnings faster than any rise in their cost base a fact which endears them to our fund. Page 6

7 Investment Manager s Report (continued) Outlook Over the last few months the UK equity market has proved remarkably resilient in the face of the Greek crisis, a rapidly slowing Chinese economy with knock-ons to emerging market economies and already depressed commodity prices. It has been remarkably sanguine about the prospect of interest rate rises, while sanctions against Russia and the continuing extremism of Islamic State are rarely mentioned in the context of market movers. Forecasts by many economists and carefully worded statements by the Bank of England in the UK and the Federal Reserve in the USA suggest that we shall see a move to raise interest rates in the US in the next few months and in the UK in Q Hopefully the authorities on both sides of the Atlantic have had more than 5 years to rehearse all the possible scenarios but we do view any rise, no matter how small as possibly a major turning point for the market. Traditionally any interest rate rise was bad news for equities but as any rise will be coming from a point so low that it would have been considered impossible 10 years ago we do not think it will cause any great upset initially. However assuming that interest rates remain low for the Euro then the pound could attract buyers which could be harmful for UK exporters. The great unknown is just how many equities are in the hands of investors who have used record low rates to borrow and chase assets like shares, property, and even works of art. In any rush for the exit shares could prove the easiest item to sell. For this reason we continue to keep a cash cushion just in case share purchases of the last few years owe more to irrational exuberance 4 fuelled by cheap money rather than old fashioned measures of value. Source: 1 Price source Bloomberg. Percentage move calculated from Way Group daily valuations. 2 annual report annual report 4 Term used by Alan Greenspan, head of the US Federal Reserve in 1990s to describe the dot.com boom Investment Manager Charles Stanley & Co. Limited 17 August 2015 Page 7

8 Important events during the period The Investment Association (IA) has published in accordance with FRS 102 a revised Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) in May 2014 which supersedes the previous SORP for the preparation of financial statements by UK Authorised Funds. The recommendations of this SORP are applicable to accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2015 and as a result the requirement for Umbrella Funds to present aggregated accounts has been removed for the interim financial statements of the Company. The information in this report is designed to enable shareholders to make an informed judgment on the activities of the Fund during the period it covers and the result of those activities at the end of the period. The long Report and Accounts are available free of charge on request. For more information about the activities and performance of the Fund during the period and previous periods, please contact: Authorised Corporate Director Fund Partners Limited Cedar House, 3 Cedar Park, Cobham Road, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 7SB Customer Service Centre: Depositary State Street Trustees Limited 20 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HJ Investment Manager Charles Stanley & Co Limited Granville House, 25 Luke Street, London, EC2A 4AR Authorised and regulated by the FCA Authorised and regulated by the FCA Authorised and regulated by the FCA Auditor Deloitte LLP Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor Saltire Court, 20 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2DB Please note that telephone calls may be recorded for monitoring and training purposes, and to confirm investors' instructions Page 8