Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund
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Schroder UK Mid Ca p Fund plc Half Year Report and Accounts For the six months ended 31 March 2020 Key messages – Portfolio of “high conviction” stocks aiming to provide a total return in excess of the FTSE 250 (ex-Investment Companies) Index and an attractive level of yield. – Dividend has tripled since 2007 as portfolio investments have captured the cash generative nature of investee companies, in a market where income has become an increasingly important part of our investors’ anticipated returns. – Provides exposure to dynamic mid cap companies that have the potential to grow to be included in the FTSE 100 index, which are at an interesting point in their life cycle, and/or which could ultimately prove to be attractive takeover targets. – Proven research driven investment approach based on the Manager’s investment process allied with a strong selling discipline. – Managed by Andy Brough and Jean Roche with a combined 50 years’ investment experience 1, the fund has a consistent, robust and repeatable investment proces s. 1Andy Brough became Lead Manager on 1 April 2016 . Investment objective Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund plc’s (the “Company”) investment objective is to invest in mid cap equities with the aim of providing a total return in excess of the FTSE 250 (ex -Investment Companies) Index. Investment policy The strategy is to invest principally in the investment universe associated with the benchmark index, but with an element of leeway in investment remit to allow for a conviction-driven approach and an emphasis on specific companies and targeted themes. The Company may also invest in other collective investment vehicles where desirable, for example to provide exposure to specialist areas within the universe. The Company may hold up to 20% of its portfolio in equities and collective investment vehicles outside the benchmark index. The Manager has adopted a unique and consistent investment process, taking a stock specific approach with an emphasis on dynamic growth companies. Sector weightings play a secondary role, resulting naturally from stock selection. Fundamental research and engagement with investee companies forms the basis of each investment decision taken by the Manager. The Company will predominantly invest in companies from the FTSE 250 Index, but may hold up to 20% of its portfolio in equities and collective investment vehicles outside the benchmark index. The Company has the ability to use gearing for investment purposes up to 25% of total assets. Contents Financial Highlights 2 Chairman’s Statement 3 Manager’s Review 5 Investment Portfolio 9 Half Year Report 10 Income Statement 11 Statement of Changes in Equity 12 Statement of Financial Position 13 Notes to the Accounts 14 Half Year Report and Accounts 1 for the six months ended 31 March 2020 Financial Highlights Total returns (including dividends reinvested) for the six months ended 31 March 2020 1 -30.0 % -27.9 % -26.0 % Net asset value Share price Ben chmark (“NAV”) per share total return 2 total return 3 total return 2 1Total returns represent the combined effect of any dividends paid, together with the rise or fall in the share price or NAV per share. Total return statistics enable the investor to make performance comparisons between investment companies with different dividend policies. Any dividends received by a shareholder are assumed to have been reinvested in either additional shares of the Company at the time the shares were quoted ex-dividend (to calculate the share price total return) or in the assets of the Company at its NAV per share (to calculate the NAV per share total return). 2Source: Morningstar. 3Source: Thomson Reuters. The Company's benchmark is the FTSE 250 (ex-Investment Companies) Index. Other financial information 31 March 30 September 2020 2019 % Change Shareholders’ funds (£’000) 153,823 226,424 (32.1) Shares in issue 35,361,190 35,741,190 (1.1) NAV per share (pence) 435.01 633.51 (31.3) Share price (pence) 381.00 540.00 (29.4) Share price discount to NAV per share (%) 12.4 14.8 Gearing (%) 1 6.7 4.3 1 Borrowings used for investment purposes, less cash, expressed as a percentage of net assets. Dividend record since 2007 Pence per share 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Final Interim Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund plc 2 Chairman’s Statement In the 2019 Annual Report quarters, but we recognise that any forecast is difficult at issued in December the moment. I commented upon the Notwithstanding this, and the likelihood that investment strong asset and share income will take time to recover, the board will pay the price performance since same interim dividend of 3.80p as last year. The strength the year end particularly of investment income in past years has not only allowed following the decisive UK the board to pay higher dividends, but also to build up a general election result in revenue reserve which is available for use in years when December but ended with investment income is less strong. The revenue reserve a warning about after this interim dividend will be equivalent to nearly nine potentially more difficult months of a full year’s dividend, based on the prior year’s economic conditions dividend. worldwide in 2020. At that The board will wait until the preparation of the full year’s time we certainly did not accounts before deciding on the final dividend at which envisage the point we hope the position on the likely levels of unprecedented changes to global markets and economies investment income that may be expected in future years caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in will be clearer. At the moment however, we cannot predict extreme market volatility around the world with many what that dividend will be. companies choosing to cut or eliminate their dividend payments and to issue profit warnings. Gearing The Company’s £25 million revolving credit facility with Investment and share price performance Scotiabank Europe plc was converted into a three year term loan on 12 February 2020. Following the refinancing, During the six-month period to 31 March 2020, which this term loan provides a low cost of debt and the ended shortly after the global lockdown started, the extension of the maturity from July 2020 to February 2023 Company’s net asset value total return (“NAV”) was -30.0%, reduces the Company’s refinancing risk. Average gearing compared to the -26.0% delivered by the Benchmark. The during the period was 3.8% and the gearing is currently share price fared a little better, showing a total return 1.4% 1. The Manager intends to use this gearing to take of -27.9% as the discount narrowed from 14.8% at the advantage of investment opportunities and to participate start of the period to 12.4% at its close. These numbers in capital raisings by portfolio companies. are even more noteworthy, considering that between mid- December and late February the Company’s NAV and share price were 20% higher than at 30 September 2019. Share purchases and discount However, since 31 March 2020, the Company’s NAV has management recovered significantly, by 20.4%, and the Company’s In the six month period to 31 March 2020, 380,000 shares share price has recovered by 17.8% 1, but is still 16.9% were bought back, at an average discount to NAV of below its level at 30 September 2019. The performance of 13.8%, which was accretive for our shareholders. Since the the Benchmark over that period was a recovery of 13.4%. period end, no further shares have been bought back. These sharp upwards movements have not however been Following the lockdown and the resultant market volatility matched by an equivalent improvement in the outlook for your board decided not to make further market purchases the global economy. until such time as the market had settled. Your board continues to monitor the discount and will take action More detailed comment on the performance of your where it believes it to be in shareholders’ best interests. Company may be found in the Manager’s review. The shares currently stand at a discount of 14.3% 1 to NAV. Revenue and dividends Outlook The start of the lockdown coincided with one of the key The lockdown provides a challenging background to the dividend-paying seasons, and many portfolio companies holdings in the portfolio and to your Company. The were quick to cut or stop their dividends. As a result the essence of the Company’s purpose is the belief that there Company’s income from investments fell by 29% in the are a number of dynamic UK mid-caps that will provide us first half of the year compared to the same period a year with substantial capital growth, and that our investment ago, and the fall in income has continued into April, May managers can identify them. It is fair to say that the and June. The board is receiving regular updates from the characteristics the investment managers have looked for Manager on the portfolio income expected in coming in these long-term growth opportunities – such as pricing power, organic growth and strong cash flow – did not 1As at 24 June 2020 Half Year Report and Accounts 3 for the six months ended 31 March 2020 Chairman’s Statemen t anticipate a world where the staff of our portfolio holdings are locked out of their offices, factories and shops. Nonetheless we still consider them to be valid criteria. There is only one relevant precedent in the Company’s life, but I believe it is a reassuring one.