Identifying high-quality UK small caps with abrdn UK Smaller Companies Growth Trust
Jul 23, 2024
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Abby Glennie, Deputy Head of Smaller Companies at abrdn, shares her insights on identifying high-quality UK small caps. She discusses a disciplined bottom-up investment strategy focused on quality, growth, and momentum. Abby highlights how macro influences shape stock selection, forecasting that an interest rate cut could benefit the small-cap space. The conversation dives into standout holdings like Cairn Homes, praised for its competitive edge, alongside other exciting stocks like Raspberry PI, making for a compelling exploration of the UK smaller companies landscape.
The investment strategy of abrdn UK Smaller Companies Growth Trust emphasizes a disciplined bottom-up approach focused on quality, growth, and momentum metrics.
Macroeconomic factors like potential interest rate cuts are seen as key drivers for enhancing opportunities within the UK small-cap investment landscape.
Deep dives
Investment Strategy and Process
The investment strategy for the Aberdeen UK Smaller Companies Growth Trust revolves around a consistent focus on quality, growth, and momentum, guided by a bottom-up stock-picking approach. The team utilizes clear metrics such as Z scores and Patroiski scores to assess companies, while also evaluating qualitative factors like management quality and competitive advantages. Typically, the portfolio consists of around 50 stocks, with major positions representing no more than 5% of the total, allowing for concentrated yet diverse investments. This disciplined method has enabled the trust to navigate through five economic cycles successfully over approximately 25 years.
Market Themes and Stock Selection
The current investment landscape for UK smaller companies is characterized by a diverse set of themes, with no dominant sector currently standing out. While the team acknowledges challenges in certain sectors like resources and biotech, they maintain that opportunities across various industries exist, particularly focusing on businesses with quality growth momentum. Recently, the team has slightly reduced exposure to technology and media stocks, while identifying strength in other sectors that may offer better growth prospects. This dynamic approach ensures a broad coverage of the market, providing avenues for growth without being overly reliant on any single sector.
Influence of Politics and Interest Rates
The political landscape, particularly the recent election outcomes, has shown minimal immediate effect on market sentiment, which is seen as a positive for UK smaller companies. Interest rate cuts are viewed as potential catalysts for market growth, although the trust's performance has remained solid without them, highlighting a fundamental strength among businesses. The upcoming government policies, such as those regarding housing and wage changes, could present both challenges and opportunities for the portfolio. Companies like Cairn Homes and Mortgage Advice Bureau are positioned to benefit from these developments, making them attractive holdings in the current environment.
The UK Investor Magazine Podcast was delighted to be joined by Abby Glennie, Deputy Head of Smaller Companies at abrdn, for a deep dive into UK smaller companies and the abrdn UK Smaller Companies Growth Trust.
We start with a discussion about the strategy, looking at the trust’s bottom-up approach to UK smaller companies. Abby details a strategy and screening process that seeks out companies meeting strict criteria for quality, growth and momentum.
Abby explains the key themes for abrdn UK Smaller Companies Growth Trust and outlines the opportunities and challenges in the coming periods.
We look at the macro influences driving stock selection, and Abby outlines her views on how a UK interest rate cut will benefit the UK small-cap space.
We run through a selection of holdings within the trust and why the team sees value in these particular UK smaller companies. Abby highlights Cairn Homes as their pick of housebuilders and we discuss why the company stands out.
The podcast concludes with a selection of portfolio companies that excite Abby the most, including recent IPO Raspberry PI.