Why consistency matters

In this article, Neil Hermon, portfolio manager of the Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust at Janus Henderson Investors, explores moments that have defined the decade in Europe and reveals the “secret sauce” to the trust’s long-term outperformance.

Look past the noise, it’s the stocks that count

Investors could spend months mulling over geopolitical events or gloomy economic forecasts and what they might mean for their portfolios and their stock-picking process. The “macro” is undoubtedly important – unexpected events, such as the pandemic, can shake markets vigorously – so it’s understandable that they’re given close attention. Yet, very few long-term investors attribute their investing success to how they navigate the range of complex scenarios that may play out in markets, but rather take a disciplined approach to stock picking that remains consistent.

The past decade is a case in point. Though, by some measures, it was a blinding success for some equity investors, many describe the period as the “most hated rally in history”. Fresh from a searing financial crisis and a prior decade that proved a flop for equities, gains were built on a hesitant economic recovery, sceptical investor optimism, and underpinned by doses of emergency stimulus measures. With newspaper tabloids pedalling potential catalysts for the next financial downturn, there seemed plenty to worry about for European and UK investors.

At Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust, we looked past this macro noise, and instead focused on finding high-quality, high-growth businesses within the small and mid-cap (smid-cap) market. As long-term investors, we believe that these sorts of companies will weather the storms and thrive in the years beyond them. The trust aims to maximise shareholders’ total returnsby investing in smaller companies that are quoted in the UK. And through a disciplined and consistent investment approach and philosophy, the trust has beaten its benchmark in 16 of the 18 years in which I have been the manager.

A decade of curveballs

There is a reason why some call it the most hated bull market in history, and this resonates particularly strongly with European and UK investors. Still recovering from the financial crisis, the 2011 sovereign debt crisis dealt a fresh blow to Europe’s recovery. Political churn uncovered financial mismanagement by a range of governments, starting with Greece. Ratings downgrades and rising yields ensued, and snappy headlines containing the now infamous “[country]-exit” portmanteau – in this case “Grexit” – led to fears of contagion across the bloc and abroad.

To thwart the dissolution of the union, politicians argued and debated, and rounds of bailouts eventually followed. Meanwhile, central banks dosed markets with quantitative easing (QE) to sooth concerns and keep borrowing costs low amid the uncertainty. Yet still, the crisis dragged on for years, and European equities remained broadly out of favour.

Some would say the difficulties in finding a political solution in Europe laid the groundwork for Brexit, with groups taking aim at the perceived sluggishness of multilateral organisations such as the European Union and the International Monetary Fund amid a backdrop of rising nationalism. After the shock UK referendum result in 2016, four years of political spats between Britain and its incensed neighbour followed, and it was UK equities’ turn to feel the cold from investors.

Protracted Brexit uncertainty segued neatly into pandemic chaos, which sparked a global bear market. The impact was sharp and dramatic, although relatively short-lived thanks to the rapid injection of fiscal and monetary stimuli. Though Brexit uncertainty has abated, and we slowly put the pandemic to bed – the threat of inflation, rising transportation costs and concerns that central banks will begin removing stimulus measures and raise interest rates have emerged to hang over markets. It seems the anxiety never ends.

Remaining clear-eyed

Though the decade reads rather nightmarishly, the returns have been quite the opposite and particularly strong for smid-cap stocks, as illustrated below¹:

Warren Buffett once remarked that he doesn’t concern himself with the “macro stuff” because, although important, it is ultimately “not knowable”. Instead, he mused, it is much better to focus on “what is important and knowable”. For us, the Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust team – bottom-up stock pickers – what is important and knowable are the companies we invest in.

First, smaller companies tend to outperform broader markets over time. This is because, by their very nature, they are more innovative, faster-growing and have more entrepreneurial management at the helm. In addition, the ability to leverage their operations makes it easier for them to turn a pound of earnings into two when compared to larger firms.

Second, we believe that strong, high-quality growth companies are not only positioned to survive the crisis of the day but should continue on a trajectory of solid growth as idiosyncratic macro events fade into the history books. However, small and mid-cap stocks can be more volatile compared with their large counterparts.

We constantly follow the tried-and-tested process I have been using ever since taking over management of the trust in 2003. The primary ingredient we look for in a company is solid fundamentals – all the essential bits of a business that contribute to its success. By understanding these fully and ensuring they’re robust, we gain detailed insight into the potential of the company.

A process built to last

Alongside the insights and expertise of the small and mid-cap team at Janus Henderson Investors, we evaluate companies through our “4Ms” process. We analyse the quality of the business “model” and its “management”, the ways in which it makes and uses its “money”, and the “momentum” of its earnings reported to investors. This enables us to gain a clear understanding of the business and its markets. This also includes a strong valuation discipline encompassing a wide range of valuation techniques to ensure that the growth stocks we are purchasing are bought at an attractive price. It’s neatly summed-up as GARP – growth at a reasonable price.

The buy-and-sell criteria surrounding the 4Ms model is outlined in the chart below²:

What is more, we aim to hold on to stocks and “run our winners” as we believe long-term investing is consistent with wealth creation. This is evidenced in our portfolio holdings: 19 stocks have been held for longer than ten years and have weathered the storms of the past decade, while helping deliver exceptional performance. Prime examples of stocks that fit this bill can be seen in the table below³:

Stock	Tenure			Return (share price total return)
Bellway	+15 years			+707%
RWS	+15 years			+883%
Howden	+10 years			+1,008%

This consistency of approach has also delivered at the portfolio level. The trust has returned +521% over the past decade (ending August 2021) compared with the benchmark (Numis Smaller Companies Index) return of +211%. This is significantly higher than its large-cap counterparts, which have returned +93% (as measured by the FTSE 100) over the same period. More recently, the trust outperformed its benchmark over its previous financial year ending May 2021 – meaning it has outperformed its benchmark in 16 of the past 18 years. It also marks the 18^th consecutive year the trust has increased its total dividends. This consistency in outperformance not only reflects the quality of the team, but also highlights the importance of staying disciplined and sticking with a tried-and-tested investment process, in spite of the macro noise that has characterised the decade.

The next leg

On the whole, the outlook for markets looks much brighter than it has been for years. Companies are performing strongly, profits are growing, buoyed by the release of pent-up consumer demand, and UK valuations remain cheap compared with developed markets. However, inflation poses a risk, QE will soon be withdrawn, and who knows what might cause the next financial downturn. What is clear, however, is this it is a stock-pickers’ market and the ability to tune out the noise and focus on the fundamentals will be key to generating solid returns. As such, we at Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust will continue to focus on what is  “important and knowable”.

¹ Source: Bloomberg, 31/08/2011 to 31/08/2021

² Source: Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust: A decade of outperformance, as at August 2021

³ Source: Bloomberg, share price total return, 31/08/2011 to 31/08/2021

Discrete year performance % change (updated quarterly)		Share Price		Nav
30/09/2020 to 30/09/2021		66.1		56.6
30/09/2019 to 30/09/2020		-10.6		-4.0
28/09/2018 to 30/09/2019		-2.9		-5.2
29/09/2017 to 28/09/2018		18.4		10.6
30/09/2016 to 29/09/2017		23.6		26.2

References made to individual securities should not constitute or form part of any offer or solicitation to issue, sell, subscribe or purchase the security. Janus Henderson Investors, one of its affiliated advisors or its employees may have a position mentioned in the securities mentioned in the report.

These are the views of the author at the time of publication and may differ from the views of other individuals/teams at Janus Henderson Investors. Any securities, funds, sectors and indices mentioned within this article do not constitute or form part of any offer or solicitation to buy or sell them.

Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of an investment and the income from it can fall as well as rise and you may not get back the amount originally invested.

The information in this article does not qualify as an investment recommendation.

For promotional purposes. 

Important information

Please read the following important information regarding funds related to this article: The Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc

Before investing in an investment trust referred to in this document you should satisfy yourself as to its suitability and the risks involved. You may wish to consult a financial adviser.

Specific risks:

• If a trust’s portfolio is concentrated towards a particular country or geographical region, the investment carries greater risk than a portfolio diversified across more countries.
• Most of the investments in this portfolio are in smaller companies’ shares. They may be more difficult to buy and sell and their share price may fluctuate more than that of larger companies.
• This trust is suitable to be used as one component in several in a diversified investment portfolio. Investors should consider carefully the proportion of their portfolio invested into this trust.
• Active management techniques that have worked well in normal market conditions could prove ineffective or detrimental at other times.
• The trust could lose money if a counterparty with which it trades becomes unwilling or unable to meet its obligations to the trust.
• Shares can lose value rapidly, and typically involve higher risks than bonds or money market instruments. The value of your investment may fall as a result.
• The return on your investment is directly related to the prevailing market price of the trust’s shares, which will trade at a varying discount (or premium) relative to the value of the underlying assets of the trust. As a result, losses (or gains) may be higher or lower than those of the trust’s assets.
• The trust may use gearing as part of its investment strategy. If the trust utilises its ability to gear, the profits and losses incurred by the trust can be greater than those of a trust that does not use gearing.
• Derivatives use exposes the trust to risks different from, and potentially greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and may therefore result in additional loss, which could be significantly greater than the cost of the derivative.

Disclaimer

References made to individual securities should not constitute or form part of any offer or solicitation to issue, sell, subscribe, or purchase the security. Janus Henderson Investors, one of its affiliated advisors, or its employees, may have a position mentioned in the securities mentioned in the report.

For promotional purposes. Not for onward distribution. Before investing in an investment trust referred to in this document, you should satisfy yourself as to its suitability and the risks involved, you may wish to consult a financial adviser. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of an investment and the income from it can fall as well as rise and you may not get back the amount originally invested. Tax assumptions and reliefs depend upon an investor’s particular circumstances and may change if those circumstances or the law change. Nothing in this document is intended to or should be construed as advice.  This document is not a recommendation to sell or purchase any investment. It does not form part of any contract for the sale or purchase of any investment. We may record telephone calls for our mutual protection, to improve customer service and for regulatory record keeping purposes.

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