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ESCT

The European Smaller Companies Trust PLC

The European Smaller Companies Trust: half-year results 2025

The European Smaller Companies Trust (ESCT) has released its results for the half-year 2025. Dive into the details and discover how we're performing by watching a video from our fund manager, Ollie Beckett, as he discusses the results and provides further insights.

Discrete year performance (%) Share price (total return) NAV (total return)
31/12/2024 to 31/12/2025 29.0 33.2
31/12/2023 to 31/12/2024 8.2 -0.9
31/12/2022 to 31/12/2023 14.0 11.6
31/12/2021 to 31/12/2022 -14.7 -12.5
31/12/2020 to 31/12/2021 13.4 17.6

All performance, cumulative growth and annual growth data is sourced from Morningstar.

Source: at 31/12/25. © 2025 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete, or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance does not predict future returns.

Key terms defined

Capital

When referring to a portfolio, the capital reflects the net-asset value of a fund. More broadly, it can be used to refer to the financial value of an amount invested in a company or an investment portfolio.

Cyclical stocks

Companies that sell discretionary consumer items, such as cars, or industries highly sensitive to changes in the economy, such as mining.

Dividend

A variable discretionary payment made by a company to its shareholders.

Earnings per share (EPS)

EPS is the bottom-line measure of a company’s profitability, defined as net income (profit after tax) divided by the number of outstanding shares.

Fiscal stimulus/policy

Fiscal measures are those related to government policy regarding setting tax rates and spending levels. Fiscal austerity refers to raising taxes and/or cutting spending in an attempt to reduce government debt. Fiscal expansion (or ‘stimulus’) refers to an increase in government spending and/or a reduction in taxes.

MSCI Europe Ex-UK Small Cap Index

The MSCI Europe ex UK Small Cap Index captures small cap representation across Developed Markets (DM) countries in Europe. The index covers approximately 14% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization across European Developed Markets excluding the UK.

Net asset value (NAV) total return (investment trusts):

The theoretical total return on shareholders’ funds per share reflecting the change in Net Asset Value (NAV) assuming that dividends paid to shareholders were reinvested at NAV at the time the shares were quoted ex-dividend. A way of measuring investment management performance of investment trusts which is not affected by movements in discounts/premiums.

Portfolio

A grouping of financial assets such as equities, bonds, commodities, properties or cash. Also often called a ‘fund’.

Share buybacks

Where a company buys back their own shares from the market, thereby reducing the number of shares in circulation, with a consequent increase in the value of each remaining share. It increases the stake that existing shareholders have in the company, including the amount due from any future dividend payments. It typically signals the company’s optimism about the future and a possible undervaluation of the company’s equity.

Valuation metrics

Metrics used to gauge a company’s performance, financial health, and expectations for future earnings, e.g. P/E ratio and ROE.

Yield

For investment trusts: Calculated by dividing the current financial year’s dividends per share (this will include prospective dividends) by the current price per share, then multiplying by 100 to arrive at a percentage figure.

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. References made to individual securities do not constitute a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security, investment strategy or market sector, and should not be assumed to be profitable. Janus Henderson Investors, its affiliated advisor, or its employees, may have a position in the securities mentioned.

 

Before investing in an investment trust referred to in this article, you should satisfy yourself as to its suitability and the risks involved, you may wish to consult a financial adviser. Please refer to the AIFMD Disclosure document and Annual Report of the AIF before making any final investment decisions. Tax assumptions and reliefs depend upon an investor’s particular circumstances and may change if those circumstances or the law change.

 

Past performance does not predict future returns. 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.

 

There is no guarantee that past trends will continue, or forecasts will be realised.

 

Marketing Communication.

 

Glossary

 

 

 

Important information

Please read the following important information regarding funds related to this article.

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. This is a marketing communication. Please refer to the AIFMD Disclosure document and Annual Report of the AIF before making any final investment decisions.
    Specific risks
  • Losses could be incurred if a counterparty became unwilling or unable to meet its obligations, or as a result of failure or delay in operational processes or the failure of a third party provider.
  • Some of the administrative expenses are taken from capital. This allows more income to be paid but it may also restrict capital growth or even reduce the capital over time.
  • Derivatives may be used with the aim of reducing risk or managing the portfolio more efficiently. However, this introduces other risks, in particular, that a derivative counterparty may not meet its contractual obligations.
  • If a Company's portfolio is concentrated towards a particular country or geographical region, the investment carries greater risk (as well as the potential for greater reward) than a portfolio that is diversified across more countries.
  • This investment should be held as part of a broader diversified portfolio. Balancing it with investments that have different risk profiles can help reduce the impact of any single investment underperforming.
  • The Company may borrow to invest, which could magnify gains or losses.
  • As the Company may borrow to invest, changes in interest rates could increase or decrease the cost of any borrowings.
  • The Company invests in the shares of other companies. These shares may become hard to value or to sell at a desired time and price, especially in extreme market conditions when asset prices may be falling, increasing the risk of investment losses.
  • Your return on investment is directly related to the market price of the Company's shares, which may be higher (trading at a premium) or lower (trading at a discount) than the value of its underlying net asset value assets. This means your returns may differ from the performance of those assets.
  • While active management techniques are typically positive for performance, this approach may also result in periods of underperformance relative to the benchmark and comparable passive and index-tracking funds, particularly during unexpected market shifts.
  • Shares can gain and lose value rapidly, and typically involve higher risks than bonds or money market instruments. The value of your investment may rise and fall in line with the underlying equity markets.
  • If the companies in which the portfolio is invested persistently reduce their dividend payments, the Company will find it more difficult to maintain or grow its own dividend payments each year.
  • The portfolio invests in currencies other than sterling, meaning fluctuations in exchange rates could affect returns.
  • The portfolio invests in smaller company shares, which may be more difficult to buy and sell, and their share prices may fluctuate more than those of larger companies.

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