Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust PLC

Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust PLC is a closed-ended investment company established in 1887, designed to maximise shareholders' total returns through capital growth and income by primarily investing in smaller companies quoted on UK markets. Managed by Janus Henderson Investors, with lead manager Indriatti van Hien and deputy Cassie Herlihy, it employs a rigorous research process to identify high-quality growth companies at reasonable valuations, supported by hundreds of meetings with business leaders. The portfolio spans sectors like financial services (around 20%), consumer cyclical (19%), technology (13%), and industrials, with top holdings including Balfour Beatty PLC, Paragon Banking Group PLC, and Bellway PLC, alongside limited bond positions for gearing. Benchmarking against the Deutsche Numis Smaller Companies ex Investment Companies Index, it maintains an ongoing charge of 0.45%, semi-annual dividends yielding approximately 3%, and uses 14% gross gearing to enhance returns. With total assets near £670 million and a history of 22 consecutive years of dividend growth as of 2025, it plays a key role in providing diversified exposure to the dynamic UK smaller companies segment, often trading at a discount to net asset value.