The small cap advantage

Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested.

As investors focused on investing in UK small & mid-capitalisation (cap) companies,¹ we will naturally and unashamedly always talk about the benefits and attractions of investing in UK smaller companies. Essentially UK smaller companies offer investors exposure to an outperforming area of the market, having delivered returns of +4% more than large caps over time.²

Where does this performance come from? It is our view that smaller companies are dynamic and nimble businesses that often demonstrate higher levels of organic growth and operational leverage as their capital light, high returning business models adapt quickly to changing market environments and new and emerging industrial trends. These factors have resulted in the small-cap sector consistently demonstrating greater earnings growth than larger peers, which has in turn manifested itself in greater long-term returns for shareholders.

What’s more, in our view small cap companies are largely under-researched, which we believe means that many market participants may fail to truly understand the growth potential that some of these businesses can offer to long-term investors. This dynamic creates a fruitful environment for us as dedicated small cap managers to add significant alpha (excess return) for our clients.

Making a difference

But there’s more to investing in small caps. Investing in stocks is more than just red and green numbers flashing on a screen, hoping someone else will be willing to buy it for a higher price at a later date. These are businesses and shareholders become part-owners of said business.

To truly understand this though, we really need to remember what the purpose of the stock market is. Essentially the stock market is a mechanism that connects entrepreneurs requiring capital to start and grow businesses to investors that are willing to provide capital in exchange for a proportion of the ownership of that company, and ultimately participate in the success of that business through dividends and an increasing value of the company over time.

Why is this more relevant to smaller companies than perhaps large? Well, we would argue that the small cap end of the market is a truly active part of the capital markets. This is not to say initial public offerings (IPOs) and capital raising (companies raising additional money) don’t occur at the larger end of the market, but it is far less frequent and typically makes less of a difference to the investment case. In some cases, the capital required can be for more defensive reasons, for example to protect a company with falling demand because its industry is going backwards.

Financing growth

In contrast, in the small cap space we see many more new and exciting businesses looking to take themselves public to finance expansion and growth, or perhaps raise money for new and exciting acquisitions that enable a company to follow through with its long-term strategy and drive growth for years to come. Take Auction Technology Group as an example, an innovative business leading the digitisation within the auction industry which IPO’d in early 2021 with a market cap of around £600m (yes that is small).³ Then later in 2021 it came back to shareholders to raise additional capital to finance an acquisition⁴ which accelerates its global expansion. Naturally, given we think this is a phenomenal business, we were happy to participate and gave the company additional capital for this deal. This is just one example of which there are many more and as small cap investors, we are able to provide the much-needed growth capital to these businesses.

Reference to Specific Stocks: Reference to the names of each company mentioned in this communication is merely for explaining the investment strategy, and should not be construed as investment advice or investment recommendation of those companies.

The stock market’s ability to match investors with corporates to provide capital is also about more than just an individual company making money. The ability of investors to supply entrepreneurial companies with capital is key to bringing revolutionary ideas to life, making an entrepreneur’s dream become a reality and essentially has had a positive impact on global growth over many decades.

What’s more, as an equity investor, and therefore part-owner of a business, we have a seat at the corporate table. Investors are able to hold management teams to account, and through our engagements and votes, we can evoke change and best practices in behaviour when it comes to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. We have to be clear though, ESG is not about scores from a rating agency. It is about real people, having a real voice.

So why invest in smaller companies? This is an active part of the capital markets that provides entrepreneurial businesses the opportunity to drive innovation. And when you find fantastic businesses, you can share in some of that long-term success along the way. This is how we aim to deliver value on the BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust plc.

This material is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or financial product or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are from BlackRock as of June 2022 and may change as subsequent conditions vary.

¹ Market cap – or market capitalisation refers to the total value of all a company’s shares or stock. It is calculated by multiplying the price of a stock by its total number of outstanding shares

² Source: Datastream, UK Equity Large Cap Total Return Index and Numis Smaller Companies Index + AIM ex. Investment Trusts Total Return Index, 31 December 2021.

³ Source: BlackRock, London Stock Exchange, 26 February 2021

⁴ Source: BlackRock, London Stock Exchange, 2 September 2021

Risk Warnings

Smaller Companies risk

Smaller company investments are often associated with greater investment risk than those of larger company shares.

Reference to Investments

Reference to individual investments mentioned in this communication is for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice or investment recommendation.

Equity Risk

The value of equities and equity-related securities can be affected by daily stock market movements. Other influential factors include political, economic news, company earnings and significant corporate events.

ESG Investment Statements

This information should not be relied upon as research, investment advice, or a recommendation regarding any products, strategies, or any security in particular. This is for illustrative and informational purposes and is subject to change. It has not been approved by any regulatory authority or securities regulator.

Capital at risk

The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of current or future results and should not be the sole factor of consideration when selecting a product or strategy.

Changes in the rates of exchange between currencies may cause the value of investments to diminish or increase. Fluctuation may be particularly marked in the case of a higher volatility fund and the value of an investment may fall suddenly and substantially. Levels and basis of taxation may change from time to time.

Trust Specific Risks

Liquidity risk: The Trust’s investments may have low liquidity which often causes the value of these investments to be less predictable. In extreme cases, the Trust may not be able to realise the investment at the latest market price or at a price considered fair.

Gearing risk: Investment strategies, such as borrowing, used by the Trust can result in even larger losses suffered when the value of the underlying investments fall.

Important Information

Issued by BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered office: 12 Throgmorton Avenue, London, EC2N 2DL. Tel: + 44 (0)20 7743 3000. Registered in England and Wales No. 02020394. For your protection telephone calls are usually recorded. Please refer to the Financial Conduct Authority website for a list of authorised activities conducted by BlackRock.

BlackRock has not considered the suitability of this investment against your individual needs and risk tolerance. To ensure you understand whether our product is suitable, please read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Document (KID) which gives more information about the risk profile of the investment. The KID and other documentation are available on the relevant product pages at www.blackrock.co.uk/its. We recommend you seek independent professional advice prior to investing.

This material is marketing material. The Company is managed by BlackRock Fund Managers Limited (BFM) as the AIFM. BFM has delegated certain investment management and other ancillary services to BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited. The Company’s shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange and dealing may only be through a member of the Exchange. The Company will not invest more than 15% of its gross assets in other listed investment trusts. SEDOL™ is a trademark of the London Stock Exchange plc and is used under licence. Net Asset Value (NAV) performance is not the same as share price performance, and shareholders may realise returns that are lower or higher than NAV performance.

The BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust plc currently conducts its affairs so that its securities can be recommended by IFAs to ordinary retail investors in accordance with the Financial Conduct Authority’s rules in relation to non-mainstream investment products and intends to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The securities are excluded from the Financial Conduct Authority’s restrictions which apply to non-mainstream investment products because they are shares in an investment trust.

Any research in this material has been procured and may have been acted on by BlackRock for its own purpose. The results of such research are being made available only incidentally. The views expressed do not constitute investment or any other advice and are subject to change. They do not necessarily reflect the views of any company in the BlackRock Group or any part thereof and no assurances are made as to their accuracy.

This material is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer or invitation to anyone to invest in any BlackRock funds and has not been prepared in connection with any such offer.

© 2022 BlackRock, Inc. All Rights reserved. BLACKROCK, BLACKROCK SOLUTIONS, iSHARES, BUILD ON BLACKROCK and SO WHAT DO I DO WITH MY MONEY are trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and elsewhere. All other trademarks are those of their respective owners.

ID: MKTGH0722E/S-2250877