Aurora UK Alpha plc (ARR.L) is a UK-listed closed-end investment trust that provides shareholders with long-term total returns, primarily through capital appreciation and income growth from a concentrated portfolio of UK-listed equities. The trust invests in 15 to 20 core holdings, with the top ten positions comprising approximately 85% of assets, focusing on high-quality businesses trading at attractive valuations based on a value investing philosophy inspired by Warren Buffett and Philip Fisher; it may employ derivatives for capital preservation. Managed by Phoenix Asset Management Partners Limited since December 2015, the trust trades daily on the London Stock Exchange and targets risk-adjusted returns by backing the manager's highest-conviction ideas in UK companies across various sectors.
In December 2024, Aurora Investment Trust plc combined with Artemis Alpha Trust plc to form Aurora UK Alpha plc, creating a larger entity with enhanced liquidity, a lower cost ratio, and a shared high-conviction investment approach; this followed heads of terms agreed in September 2024 and shareholder approvals. More recently, in November 2025, the trust executed a share buyback of 20,000 ordinary shares at 271 pence each, adding to treasury holdings and adjusting total voting rights to 110,073,918, as approved at its annual general meeting. These actions reflect ongoing capital management strategies amid a recent 52-week high in share price reached in December 2025.
Founded in 1997 and headquartered in London at c/o Frostrow Capital LLP, 25 Southampton Buildings, the trust operates exclusively in the UK market, serving institutional and retail investors seeking exposure to domestic equities without direct management fees, instead paying a performance fee of one-third of NAV total return outperformance over the FTSE All-Share Index. Phoenix Asset Management Partners Limited, founded by Gary Channon in 1998, leverages a dedicated team for in-depth business analysis, drawing on networks from business, investment, private equity, and venture capital to identify mispriced opportunities. The trust maintains no employees and focuses on long-term holdings in predominantly listed UK firms.