BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust plc
BRSC.L
London Stock Exchange1,304.00
GBp
+10.00
(-0.59%)
BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust plc
BRSC.L
(London Stock Exchange)
Recent
price
1,304.00
P/E
ratio
-6.82
div
yld
- -
ROIC.AI
Capital Structure
FRC
•
in mil. unless spec.Working Capital
FRC
•
in mil. unless spec.Growth Rates
FRC
•
in mil. unless spec.Quarterly Revenue
FRC
•
in mil. unless spec.Quarterly Earnings Per Share
FRC
•
in mil. unless spec.Quarterly Dividends Per Share
FRC
•
in mil. unless spec.- Similar Companies
- Business
- BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust plc (BRSC.L) is a United Kingdom-based closed-end investment trust that aims to achieve long-term capital growth for shareholders through active management of a portfolio invested predominantly in smaller UK quoted companies listed or traded on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange or the Alternative Investment Market (AIM); it may also invest in securities listed overseas with a secondary UK quotation across sectors including industrials, financials, consumer discretionary, basic materials, consumer staples, real estate, technology, healthcare, telecommunications, energy, and communication services. The Trust, managed by BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited with BlackRock Fund Managers Limited serving as alternative investment fund manager, focuses on high-quality growth companies exhibiting strong management teams, market leadership, growth track records, cash generation, and financial strength, targeting "hidden gems" in under-researched small-cap and mid-cap opportunities benchmarked against the Deutsche Numis Smaller Companies plus AIM (excluding Investment Companies) Index. Portfolio holdings as of recent updates include significant positions in digital payments provider Boku, pensions consultancy XPS Pensions, and discretionary fund manager Tatton Asset Management, with minor geographic exposures to countries such as South Africa, Germany, Canada, Lithuania, and Spain beyond its core UK focus; gearing is employed through long-term fixed-rate private placement notes and shorter-term overdraft facilities to enhance returns. Founded in 1906 and headquartered at Dundas House, 20 Brandon Street, Edinburgh EH3 5PP, Scotland, the Trust operates with an ongoing charge of 0.8% and a management fee tiered at 0.60% on the first GBP 750 million of net assets reducing to 0.50% thereafter, with no performance fee; dividends are paid semi-annually in November and June. Recent developments include an agreement reached on 22 January 2025 with Saba Capital Management L.P. regarding its shareholding undertakings; removal of the prior GBP 2 billion market cap limit on off-benchmark holdings to enhance investment flexibility amid evolving small-cap market dynamics; ongoing share buyback programs, with over 1.086 million shares repurchased into treasury post-period end through late 2025 and recent daily repurchases such as 10,000 shares on 28 November 2025, reducing shares in issue to 39.9 million; and sustained merger and acquisition activity benefiting portfolio performance, exemplified by the takeover of holding Alpha Group International by Corpay Inc. at a 55% premium valuing it at GBP 1.8 billion.