In this episode, our director of content, investment trusts Milosz Papst provides an update on Franklin Global Trust, which was formerly the Martin Currie Global Portfolio Trust and featured in one of our October 2024 podcasts. Martin Currie’s parent Legg Mason was acquired by Franklin Templeton Investments in July 2020, but the brand was only retired earlier this year. The trust’s manager Zehrid Osmani and his team combined with the much larger US-based Franklin Equity Group and Jonathan Curtis was appointed as co-manager. Milosz then discusses Franklin Global Trust’s objective and investment process before explaining what it offers investors. He highlights that the trust is a straightforward equity portfolio with no unlisted businesses or derivatives, and is relatively concentrated, with around 30 holdings. Following on, he discusses the trust’s geographic and sector positioning and some of its larger holdings. He then focuses on performance, which has been disappointing in recent years due to the trust’s focus on growth stocks, which derated in a rising interest rate environment, and also there was insufficient exposure to the ‘Magnificent Seven’ large-cap technology stocks. However, over the longer term, the growth strategy has proved successful and during the dip in performance the managers have made improvements to the investment process. Finally, he discusses the trust’s dividend and its significant distributable reserves, and the zero-discount policy, which means that there are share buybacks on most trading days.

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About ‘Uncovering Trusts’

'Uncovering Trusts': is a podcast run by Edison analysts released every two weeks. Subscribe to hear analyst interviews on how investment trusts maximise returns while managing risks for investors.

About Edison:

Edison is a content-led IR business. We believe quality investment content should inform all investors, not just brokers. Our mission: engage and build bigger, better-informed investor audiences for our clients.

Edison covers 50+ investment trusts, read about them here: https://www.edisongroup.com/equities/investment-companies/

42. Uncovering Trusts – Franklin Global Trust: An exciting new chapter in the trust’s life

IRLAB Therapeutics (OMX: IRLAB-A) is a Sweden-based biopharma company focused on the development of novel treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular focus on Parkinson’s disease (PD). The company has a highly active pipeline, with assets spanning all stages of clinical development, from preclinical programmes through to its lead asset, mesdopetam, which is Phase III-ready.

Mesdopetam is being developed for levodopa-induced dyskinesias and, following a successful end-of-Phase II meeting with the US FDA, IRLAB is gearing up for a registrational Phase III programme. This could commence by end-2024/early 2025, contingent on successful partnership discussions. IRLAB’s second asset, pirepemat, is designed to improve balance and reduce falls in PD patients and is currently involved in a Phase IIb trial. Patient enrolment should be complete within Q324, and we anticipate top-line results from H125. IRL757 is being developed as a potential treatment for apathy in PD and Alzheimer’s disease patients, and it is the company’s latest candidate to enter the clinic. First-in-human studies commenced in May 2024 and we expect initial data in Q125. We highlight that this programme is somewhat de-risked, with the Michael J Fox Foundation financing the current Phase I study and the McQuade Center for Strategic Research and Development set to fund subsequent R&D efforts through to proof-of-concept. Preclinical assets IRL942 (for cognitive impairment) and IRL1117 (for PD) could both be Phase I-ready from end-2024/early 2025.

In this video we speak to Kristina Torfgård, IRLAB’s new CEO as of August 2024, and learn more about her wealth of experience in drug development, what drew her to IRLAB and her strategic priorities as the company approaches key upcoming milestones.

1. Bull, Bear & Beyond: IRLAB Therapeutics – executive interview

In this episode, our director of content, investment trusts, Milosz Papst provides a detailed overview of four portfolio holdings of HgT. He starts with IFS, a provider of cloud enterprise software and industrial AI applications across multiple sectors including enterprise resource planning, enterprise asset management, field service management and enterprise service management for asset-heavy industries, such as aerospace and defence, energy utilities and resources, construction and engineering, manufacturing and telecoms. He then covers P&I, a provider of an integrated HR cloud platform to small and medium-sized enterprises, primarily in Germany. He also delves into Ideagen, a provider of compliance software to organisations operating in highly regulated industries, such as life sciences, healthcare, banking and finance,and insurance. Milosz also covers a more recent investment made by HgT in 2024 in AuditBoard, a modern, cloud-native connected risk platform changing the way enterprises automate, collaborate and report in real time on risk, audit and compliance workflows. He concludes by discussing the key highlights of HgT’s recently published H125 results.

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About ‘Uncovering Trusts’

'Uncovering Trusts': is a podcast run by Edison analysts released every two weeks. Subscribe to hear analyst interviews on how investment trusts maximise returns while managing risks for investors.

About Edison:

Edison is a content-led IR business. We believe quality investment content should inform all investors, not just brokers. Our mission: engage and build bigger, better-informed investor audiences for our clients.

Edison covers 50+ investment trusts, read about them here: https://www.edisongroup.com/equities/investment-companies/

41. Uncovering Trusts – HgT: A deep dive into selected portfolio holdings and H125 results  

In this episode, our director of content, investment trusts Milosz Papst provides an overview of Law Debenture Corporation which aims to achieve a higher rate of total return than the broad UK stock market through investing in a diversified portfolio of primarily UK equities. He discusses the unique symbiotic relationship between the company’s investment portfolio and its independent professional services (IPS) business and how this drives performance. The regular flow of income that IPS generates, well ahead of its share of net assets, provides the portfolio managers with much greater freedom to balance the requirements for immediate income with the goal of growing capital values over time. He also comments on the company’s recent interim results, with a strong absolute and relative performance from the portfolio and continued growth in IPS. He elaborates on the main contributors to performance, including Rolls-Royce which is a good example of how Law Debenture Corporation can successfully invest in companies not paying a dividend at the time of investment thanks to the regular income from IPS. Finally, he discusses the company’s current portfolio positioning as sentiment towards UK equities begins to improve.

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About ‘Uncovering Trusts’

'Uncovering Trusts': is a podcast run by Edison analysts released every two weeks. Subscribe to hear analyst interviews on how investment trusts maximise returns while managing risks for investors.

About Edison:

Edison is a content-led IR business. We believe quality investment content should inform all investors, not just brokers. Our mission: engage and build bigger, better-informed investor audiences for our clients.

Edison covers 50+ investment trusts, read about them here: https://www.edisongroup.com/equities/investment-companies/

40. Uncovering Trusts – Law Debenture Corporation – A unique combination of an ‘multi-cap’ investment portfolio and independent professional services

In this episode, healthcare analyst Dr Arron Aatkar provides an overview of Worldwide Healthcare Trust, the London-listed investment company that aims to generate a high level of capital growth from a diversified portfolio of global healthcare stocks. He discusses the stock selection process, which involves a bottom-up approach from a universe of c 1,000 companies, and comments on how the trust brings broad exposure to the global healthcare industry through a multi-cap approach. Dr Aatkar also provides an overview of the current portfolio, highlighting the notable exposure to biotech companies and underweight exposure to pharmaceutical companies (relative to the benchmark index). The discussion then moves on to the trust’s performance in recent years and concludes with the managers’ outlook on the healthcare sector, commenting on how the fundamentals remain favourable despite recent headwinds, particularly for smaller biotech companies.

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About ‘Uncovering Trusts’

'Uncovering Trusts': is a podcast run by Edison analysts released every two weeks. Subscribe to hear analyst interviews on how investment trusts maximise returns while managing risks for investors.

About Edison:

Edison is a content-led IR business. We believe quality investment content should inform all investors, not just brokers. Our mission: engage and build bigger, better-informed investor audiences for our clients.

Edison covers 50+ investment trusts, read about them here: https://www.edisongroup.com/equities/investment-companies/

39. Uncovering Trusts – Worldwide Healthcare Trust (WWH)

In this episode, our director of content, investment trusts Milosz Papst provides a brief introduction to The Diverse Income Trust (DIVI). It is managed by Gervais Williams and Martin Turner at Premier Miton Group, who aim to generate a dividend income stream that is more resilient and has the potential to grow faster than those of the trust’s peers. Milosz then explains how stocks are selected, emphasising the importance of company meetings to the research process. He provides information about the main features of DIVI’s portfolio and the trust’s dividend history before turning to the UK market, which includes the managers’ very optimistic outlook for UK stocks.

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About ‘Uncovering Trusts’

'Uncovering Trusts': is a podcast run by Edison analysts released every two weeks. Subscribe to hear analyst interviews on how investment trusts maximise returns while managing risks for investors.

About Edison:

Edison is a content-led IR business. We believe quality investment content should inform all investors, not just brokers. Our mission: engage and build bigger, better-informed investor audiences for our clients.

Edison covers 50+ investment trusts, read about them here: https://www.edisongroup.com/equities/investment-companies/

38. Uncovering Trusts – The Diverse Income Trust (DIVI) – An exciting time for UK investors – enjoy the ride

In this episode, healthcare analyst Dr Arron Aatkar provides an overview of the Biotech Growth Trust, the London-listed investment company that seeks capital appreciation by investing in the worldwide biotechnology industry. He discusses the stock selection process, which involves a bottom-up approach, and comments on how the trust favours smaller, emerging biotechs. He also provides an overview of the current portfolio, highlighting the notable increase in exposure to Chinese biotechs during the first half of 2025. The discussion then moves on to the trust's performance in recent years, from the highs seen across the sector during the COVID-19 pandemic to the flight of capital and rightsizing. He concludes with the managers' outlook on the healthcare sector, commenting on how the current landscape may be perceived as a compelling mix of attractive valuations and increasing demand for new biotech innovations.

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About ‘Uncovering Trusts’

'Uncovering Trusts': is a podcast run by Edison analysts released every two weeks. Subscribe to hear analyst interviews on how investment trusts maximise returns while managing risks for investors.

About Edison:

Edison is a content-led IR business. We believe quality investment content should inform all investors, not just brokers. Our mission: engage and build bigger, better-informed investor audiences for our clients.

Edison covers 50+ investment trusts, read about them here: https://www.edisongroup.com/equities/investment-companies/

37. Uncovering Trusts – The Biotech Growth Trust (BIOG)

In this episode, our investment trusts analyst, Michal Mordel discusses the investment opportunities arising in Vietnam. He explores the country’s transformation and remarkable growth story, as well as its place in global supply chains and the current geopolitical landscape. He talks about Vietnam’s greatest advantage, which is its young, productive and well-educated population. Michal also presents a brief rundown of investment vehicles available to London-based investors that focus on Vietnam and can serve as a gateway to this market.

36. Uncovering Trusts – A closer look at Vietnam

In this episode, our director of content, investment trusts Milosz Papst provides an overview of North America’s second-oldest closed-end fund established in 1930, which is listed on both the Toronto and London stock exchanges. He discusses the trust’s strong long-term track record, highlighting that a C$10,000 investment in the fund fifty years ago would have grown to more than C$3,000,000. He elaborates on the fund’s investment approach, which is bottom up but also considers the macroeconomic environment, and its low turnover. He highlights that up to 25% of its portfolio may be held in US-listed businesses, which are primarily in niche operations or areas that are under-represented in the Canadian market. He summarizes the manager’s views on the current investment environment and its recent portfolio activity. Finally, he comments on the fund’s dividend policy (and the fact that it qualified as AIC’s next-generation dividend hero), gearing and discount to NAV.

***********************************************************

About ‘Uncovering Trusts’

'Uncovering Trusts': is a podcast run by Edison analysts released every two weeks. Subscribe to hear analyst interviews on how investment trusts maximise returns while managing risks for investors.

About Edison:

Edison is a content-led IR business. We believe quality investment content should inform all investors, not just brokers. Our mission: engage and build bigger, better-informed investor audiences for our clients.

Edison covers 50+ investment trusts, read about them here: https://www.edisongroup.com/equities/investment-companies/

35. Uncovering Trusts – Canadian General Investments (CGI) – A one-stop-shop for investment in Canada

In this episode, our director of content, investment trusts Milosz Papst provides an overview of this specialist emerging markets trust which aims to generate an attractive long-term total return from a diversified portfolio of emerging market equities, primarily in the infrastructure, utility and related sectors. He outlines the four megatrends identified by ICM, the trust’s manager: social infrastructure, energy growth & transition, digital infrastructure, and global trade. He explains UEM’s focus on countries which exhibit positive attributes such as political stability, economic development, an acceptable legal framework, and an encouraging attitude to foreign investment. He highlights that the trust has recently become an AIC next-generation dividend hero. Finally, he elaborates on the trust’s discount to NAV.

***********************************************************

About ‘Uncovering Trusts’

'Uncovering Trusts': is a podcast run by Edison analysts released every two weeks. Subscribe to hear analyst interviews on how investment trusts maximise returns while managing risks for investors.

About Edison:

Edison is a content-led IR business. We believe quality investment content should inform all investors, not just brokers. Our mission: engage and build bigger, better-informed investor audiences for our clients.

Edison covers 50+ investment trusts, read about them here: https://www.edisongroup.com/equities/investment-companies/

34. Uncovering Trusts – Utilico Emerging Markets Trust (UEM) – Defensive emerging market exposure

Discover the world of investment trusts in the 'Uncovering Trusts' podcast series by Edison Group. Hear from Edison’s analysts and trusts’ management and gain insights into how these trusts, covered by Edison, effectively manage assets to maximize returns, aligning with the risk appetite and diverse requirements of both commercial and retail clients.

Edison is a leading investor relations business, operating across all major capital markets. We help create optimal valuations for client stocks, deploying our award-winning combination of intelligent strategic advice, equity research, investor marketing and direct investor engagement.

To find out more about investment trust covered by Edison, please visit: https://www.edisongroup.com/equities/investment-companies/

Uncovering Trusts by Edison Group

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Discover fresh perspectives from business leaders in the Bull, Bear & Beyond podcast series by Edison Group. Each episode features candid conversations with senior executives and from our own team of experts from across industries, exploring strategy, innovation, and the opportunities shaping their markets. These discussions offer unique insight into how leaders navigate challenges, drive growth, and deliver long-term value for stakeholders.

To find out more, please visit: https://www.edisongroup.com/ [https://www.edisongroup.com/equities/investment-companies/]

Bull, Bear & Beyond by Edison Group

'Uncovering Trusts': Edison analysts interview investment trusts to uncover how they maximize returns while managing risk for clients. 

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