Data as at: 27/03/2024

Gearing

Gearing policy

The company’s policy is to remain substantially fully invested. The company has the facility to gear – borrow money – with the objective of enhancing future returns. Gearing is in the form of a short term revolving credit facility and fixed rate longer term borrowings. The board monitors the level of gearing and makes decisions on the appropriate action based on the advice of the manager and the future prospects of the company’s portfolio

Borrowing limits

The board’s policy is to maintain gearing (borrowings as a percentage of net assets) in the range of 10 - 25%, (measured at the time that any increase in total borrowing facilities is agreed)

Ways in which investment companies can magnify income and capital returns, but which can also magnify losses.

At its simplest, gearing means borrowing money to buy more assets in the hope the company makes enough profit to pay back the debt and interest and leave something extra for shareholders.

Image
how gearing works table

However, if the investment portfolio doesn’t perform well, gearing can increase losses. The more an investment company gears, the higher the risk.

Investment companies can usually borrow at lower rates of interest than you’d get as an individual. They also have flexible ways to borrow – for example they might get an ordinary bank loan or, for split capital investment companies, issue different classes of share.

Not all investment companies use gearing, and most use relatively low levels of gearing.

An indication of the maximum and minimum levels that the company would expect to be geared in normal market conditions.

Morningstar logo Data provided by Morningstar.

FE fundinfo logo Company documents provided by FE fundinfo.