Acorn Income Fund - Termination of coverage

Edison Investment Research is terminating coverage on AdAlta (1AD), Acorn Income Fund (AIF), GCP Student Living (DIGS) and Brighter (BRIG). Please note you should no longer rely on any previous research or estimates for this company. All forecasts should now be considered redundant.

Acorn Income Fund - Termination of coverage

Edison Investment Research is terminating coverage on AdAlta (1AD), Acorn Income Fund (AIF), GCP Student Living (DIGS) and Brighter (BRIG). Please note you should no longer rely on any previous research or estimates for this company. All forecasts should now be considered redundant.

Acorn Income Fund - Time to act following wind-up proposals

Acorn Income Fund (AIF) ordinary shareholders have less than a week to decide whether to cash in their investment or roll over into the open-ended Unicorn UK Income Fund run by AIF’s small-cap portfolio managers, Fraser Mackersie and Simon Moon. The proposals are subject to a vote in favour of discontinuation at the AGM and subsequent EGM approval (proxy forms to be returned by 8 October) and elections for the rollover or cash exit must be received by the registrar by 11 October. AIF’s 2022 zero...

Acorn Income Fund - Time to act following wind-up proposals

Acorn Income Fund (AIF) ordinary shareholders have less than a week to decide whether to cash in their investment or roll over into the open-ended Unicorn UK Income Fund run by AIF’s small-cap portfolio managers, Fraser Mackersie and Simon Moon. The proposals are subject to a vote in favour of discontinuation at the AGM and subsequent EGM approval (proxy forms to be returned by 8 October) and elections for the rollover or cash exit must be received by the registrar by 11 October. AIF’s 2022 zero...

Acorn Income Fund - Board proposes change of mandate and manager

The board of Acorn Income Fund (AIF) has announced the results of its strategic review ahead of the company’s five-yearly discontinuation vote in August. It is proposing to change the mandate from its present c 75% in UK smaller companies and c 25% in income-producing assets to a global equity income fund focused on sustainability and positive impact, managed by BMO Global Asset Management rather than the current partnership between Unicorn Asset Management and Premier Miton. AIF’s approach of i...

Acorn Income Fund - Looking ahead with cautious optimism

Acorn Income Fund (AIF) has seen its NAV performance stabilise since the COVID-19 driven sell-off earlier this year, although it remains considerably below its 12-month high, suggesting significant recovery potential. Small-cap portfolio managers Simon Moon and Fraser Mackersie point to the robust balance sheets of the companies they own, many of which have continued to pay dividends while some UK blue-chips have cut payments; they have also added to their own holdings in AIF given the attractiv...

Acorn Income Fund: 1 director bought

A director at Acorn Income Fund bought 10,000 shares at 159p and the significance rating of the trade was 68/100. Is that information sufficient for you to make an investment decision? This report gives details of those trades and adds context and analysis to them such that you can judge whether these trading decisions are ones worth following. Included in the report is a detailed share price chart which plots discretionary trades by all the company's directors over the last two years clearly ...

Acorn Income Fund - Small-cap growth backed by c 5% yield

Acorn Income Fund (AIF) saw a significant bounce back in performance during 2019, boosted by greater clarity on Brexit following December’s general election. In what was also a good year for the operational performance of companies in AIF’s small-cap portfolio (c 77% of assets), the fund ended the year with an NAV total return of 27.4%. This was ahead of the benchmark and more than made up for losses in 2018, meaning the fund has also regained its medium- and longer-term record of outperform...

Acorn Income Fund - Executive Interview

Acorn Income Fund - High-yielding fund with recovery potential

Acorn Income Fund (AIF) is one of the best-performing funds in the AIC universe over the past 10 years. However, it suffered a period of poor performance in 2018, as its high level of structural gearing compounded the ill effects of a sell-off in UK small-cap equities, in which c 75% of its portfolio is invested. The managers of the small-cap portfolio, Simon Moon and Fraser Mackersie at Unicorn Asset Management, remain very positive on the outlook, citing highly attractive valuations for the ki...

Acorn Income Fund - Income and growth with UK small-cap bias

Acorn Income Fund (AIF) is relatively unusual in that it seeks to generate a high income from investing predominantly in smaller companies, a sector more often seen as high-growth and lower yielding. The fund has a dual-portfolio structure, with c 70-80% invested in a portfolio of up to 50 well-financed, cash-generative UK small-caps (biased to those under £500m market cap), and the balance in an income portfolio of securities such as bonds, investment companies and structured notes. While the ...

- Small-cap portfolio drives compelling returns

Acorn Income Fund (AIF) targets a high income and the opportunity for capital growth by investing the majority of its assets in smaller quoted UK companies, with up to 30% in a portfolio of higher-yielding securities such as bonds, preference shares, investment companies and structured notes. Its long-term performance record is compelling, with 10-year share price and NAV total returns of c 270-280%, and it also ranks second or first in its peer group (AIC UK Equity & Bond Income) for NAV total ...

Acorn Income Fund - Managers broadly positive for small caps in 2017

Acorn Income Fund (AIF) aims to achieve a high income and potential for capital growth by investing 70-80% of its assets in a portfolio of well-financed UK smaller companies with attractive valuations and dividend growth, and 20-30% in high-yielding securities to add income and reduce capital risk. While long-term performance has been strong, the immediate aftermath of the UK’s vote to leave the EU caused a decline in domestically focused small caps. Since the half-year (30 June), AIF’s NAV ...

Managers broadly positive for small caps in 2017

Acorn Income Fund (AIF) aims to achieve a high income and potential for capital growth by investing 70-80% of its assets in a portfolio of well-financed UK smaller companies with attractive valuations and dividend growth, and 20-30% in high-yielding securities to add income and reduce capital risk. While long-term performance has been strong, the immediate aftermath of the UK’s vote to leave the EU caused a decline in domestically focused small caps. Since the half-year (30 June), AIF’s NAV has ...

Ford Equity International Rating and Forecast Report

Ford Equity International Research Reports cover 60 countries with over 30,000 stocks traded on international exchanges. A proprietary quantitative system compares each company to its peers on proven measures of business value, growth characteristics, and investor behavior. Ford's three recommendation ratings buy, hold and sell, represent each stock’s return potential relative to its own country market.. The rating reports which are generated each week, include the fundamental details behind...

Acorn Income Fund - Finding opportunities in small-cap dividend payers

Acorn Income Fund (AIF) has produced solid long-term total returns (+138% share price and +135% NAV over five years) from its portfolio of UK smaller companies (70-80% of assets) and high-yielding securities (20-30%). The first half of 2016 has been a more challenging period, but over the latter part of the summer AIF has begun to reassert its trend of outperformance versus its benchmark. The allocation to the small-cap portfolio has been increased to the maximum 80% as the managers continue to ...

Finding opportunities in small-cap dividend payers

Acorn Income Fund (AIF) has produced solid long-term total returns (+138% share price and +135% NAV over five years) from its portfolio of UK smaller companies (70-80% of assets) and high-yielding securities (20-30%). The first half of 2016 has been a more challenging period, but over the latter part of the summer AIF has begun to reassert its trend of outperformance versus its benchmark. The allocation to the small-cap portfolio has been increased to the maximum 80% as the managers continue to ...

Review: Back on top after small-cap renaissance

Acorn Income Fund (AIF) has come through a period of change with its impressive long-term record intact. The death of founding small-cap portfolio manager John McClure in June 2014 caused uncertainty and a widening in the discount, but co-managers Simon Moon and Fraser Mackersie at Unicorn Asset Management have provided continuity of management, and stock selection has driven outperformance and a re-rating in the shares. The fund blends the small-cap allocation with an income portfolio managed b...

Acorn Income Fund - Back on top after small-cap renaissance

Acorn Income Fund (AIF) has come through a period of change with its impressive long-term record intact. The death of founding small-cap portfolio manager John McClure in June 2014 caused uncertainty and a widening in the discount, but co-managers Simon Moon and Fraser Mackersie at Unicorn Asset Management have provided continuity of management, and stock selection has driven outperformance and a re-rating in the shares. The fund blends the small-cap allocation with an income portfolio managed b...

Update: Green shoots of recovery

Acorn Income Fund (AIF) seeks a high income and the possibility of growth from a portfolio split between small-cap equities (70-80%) and high-yield bonds (20-30%). Long-term performance has been exceptional, with NAV total returns of c 200% over five years. A combination of deteriorating sentiment towards smaller companies and investor uncertainty following the death of founding small-cap portfolio manager John McClure in June 2014 caused the discount to widen. McClure’s co-managers provide co...