DJ Final Results for the Year Ended 30th June 2026
New Star Investment Trust PLC (NSI)
Final Results for the Year Ended 30th June 2026
29-Oct-2026 / 07:00 GMT/BST
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NEW STAR INVESTMENT TRUST PLC
This announcement constitutes regulated information.
UNAUDITED RESULTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH JUNE 2026
New Star Investment Trust plc (the 'Company'), whose current objective is to achieve total return through capital
growth and income, announces its results for the year ended 30th June 2026.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
30th June 30th June %
2026 2025 Change
PERFORMANCE
Net assets (GBP '000) 143,967 121,140* 18.84
Net asset value per Ordinary share 202.70p 170.56p* 18.84
Mid-market price per Ordinary share 136.00p 110.00p* 23.63
Discount of price to net asset value 32.91% 35.5% n/a
Total Return** 20.92% 2.08% n/a
IA Mixed Investment 40% - 85% Shares (total return) 17.12% 5.57% n/a
MSCI AC World Index (total return, sterling adjusted) 28.19% 7.64% n/a
MSCI UK Index (total return) 21.86% 11.03% n/a
1st July 2025 to 1st July 2024 to
30th June 2026 30th June 2025
Revenue return per Ordinary share 4.03p 4.25p
Capital return per Ordinary share 31.66p (0.21)p
Return per Ordinary share 35.69p 4.04p
TOTAL RETURN** 20.92% 2.08%
DIVIDEND PER ORDINARY SHARE
Interim paid April 1.70p 1.70p
Proposed final dividend 1.85p 1.85p
3.55p 3.55p
B Share Redemption - 24.00p
RECEIVABLE BY SHAREHOLDERS 3.55p 27.55p
*After return of capital (B Shares) in 2025.
** The total return figure for the Company represents the revenue and capital return shown in the Statement of Comprehensive Income before dividends paid, the B Share redemption payment in 2024 and after deducting B Share issue costs, as a percentage of opening net assets. The total return performance basis is the industry standard and is considered a more appropriate measure than just the revenue return. This is an alternative performance measure.
CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT
PERFORMANCE
Your Company generated a total return of 20.92% over the year to 30th June 2026, leaving the net asset value (NAV) per ordinary share at 202.70p. By comparison, the Investment Association's Mixed Investment 40-85% Shares Index gained 17.12%. The MSCI AC World Total Return Index gained 28.19% in sterling while the MSCI UK All Cap Total Return Index rose 21.86%. Over the year, UK government bonds returned 2.44%. Further information is provided in the investment manager's report.
Your Company made a revenue profit for the year of GBP2.86 million (2025: GBP3.02 million). The reduction was principally due to lower interest income.
GEARINGS AND DIVIDEND
Your Company has no borrowings. It ended the year under review with cash representing 12.23% of its NAV and is likely to maintain a significant cash position. In respect of the financial year to 30th June 2026, your Directors recommend the payment of a final dividend of 1.85p per share, making a total for the year of 3.55p (2025: 3.55p).
DISCOUNT
During the year under review, your Company's shares continued to trade at a significant discount to their NAV. The Board keeps this issue under regular review.
INVESTMENT TRUST STATUS
Share purchases by two outside shareholders caused your Company to be in breach of the investment trust tax regulations. Accordingly, your Company lost its investment trust status for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 financial years. As a result, your Company has had to make a provision of GBP340,000 for tax on capital gains for the 2024-2025 year. From 1 July 2026, the start of the current financial year, your Company has regained its investment trust status.
OUTLOOK
In the early autumn of 2026, global financial market prospects appeared positive, with the most attractive stock market opportunities likely to be in Asia excluding Japan, emerging markets and Europe excluding the UK. Large UK companies with international operations also looked attractively valued although smaller UK companies with a domestic focus and UK government bonds may be vulnerable should the new UK chancellor fail to address the country's fiscal deficit and high public sector debt levels. Your Company's cash, bond and lower-risk multi-asset investments provide diversification should equity markets falter. These should provide income to pay dividends.
NET ASSET VALUE
Your Company's unaudited NAV at 30th September 2026 was 202.39p.
INVESTMENT MANAGER'S REPORT
MARKET REVIEW
Inflation was significantly above some leading central bank targets over the year to 30th June 2026, with the result that interest rates remained higher than previously forecast. US inflation, as measured by the core personal consumption expenditures index, the Federal Reserve's favoured measure, was at 3.3% in June 2026, up from 2.8% in June 2025, while eurozone inflation rose from 2% to 2.8%. UK inflation eased from 3.6% to 2.6%.
As a consequence, official interest rates fell more slowly than during some previous rate-easing cycles. The Fed cut its rate by three quarters of a percentage point to 3.5-3.75% during the second half of 2025 but subsequently left it unchanged for the remainder of the period. The European Central Bank increased its key rate from 2% to 2.25% while the Bank of England cut Bank Rate by half a point to 3.75% in late 2025 but made no changes subsequently.
The main reason for increased inflation was the US-Israeli war against Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas shipping, which left the oil price 40% higher in sterling during the year under review. The US responded by temporarily relaxing sanctions on Russian oil and depleting its strategic petroleum reserve to stabilise prices. In the longer term, increased supply from Venezuela, following the ousting of President Nicolas Maduro, the growth of renewable energy and advances in battery storage may cause oil prices to fall.
Higher inflation and the slow pace of monetary easing proved a headwind for bond markets, which returned just 0.62% in dollar terms although the sterling return was 3.89% as the dollar rose against the pound. Although high nominal bond yields appeared attractive, credit spreads, the excess return on corporate bonds compared to sovereign bonds of the same maturity, were low at around one percentage point. Credit spreads, which have not been this narrow since before the 2007-09 great financial crisis, offered insufficient compensation for the higher risk inherent in holding corporate bonds. Some commentators said public credit markets might be vulnerable to contagion from private debt markets, where lending standards appeared too lax, as witnessed by some significant defaults and the closure of private debt funds to withdrawals.
PORTFOLIO REVIEW
Your Company's total return over the year under review was 20.92%. By comparison, the Investment Association Mixed Investment 40-85% Shares sector, a peer group of funds with a multi-asset approach to investing and a typical investment in global equities in the 40-85% range, rose 17.12%. Your Company gained more than the peer group mainly because of strong performance by Polar Capital Global Technology, its largest investment, and its high allocation to equities in Asia excluding Japan and emerging markets.
The MSCI AC World Total Return Index rose 28.19% in sterling over the year while the MSCI UK All Cap Total Return Index rose 21.86%. UK government bonds rose 2.44%. Your Company's multi-asset portfolio includes investments in lower risk multi-asset funds, bond funds and cash and, in consequence, lagged rising equity markets but should prove more defensive in falling markets.
Global technology stocks rose 51.2% in sterling over the year and Polar Capital Global Technology outperformed, gaining 129.47%. Your Company took profits in April 2026, selling GBP4 million of shares, yet Polar Capital Global Technology remained your Company's largest investment even after this reduction. The holding benefited from the manager's bias towards IT hardware stocks in preference to large technology companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Meta and Oracle, known as 'hyperscalers', and software stocks. The hardware suppliers are akin to the makers of picks and shovels in a gold rush and have a low exposure to the fortunes of any single platform or device.
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DJ Final Results for the Year Ended 30th June 2026 -2-
It is difficult to predict the return on capital the hyperscalers will achieve on their artificial intelligence (AI) data centre investments because the pace of adoption of a new technology and the appropriate level of depreciation for the huge sums invested are unknown. The hyperscalers have been highly profitable and cash-generative businesses but they are now taking on debt to fund their capital investment programmes. The combination of high operational gearing combined with financial leverage may lead to higher earnings volatility, increased default risk and potentially significant capital destruction. The software companies, which account for about half the US technology sector, are potential losers because AI can write code and manage data, functions that traditionally have been the province of software suppliers.
Asia ex-Japan and emerging market equities rose 51.17% and 48.86% in sterling respectively over the year. Within the portfolio, there was a bias towards equity income funds, which contributed to your Company's ability to pay significant dividends. Schroder Oriental Income Investment Trust did best within the allocation, up 59.67%, but Cusana Sector Emerging Markets Equities gained only 6.87%. The Schroder trust, with its high allocation to IT hardware companies, benefited as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Samsung Electric and Hynix rose 130.37%, 465.48% and 811.13% in sterling respectively. The hyperscalers' data centre investments and strong demand from the consumer and automotive sectors led to price hikes, generating high profits for semiconductor manufacturers. In South Korea, Samsung promised workers 10% of semiconductor operating profits in bonuses, amounting to estimated individual payouts of about GBP250,000, to avert strikes.
Your Company's Asia ex-Japan and emerging markets allocation increased through a GBP1 million purchase of Schroder Asian Income Maximiser in January, a GBP2 million purchase of Barings Korea in April and a GBP2.5 million purchase of Pacific North of South EM Equity Income Opportunities in February. Alongside major semiconductor manufacturers, South Korea is home to leading power transformer manufacturers, which have been benefiting from buoyant demand, and the world's largest shipyard.
Indian stocks underperformed, down 8.78% in sterling, and Stewart Investors Indian Subcontinent did worse, falling 14.18%. As an energy importer, India suffered from higher prices following the outbreak of war in the Middle East. India is, however, one of the world's fastest growing economies, benefiting from the pro-business policies of Narendra Modi, the prime minister, and your Company responded to the stock market weakness by investing GBP2 million in Goldman Sachs India Equity in May.
Vietnamese stocks rose 57.97% in sterling but Vietnam Enterprise Investments lagged, up only 27%. In December, the trust announced plans for the first of three tender offers for 10% of its shares. This followed a vote by investors owning more than 20% of its equity in favour of a discontinuation resolution. Your Company sold GBP543,000 of its investment in the January 2026 tender offer and a further GBP451,000 of shares in the second tender offer, which occurred in July 2026, shortly after the year end.
Your Company benefited from its relatively low allocation to US equities, which lagged over the year, up 26.30% in sterling. The US equity risk premium, the excess return investors demand to hold US stocks in preference to low-risk assets such as short-dated government bonds was about one percentage point, an historically low level that did not offer investors sufficient compensation for the risk of capital loss. Concentration risk was also at an historically high level, with just ten stocks, including the largest hyperscalers, accounting for more than one third of the value of the US stock market. Within your Company's portfolio, the iShares S&P 500 exchange-traded fund (ETF) rose 26.20%. The yield on Baillie Gifford Global Income Growth, in which US equities account for more than 40% of the assets, was just over 2% and the holding was sold in two tranches in February and April.
In April, a further GBP1 million was invested in Clearbridge Global Infrastructure Income, an addition that made it one of your Company's largest investments. This fund aims to deliver income and an above-inflation total return by focusing on companies with recurring cashflows operating in regulated or contractual frameworks that allow revenues to rise in line with inflation. It should also benefit from structural growth opportunities arising from electrification and the transition to clean energy. Demand for electricity is being driven by datacentres and AI as well as accelerating industrial activity, leading to record investment in generation, transmission and storage capacity.
UK stocks underperformed, up 21.86%, and small companies did worse, up just 7.12% because of weak domestic trends. Funds with high allocations to UK companies provided diversification because the UK has a relatively small technology sector while its large companies have geographically diverse sources of earnings. Within the portfolio, Man GLG Income, a value-oriented investment, rose 23% but Aberforth Geared Value & Income, an investment trust that focuses on smaller companies, rose just 3.68%. Premier Miton and River Global were sold in June, realising losses.
Equities in Europe excluding the UK also lagged, up 22.90% in sterling. In October, GBP3 million was invested in Lightman European, which has a value-oriented approach and pays an income.
Amongst lower-risk investments, the sterling-hedged holdings in Schroder Strategic Credit and the iShares USD Treasury Bond 7-10 Years ETF rose 6.12% and 3.19% respectively. The Franklin Templeton Emerging Market Bond holding was sold in June. The EF Brompton Global Conservative Fund, which has a low-risk multi-asset mandate, rose 10.67%, outperforming its benchmark, the Investment Association Mixed Assets 0-35% Shares index, which rose 8.76%. Your Company's investment in dollar cash benefited from the dollar's 3.25% rise against sterling over the year.
OUTLOOK
At the year end, the prospects for global equities appeared positive overall but there were good reasons to be selective. The most attractive market areas appeared to be equity markets on relatively low valuations such as Asia excluding Japan, emerging markets, UK large companies with international reach and Europe excluding the UK. Attractive sectors included IT hardware, utilities and infrastructure. The maiden Budget of the new chancellor, John Healey, in October may, however, hurt companies reliant on the domestic UK economy and government bonds should he fail to address concerns regarding the UK's fiscal deficit and high public sector indebtedness.
Investments in equity income and bond funds and dollar and sterling cash contribute to your Company's ability to pay a dividend. Investments in lower-risk assets such as EF Brompton Global Conservative, bond funds and dollar cash also provide diversification and may prove defensive should equity markets fall.
SCHEDULE OF LARGEST HOLDINGS AT 30TH JUNE 2026
Market Value at 30th Purchases Market Market Value at 30 % of
June 2025 / Movement June 2026 Distributions Net
(Sales) Assets
GBP'000 GBP'000 GBP'000 GBP'000 GBP'000
Polar Capital Global 8,290 (4,000) 10,261 14,551 - 10.11
Technology
Man Income Fund 6,550 - 1,145 7,695 304 5.34
iShares Core S&P 500 5,845 - 1,463 7,308 63 5.08
TM Redwheel Global Equity 6,106 - 1,046 7,152 193 4.97
Income Fund
Schroder Asian Income 3,289 1,000 1,236 5,525 251 3.84
Maximiser Fund
FTF Clearbridge Global 3,655 1,000 729 5,384 161 3.74
Infrastructure Income
EF Brompton Global Equity 3,767 - 955 4,722 14 3.28
EF Brompton Global 3,861 - 406 4,267 66 2.96
Conservative Fund
EF Brompton Global 3,391 - 735 4,126 24 2.87
Opportunities Fund
Vietnam Enterprise 3,610 (543) 1,004 4,071 - 2.83
Investments Limited
MI Chelverton UK Equity 3,990 - (24) 3,966 241 2.75
Income Fund
EF Brompton Global Growth 3,195 - 653 3,848 26 2.67
Fund
Aquilus Inflection Fund A 4,568 - (789) 3,779 - 2.62
MI Brompton UK Recovery 3,100 - 664 3,764 84 2.61
First Sentier Indian 4,241 - (619) 3,622 - 2.52
Subcontinent Fund
WS Lightman European Fund - 3,000 353 3,353 85 2.33
Schroder Strategic Credit 3,106 - (8) 3,098 189 2.15
Fund Income
Aberforth Geared Value & 2,998 - 92 3,090 216 2.15
Income Trust
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