Gresham House Strategic proposes to increase dividend target

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Gresham House Strategic plc (LON:GHS) has announced that, in view of the Company’s strong performance and outlook for the portfolio it proposes to increase the dividend target for the current financial year to 27.5p per share.

This represents an increase of 20% on the dividend declared in respect of the Financial Year ended 31 March 2020, compared to the 15% increase previously announced.

In line with the desire to return a sustainable proportion of realised profits, the Board’s long-term expectation remains to grow the dividend at 15% per annum in future years. The Board intends to pay the increased interim dividend in December 2020 and the final dividend in September 2021, as in prior years.

David Potter, Chairman of Gresham House Strategic, commented:
“We’ve just passed the five-year anniversary of Gresham House’s appointment as investment manager, and we look back on a half-decade of strong performance. GHS’s Net Asset Value has grown 34.9% since inception August 2015 through to the end of August 2020, which has translated to a share price total return of 38%. A challenging time for UK companies, the FTSE Small Cap Index (ex-Investment Trusts) is up only 4.8% in comparison.”
“The board has confidence in the current portfolio and its ability to continue to deliver strong NAV growth in future years. We have recently acquired several new investments during this opportunity-rich period of economic disruption which the investment manager believes have excellent medium-term prospects for capital growth. Furthermore, GHS has shown that it can exit large positions, like IMI Mobile, to crystallise those returns for shareholders.”

Annual General Meeting arrangements

As announced on 3 July 2020, the Company’s AGM will be held at the offices of Shakespeare Martineau LLP, 60 Gracechurch Street, London, EC3V 0HR at 10.00 a.m. on Thursday 17 September 2020.

Given the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions prohibiting public gatherings, it will not be possible to hold an open AGM with shareholders in physical attendance. In order to ensure shareholders are able to engage with the Board and view proceedings, they may attend the AGM via the following online link.

Please note that it will not be possible to vote on the matters to be considered at the AGM through this online link. Shareholders are encouraged to vote electronically, or to appoint the Chair as their proxy with their voting instructions.