The Spheria Australian Smaller Companies Fund returned 2.8% (after fees) for the month of September, underperforming the S&P-ASX Small Ordinaries Accumulation Index by 2.3%
Performance
1 Spheria Australian Smaller Companies Fund. Returns of the Fund are net of applicable fees, costs and taxes.
2 Benchmark is the S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Accumulation Index.
3 Inception date of the current investment strategy is 11th July 2016. The Fund was established in June 2005. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. All p.a. returns are annualised.
Overall Commentary
Top 5 Holdings
Market Cap Bands
Source: Spheria Asset Management
Active Sector Exposure
Source: Spheria Asset Management
Markets
The sharemarket’s momentum continued through September with the weight of money pushing “growth” type stocks to valuations that appear sublimely ridiculous. Resource stocks also rallied strongly after a very challenging quarter. These two macro factors weighed on performance as we are underweight high multiple stocks and have an underweight position to small cap resources due to a lack of substance (i.e. low costs of production and long duration) outside of the top 100.
Major Contributors to Performance
Over the month the largest contributors to performance were from not owning Light & Wonder (LNW.ASX, -18%) and overweight positions in both NZME (NZM.ASX, +13%) and Australian Clinical Labs (ACL.ASX, +22%).
NZME (NZM.ASX) share price rose 13% during the month as the market became more enthused with the outlook for NZ companies post the RBNZ’s surprise interest rate cut. NZM continues to deliver on its digital transformation strategy with digital audio revenue and digital subscription (news) revenue growing 33% and 13%, respectively in 1HCY24. The standout was the 63% growth in OneRoof’s digital listing revenue and a +70% increase in OneRoof listing upgrades, driving positive earnings for the property portal in what is generally a weaker half for listings. The audience gap between OneRoof and the #1 property platform has reduced to just 10%, with OneRoof continuing to gain share. We believe the market continues to undervalue NZME as an out of favour traditional media company, despite its clear transformation from print to digital (now ~30% of revenue) and the value in owning the outright #2 property portal in NZ which as a market has been slow to transition to digital. NZME trades on only ~4x FY25 EV/EBITA with the outlook for earnings likely to improve from here as the economy recovers and as OneRoof structurally grows.
Major Detractors from Performance
The largest detractors from performance included overweight positions in Star Entertainment Group (SGR.ASX, -34%), Coast Entertainment Holdings (CEH.ASX, -15%) and Fletcher Building (FBU.ASX, -3.6%).
Star Entertainment Group (SGR.ASX) share price fell 34% in September post the company resuming trading post the release of their delayed FY24 results. There are a significant number of moving parts in respect of SGR’s earnings outlook including a weak economy, management’s ability to execute on cost-out, introduction of carded gaming and the duration of increased remediation costs. Current earnings are heavily depressed due in large part to elevated remediation and compliance costs such that the group is losing money on an EBITDA basis. There does, however, remain significant value in the group’s property assets. On our calculations could be worth anywhere from $700m (24cps) based on value of hotel rooms in isolation up to $2.7bn (94cps) on a replacement cost basis (both after deducting debt and other liabilities). If earnings recover post elevated remediation costs and on a through the cycle basis there is an argument the group could be worth $1bn (or 35cps) or more. Regardless of the potential valuation upside, we have decided to reduce the position size as there remains a high risk of default given expected cash outflows in the short term and uncertainties that surround debt tranche 2 ($100m) which is contingent on a $150m of subordinated debt being raised before the end of December 2024, which best case will be highly dilutive at current share price levels. Unfortunately, the investment has been a poor performer, as we significantly underestimated the extent of regulatory risk and the magnitude of early losses at the QWB project.
Outlook & Strategy Going Forward
The market divergence between “have” and “have not” company valuations has continued to stretch. If something does give in the high multiple space, there could be a very healthy rotation to companies that are more attractive from a valuation perspective. The rate cutting cycle which has begun in earnest offshore could be a catalyst for a shift in fortunes for the domestic market which has been driven by the outperformance/valuations of major banks, large caps and perceived high growth stocks.
Platform Availability List
If a fund is not available on your preferred platform, please contact us. Please check with your platform for minimum investment requirements and fees.
AMP North
Asgard
BT Panorama
Centric
CFS FirstWrap
DASH
Freedom of Choice
HUB24
Insignia Expand
Insignia Financial Wrap
Macquarie Wrap
Mason Stevens
mFund
Netwealth
OneVue
PowerWrap
Praemium
| Spheria Australian Smaller Companies Fund | value |
|---|---|
| Benchmark | S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Accumulation Index |
| Investment Objective | Outperform the S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Accumulation Index over the medium to long term |
| Suggested Minimum Investment Timeframe | 5 years or more |
| Investing Universe | Primarily listed companies outside the top ASX 100 listed companies by market capitalisation and companies listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange with an equivalent market capitalisation |
| Suitable Investor Profile | This product is intended for use as a minor or satellite allocation for a consumer who is seeking capital growth and has a very high risk and return profile for that portion of their investment portfolio. It is likely to be consistent with the financial situation and needs of a consumer with a 7-year investment timeframe and who is unlikely to need to withdraw their money on less than one week’s notice. |
| Risk | Very high |
| Holdings | Generally 30 - 80 stocks |
| Distributions | Half-Yearly |
| Fees | 1.10% p.a. Management fee & 20% performance fee of the Fund’s excess return versus its benchmark, net of management fee. |
| Portfolio Allocation1 |
80-100% Australian and New Zealand equities 0-20% Cash and cash equivalents |
| Expected Turnover | 30% - 40% |
| Style | Long only |
| APIR | WHT0008AU |
| Minimum Initial Investment | $25,000 |
Fund Ratings
Further Information
For more information, please contact Pinnacle Investment Management Limited
on 1300 010 311 or email distribution@pinnacleinvestment.com
Disclaimer
This communication is prepared by Spheria Asset Management Pty Limited (‘Spheria’) (ABN 42 611 081 326, Corporate Authorised Representative No. 1240979) as the investment manager of the Spheria Australian Smaller Companies Fund (ARSN 117 083 762) (the ‘Fund’). Pinnacle Fund Services Limited (‘PFSL’) (ABN 29 082 494 362, AFSL 238371) is the product issuer of the Funds. PFSL is not licensed to provide financial product advice. PFSL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Pinnacle Investment Management Group Limited (‘Pinnacle’) (ABN 22 100 325 184). The Product Disclosure Statement (‘PDS’) and Target Market Determination (‘TMD’) of the Fund are available via the links below. Any potential investor should consider the PDS and TMD before deciding whether to acquire, or continue to hold units in, the Fund.
Link to the Product Disclosure Statement
Link to the Target Market Determination
For historic TMD’s please contact Pinnacle client service Phone 1300 010 311 or Email service@pinnacleinvestment.com
This communication is for general information only. It is not intended as a securities recommendation or statement of opinion intended to influence a person or persons in making a decision in relation to investment. It has been prepared without taking account of any person’s objectives, financial situation or needs. Any persons relying on this information should obtain professional advice before doing so. Past performance is for illustrative purposes only and is not indicative of future performance. Unless otherwise specified, all amounts are in Australian Dollars (AUD).
Whilst Spheria, PFSL and Pinnacle believe the information contained in this communication is reliable, no warranty is given as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness and persons relying on this information do so at their own risk. Subject to any liability which cannot be excluded under the relevant laws, Spheria, PFSL and Pinnacle disclaim all liability to any person relying on the information contained in this communication in respect of any loss or damage (including consequential loss or damage), however caused, which may be suffered or arise directly or indirectly in respect of such information. This disclaimer extends to any entity that may distribute this communication.
Any opinions and forecasts reflect the judgment and assumptions of Spheria and its representatives on the basis of information available as at the date of publication and may later change without notice. Any projections contained in this presentation are estimates only and may not be realised in the future. Unauthorised use, copying, distribution, replication, posting, transmitting, publication, display, or reproduction in whole or in part of the information contained in this communication is prohibited without obtaining prior written permission from Spheria. Pinnacle and its associates may have interests in financial products and may receive fees from companies referred to during this communication.
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Zenith Disclaimer: The Zenith Investment Partners (‘Zenith’) (ABN 27 103 132 672, AFSL 226872) rating (assigned Spheria Australian Smaller Companies Fund – February 2024) referred to in this piece is limited to “General Advice” (s766B Corporations Act 2001) for Wholesale clients only. This advice has been prepared without taking into account the objectives, financial situation or needs of any individual, including target markets of financial products, where applicable, and is subject to change at any time without prior notice. It is not a specific recommendation to purchase, sell or hold the relevant product(s). Investors should seek independent financial advice before making an investment decision and should consider the appropriateness of this advice in light of their own objectives, financial situation and needs. Investors should obtain a copy of, and consider the PDS or offer document before making any decision and refer to the full Zenith Product Assessment available on the Zenith website. Past performance is not an indication of future performance. Zenith usually charges the product issuer, fund manager or related party to conduct Product Assessments. Full details regarding Zenith’s methodology, ratings definitions and regulatory compliance are available on our Product Assessments and at Fund Research Regulatory Guidelines.
Lonsec Disclaimer: The Lonsec rating (Spheria Australian Smaller Companies Fund issued September 2023) presented in this document is published by Lonsec Research Pty Ltd (‘Lonsec’) (ABN 11 151 658 561, AFSL 421445). The Rating is limited to “General Advice” (as defined in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)) and based solely on consideration of the investment merits of the financial products. Past performance information is for illustrative purposes only and is not indicative of future performance. They are not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold Affiliate Name products, and you should seek independent financial advice before investing in these products. The Ratings are subject to change without notice and Lonsec assumes no obligation to update the relevant documents following publication. Lonsec receives a fee from the Fund Manager for researching the products using comprehensive and objective criteria. For further information regarding Lonsec’s Ratings methodology, please refer to our website at: https://www.lonsec.com.au/investment-product-ratings/.
