Investor Summary
Fund Strategy
FUND PERFORMANCE AS OF 31st December 2025
| ANNUALIZED SINCE INCEPTION | QUARTERLY | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| 11.2% | - | 10.1% |
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.7% | -6.5% | 2.1% | 3.7% | 15.8% | -4.8% |
| ANNUALIZED SINCE INCEPTION | QUARTERLY | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| 11.2% | - | 10.1% |
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.7% | -6.5% | 2.1% | 3.7% | 15.8% | -4.8% |
Ennismore European Smaller Companies Fund returned 10.7% in 2025 despite challenging conditions for small cap investing. The fund's long-short strategy generated an 11.6% spread with average net exposure of 45.4%, though this was below the 22.1% annualized spread since inception. Secure Trust Bank was the top contributor, adding 3.5% after favorable regulatory outcomes and strategic asset sales. The fund faced headwinds as investors favored large, liquid businesses focused on energy, defense, and AI themes over smaller companies. Key detractors included short position in Renk Group and long positions in Amadeus Fire and Ultimate Products. The portfolio maintains strong conviction in quality businesses trading at attractive valuations, with top ten long positions averaging 20% return on invested capital at thirteen times EV/NOPAT versus twenty-four times for shorts. Management expects stronger performance in 2026 supported by infrastructure spending catalysts and gradual improvement in core European markets, particularly Germany's construction sector.
The fund employs a valuation-first investing framework targeting European smaller companies with sustainable competitive advantages trading at significant discounts to intrinsic value, generating returns through a long-short strategy with limited market exposure.
The fund expects to report back at the end of 2026 with even stronger performance, maintaining conviction in the long book despite challenging market conditions for small caps. Management anticipates gradual improvement in core German markets and positive triggers from large infrastructure projects.
| Date | Letter | Tickers | Keywords | Pitches | Quick Takes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 13 2026 | 2025 Q4 | AAD.DE, BNTX, COST.L, DWNI.DE, EVS.BR, LSS.PA, PDX.ST, RNK.DE, SFQ.DE, SIKA.SW, STB.L, STO.DE, THEP.PA, TRI.PA, ULP.L, VETQ.PA, VOW3.DE | AI, defense, Europe, infrastructure, Long/Short, Quality, small caps, value |
STB LN SIKA SW EVS BB TRI FP DWNI GR SFQ GR STO3 GR R3NK GR |
The fund focuses on European smaller companies with significant volatility in 2025 as investors turned attention towards large, liquid businesses. Despite brief revival of interest… |
| Oct 7 2025 | 2025 Q3 | HWDN LN | Compounding, Europe, industrials, small caps, Value Investing | HWDN LN | Ennismore maintains its absolute return focus, highlighting opportunities in European small-cap equities amid macro uncertainty. A detailed case study on Howden Joinery illustrates the funds… |
| Jun 30 2025 | 2025 Q2 | COST LN, WTB LN | Europe, Idiosyncratic, small caps, stock selection, valuation |
COST LN WTB LN |
The letter highlights European small-cap opportunities characterized by idiosyncratic fundamentals and valuation inefficiencies. Stock selection, corporate change, and recovery dynamics drive returns rather than macro… |
| Apr 4 2025 | 2025 Q1 | COST LN, THEP FP, TRI FP, VOS GR | - | - | - |
| Jan 10 2025 | 2024 Q4 | AAD GR, ACAD SS, COST LN, EVS BB, IGG LN, MOL IM, STEM LN, STO3 GR, SWON SW, UPGS LN, VOS GR | - | - | - |
| Oct 8 2024 | 2024 Q3 | DWNI GR, IGG LN, VID LN | - | - | - |
| Jul 4 2024 | 2024 Q2 | ASLI LN, SDG LN | - | - | - |
| Apr 5 2024 | 2024 Q1 | COST LN, MGAM LN, VRLA FP | - | - | - |
| Jan 5 2024 | 2023 Q4 | D4T4 LN | - | - | - |
| Oct 5 2023 | 2023 Q3 | STB LN | - | - | - |
| Jul 6 2023 | 2023 Q2 | MGAM LN | - | - | - |
| Apr 6 2023 | 2023 Q1 | WSU GR | - | - | - |
| QUARTER | THEMES | TAGS |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q4 |
AIThe extended federal government shutdown added volatility during what was otherwise a risk-on environment, with a mid-quarter shift in market behavior for AI-related equities as the exuberant narrative evolved to one more balanced in assessing the technology's enormous potential against staggering capital spending plans and high expectations. The team initiated a position in Credo Technology as a more diversified way to gain exposure to strong trends in AI-connectivity. |
Connectivity Semiconductors Infrastructure Capital Spending |
DefenseThe team initiated a position in Curtiss-Wright, believing the company is entering a period where multiple near-term growth drivers are converging, including rising defense budgets, commercial aerospace production ramps, nuclear power plant life extensions and new builds, and submarine production. |
Defense Budgets Aerospace Nuclear Submarines | |
Infrastructure SpendingPlaying on the continued theme of infrastructure spending, defense and energy sustainability, positions in Industrial and Energy sectors including Oshkosh, Coterra, OSI Systems, and Herc Holdings added positively to performance. |
Defense Energy Industrial Government Sustainability | |
Small CapsThe fund invests in a portfolio of competitively advantaged small and medium-sized businesses, which remained out of favor for most of the quarter. The strategy of owning leading small-cap businesses has been the foundation since inception, delivering 354 basis points of annual outperformance over the benchmark since inception despite recent headwinds. |
Growth Outperformance Benchmark Russell Businesses | |
ValueManager emphasizes investing in controlled companies trading at significant discounts to NAV, with European holding companies showing discounts of 30-68%. The strategy focuses on securities mispricing where real value exists, contrasting with overvalued technology stocks. |
Discounts NAV Mispricing Undervalued Controlled | |
| 2025 Q3 |
Compounding |
|
EuropeThe firm is expanding European relationships and published research on European shareholder activism. They view Europe as an attractive alternative to expensive American markets and are building manager relationships in the region. |
Activism Shareholder Valuation Diversification Research | |
IndustrialsThe fund increased exposure to high-quality industrial businesses with potential for cyclical upturn. Added Quanta Services for AI data center build-out, Hubbell for electrical grid upgrades, Old Dominion for freight cycle recovery, and Waste Connections for secondary market focus. |
Infrastructure Automation Transportation Electrical Equipment Waste Management | |
Small CapsThe fund invests in a portfolio of competitively advantaged small and medium-sized businesses, which remained out of favor for most of the quarter. The strategy of owning leading small-cap businesses has been the foundation since inception, delivering 354 basis points of annual outperformance over the benchmark since inception despite recent headwinds. |
Growth Outperformance Benchmark Russell Businesses | |
ValueThe manager continues to find attractive value opportunities despite expensive markets, purchasing undervalued companies like Centene, GlaxoSmithKline, Carrefour and PayPal trading at low multiples with strong fundamentals. |
Undervalued Low Multiples Contrarian Opportunistic | |
| 2025 Q2 |
SmallCaps |
| Date | Pitch Type | Author | Ticker | Company | Industry | Sub Industry | Bull / Bear | Exchange | Keywords | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2025 | Fund Letters | Margaret Webb | WTB LN | Whitbread plc | Consumer Discretionary | Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines | Bull | NYSE | assets, Hotels, Margins, restructuring, valuation | Login |
| Jan 13, 2026 | Fund Letters | Margaret Webb | STB LN | Secure Trust Bank Plc | Financials | Specialty Finance | Bull | New York Stock Exchange | banking, buybacks, Capital, Regulation, valuation | Login |
| Jan 13, 2026 | Fund Letters | Margaret Webb | SIKA SW | Sika AG | Materials | Construction Chemicals | Bull | Swiss Exchange | Chemicals, construction, Freecashflow, infrastructure, Pricingpower | Login |
| Jan 13, 2026 | Fund Letters | Margaret Webb | EVS BB | EVS Broadcast Equipment SA | Information Technology | Broadcasting Equipment | Bull | Shanghai Stock Exchange | AI, broadcasting, Margins, robotics, valuation | Login |
| Jan 13, 2026 | Fund Letters | Margaret Webb | TRI FP | Trigano SA | Consumer Discretionary | Leisure Vehicles | Bull | Euronext Stock Exchange | cashflow, Cyclicality, Leisure, Margins, Vehicles | Login |
| Jan 13, 2026 | Fund Letters | Margaret Webb | DWNI GR | Deutsche Wohnen SE | Real Estate | Residential REIT | Bull | Xetra | Housing, NAV, realestate, takeover, yield | Login |
| Jan 13, 2026 | Fund Letters | Margaret Webb | SFQ GR | SAF-Holland SE | Industrials | Commercial Vehicle Parts | Bull | Xetra | aftermarket, buybacks, Cyclicality, dividends, Trucking | Login |
| Jan 13, 2026 | Fund Letters | Margaret Webb | STO3 GR | STO SE & Co. KGaA | Materials | Building Materials | Bull | Xetra | Buildingmaterials, Energyefficiency, Insulation, Margins, valuation | Login |
| Jan 13, 2026 | Fund Letters | Margaret Webb | R3NK GR | Renk Group AG | Industrials | Industrial Machinery | Bear | Xetra | And Valuations Detached From Fundamentals In Favour Of Narrative – We Think We Could Have Positioned Ourselves Better For This Theme On Both Sides Of The Book., In The Case Of Renk Group Ag, We Were Slow To React When The Defence Industry Continued To Rally | Login |
| Oct 7, 2025 | Fund Letters | Margaret Webb | HWDN LN | Howden Joinery Group Plc | Consumer Discretionary | Specialty Stores | Bull | NYSE | cash returns, Depot density, Logistics, Margins, market share, Roce, vertical integration | Login |
| Jun 30, 2025 | Fund Letters | Margaret Webb | COST LN | Costain Group plc | Consumer Discretionary | Construction & Engineering | Bull | NYSE | Contracts, engineering, growth, infrastructure, valuation | Login |
| TICKER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|
| AAD.DE | Amadeus Fire AG disappointed the market strongly as the education and training segment failed to compensate for the weak staffing business as we anticipated, and was instead a burden. |
| BNTX | BioNTech SE -14 |
| COST.L | The two next largest contributors were Vossloh AG and Costain Group Plc, contributing 2.2% each. Both saw significant improvements in market perception relating to upcoming infrastructure spending in Germany and the UK, and their position sizes have been reduced since the valuations increased. |
| DWNI.DE | Deutsche Wohnen has a significant exposure to the tight residential market in Berlin, which has seen strong rent increases over the last few years, helped by the fact that Deutsche Wohnen's average rent continues to be considerably below the market: current rent of circa EUR 8.23 per square metre is up around 4%, while asking rents are relatively flat at around EUR 16 per square metre. |
| EVS.BR | EVS is expanding its product range both organically and through acquisitions, including the late-2025 acquisitions of Telemetrics and XD Motion, which marks EVS's entry into studio and stadium robotics. Innovation remains at the core of the company – in particular, we are impressed by EVS's AI-based super slow-motion technology that enhances content and reduces customer reliance on specialist equipment. |
| LSS.PA | Lectra's share price has fallen by more than 40% from its 2022 peak, as customers' COVID-related boost proved temporary and the underlying economic environment weakened. We expect the business to return to organic growth in 2026 after a weak 2025 with revenues down 2% like-for-like in the first nine months. |
| PDX.ST | Paradox Interactive AB -11 |
| RNK.DE | Renk, the German provider of mission critical drive train components for combat vehicles and marine vessels, was another detractor; shares declined as the 2027–2028 targets fell short of market expectations. |
| SFQ.DE | SAF-Holland underperformed both our and sell-side consensus expectations in 2025, due primarily to tariff-related industry weakness. Despite this, the position performed reasonably well, with shares up 4% and a 5% dividend yield received. We were pleased to see the recent announcement of a buyback for around 6% of shares outstanding. |
| SIKA.SW | Today, however, a backdrop of construction weakness and a significant sell-off in the chemicals space has afforded us the opportunity to once again buy into this quality name at an attractive valuation of twenty times our estimate of 2026 net profit. We see recent weakness as transitory and believe the quality of the business model remains intact. |
| STB.L | Secure Trust Bank, gave us a fright. The announcement? A major division sold for £459m. At a premium to book value… wait… that's not bad news. That's excellent news. The whole company is trading at half its book value. Investors are effectively buying £1 for 50p. We scrambled to buy more but missed the bell. This working capital boost will put the company in a much better position to exploit its new lending strategy, earmarked to be officially announced at the Capital Markets Day in a couple of months. The cherry on top? The CEO has been buying shares in the open market. Not options. No freebies. Real money. His own. That's as strong a signal as it gets. |
| STO.DE | Despite its share price increasing 14% in 2025, Sto continues to be valued cheaply at around ten times our estimate of 2026 operating profit after tax, on depressed margins. Market weakness starting in 2024 has not yet improved, and though we were too optimistic for 2025, we continue to expect a gradual improvement in its core market of Germany. |
| THEP.PA | Since 2023, the markets in which Thermador operates have experienced a cyclical downturn, driven by several factors. We remain convinced that these issues are temporary rather than structural, reassured by the fact that the July to September 2025 period marked the first quarter of positive like-for-like growth since mid-2023. |
| TRI.PA | We first wrote about the company in our January 2025 letter, and since publication the shares have returned over 30%. As anticipated, despite a weak cycle in which organic sales fell 11.5%, Trigano delivered a resilient 9.2% operating margin and strong operating cash flow of EUR 564m, ending FY2024/25 with net cash of EUR 279m. |
| ULP.L | With respect to Ultimate Products Plc, we overestimated the company's ability to overcome cost pressures to maintain margins in the face of demand weakness. |
| VETQ.PA | Since we wrote about Vetoquinol in our May newsletter, fundamental performance has been in line with our expectations and shares have returned almost 20%. |
| VOW3.DE | The two next largest contributors were Vossloh AG and Costain Group Plc, contributing 2.2% each. Both saw significant improvements in market perception relating to upcoming infrastructure spending in Germany and the UK, and their position sizes have been reduced since the valuations increased. |
| Ticker | Put/Call | Amount Bought | Shares Bought | % Change | Weight % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Recent Buys Data | |||||
| Ticker | Put/Call | Amount Sold | Shares Sold | % Change | Weight % | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Recent Sells Data | ||||||
| Industry | Prev Quarter % | Current Quarter % | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| No industry data available | |||