Securities Trust of Scotland - Investing globally for sustainable dividend growth

Securities Trust of Scotland (STS) aims to generate rising income and long-term capital growth through investment in quality companies across the globe, with sustainable dividends supported by robust earnings growth. STS appointed a new lead manager in May 2016 and adopted an unconstrained investment approach, allowing the portfolio to reflect the manager’s highest-conviction stock picks in a relatively concentrated portfolio of 35-55 holdings. STS’s performance has since been positive relative to its new peer-based benchmark, while it has a comparable dividend yield of 3.5%, following an increased payout from FY16. It is one of two trusts in the peer group to trade on a discount to cum-income NAV, providing scope for the discount to continue to narrow.