Terry Smith, chief executive, Fundsmith
Running a £20bn fund doesn’t guarantee good treatment from the companies you invest in, as Terry Smith, the manager of the Fundsmith Equity Fund, has found. When Amadeus, the Spanish company that provides booking software for airlines and other travel providers, raised €1.5bn to help see it through the coronavirus crisis by issuing new shares and convertible bonds at the start of April, Fundsmith wasn’t asked to take part in the fundraising, Smith tells Sky News.
Small investors are used to their pre-emption rights – the principle that existing shareholders should have first refusal when companies issue new shares – being ignored. But most people would have expected a fund as large as Fundsmith to be included: it’s Amadeus’s fifth-largest shareholder and has been invested for seven years, says Smith. But “they never even bothered to call us and neither did anyone acting for them”. Fundsmith is now re-evaluating whether to keep the stock, he suggested. “When they make bad decisions of that sort, it undermines our confidence in them.”
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
However, the crisis has created other opportunities for Smith, who invested in sportswear giant Nike and coffee chain Starbucks after the two firms had seen their shares fall almost 40%. “They are both good businesses that we have long wanted to own and we thought we had an opportunity there.” He also sold Clorox, which makes cleaning products, having bought it just four months ago, after its share price rose by almost 30% in the first four months of the year.
-
Lloyds axes foreign currency fees for Club Lloyds customersClub Lloyds customers will be able to withdraw their money abroad without incurring any extra fees
-
How to invest during stagflationTrump’s tariffs look poised to push the global economy into a period of stagflation. We look at how to ensure your investments can survive a global slowdown.
-
Falling revenues and mounting debt spell trouble for Jumia TechnologiesStruggling African e-commerce platform Jumia Technologies looks headed for the exit, says Dr Matthew Partridge.
-
Next reports £1 billion in annual profits for the first time – what's next for the retailer?Clothing retailer Next has become only the fourth member of its sector to surpass £1 billion in annual profits. What does this mean for the company's future?
-
Best of British bargains: cash in on undervalued companies in the UK stock marketOpinion Michael Field, Chief Equity Market Strategist, EMEA, Morningstar, selects three attractive UK stocks where he'd put his money
-
Building firm Keller presents low debt and ample scope for growthGeotechnical contractor Keller, which supports vital global infrastructure, boasts rising profits and a cheap valuation
-
PZ Cussons share price down 75% in last decade – why it's one to watchOpinion Once-strong consumer-goods business PZ Cussons is out of favour with the market. That spells opportunity for investors, says Jamie Ward
-
Cash in on the biotech sector with specialist trust BioPharmaOpinion BioPharma has an attractive niche in lending to asset-rich biotechnology companies
-
India's stock market decline wipes out $1.3 trillion in market value – can investors stay optimistic?More than $1 trillion has been wiped off from India's stock market after investors turn to China. Has the emerging-market darling hit rock bottom?
-
Pensions revolution: how to profit from the trends shaping the UK pension systemThe UK pension system is one of the biggest in the world. Big changes are under way, says Rupert Hargreaves
