ABERFORTH SMALLER COMPANIES TRUST PLC
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Cash
£5.1M
+281.1% vs 2024
Net assets
£1.4B
-0.4% vs 2024
Employees
—
Average over period
Profit before tax
£96M
-36.5% vs 2024
Net assets
2-year trend · vs Financials median
Accounts
2-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £54,624,000 | £59,399,000 | +8.7% | |
| Operating profit | £158,063,000 | £100,764,000 | -36.3% | |
| Profit before tax | £151,591,000 | £96,235,000 | -36.5% | |
| Net profit | £151,591,000 | £96,235,000 | -36.5% | |
| Cash | £1,349,000 | £5,141,000 | +281.1% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £1,501,225,000 | £1,391,716,000 | -7.3% | |
| Net assets | £1,397,317,000 | £1,391,716,000 | -0.4% | |
| Equity | £1,397,317,000 | £1,391,716,000 | -0.4% | |
| Average employees | — | — | — | |
| Wages | — | — | — | |
| Directors' remuneration | £174,000 | £194,000 | +11.5% |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | — | 169.6% | |
| Net margin | — | 162.0% | |
| Return on capital employed | 10.5% | 7.2% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 6.9% | 5.1% | |
| Current ratio | 13.98x | 0.12x | |
| Interest cover | 24.42x | 22.25x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Margin ratios are hidden where reported turnover is too small relative to profit to yield a meaningful figure — typical of holding companies whose income is mostly subsidiary dividends rather than trading revenue. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Johnston Carmichael LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“The Directors have assessed the viability of the Company over the five years to December 2030, taking account of the Company's position, its investment strategy, and the potential impact of the principal risks detailed on pages 26 and 27. Based on this assessment, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company will meet its liabilities as they fall due and be able to continue in operation, notwithstanding that the Company's Shareholders vote on the continuation of the Company every three years with the next vote at the AGM on 5 March 2026.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
6 active · 20 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABERFORTH PARTNERS LLP | Corporate Secretary | 2005-12-01 | — | — |
| BAINS, Jasbir Singh | Director | 2022-10-10 | Jun 1966 | British |
| DAVIDSON, Richard Gavin | Director | 2019-01-26 | May 1968 | British |
| DIMOND, Patricia Marie | Director | 2022-03-03 | Apr 1960 | British |
| STEWART, Victoria Katerine | Director | 2020-09-01 | May 1971 | British |
| WARNER, Martin Russell | Director | 2018-03-01 | Jun 1953 | British |
Show 20 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| MINTO, Bruce Watson | Secretary | 1990-07-31 | 1990-11-19 |
| ABERFORTH PARTNERS LLP | Corporate Secretary | 1990-11-19 | 2005-12-01 |
| BRUCE, Roderick Lawrence | Nominee Director | 1990-07-31 | 1990-11-19 |
| BUCHAN, Hamish Noble | Director | 2003-11-11 | 2013-03-05 |
| CHIAPPELLI, Marco Luigi Autimio | Director | 2001-07-17 | 2011-03-02 |
| CRAN, John Edward Gordon | Director | 2001-07-17 | 2012-03-07 |
| HAY-PLUMB, Paula Maria | Director | 2014-01-29 | 2022-03-03 |
| HUGHES, William Young | Director | 1990-11-19 | 2005-02-23 |
| JEFFCOAT, David John | Director | 2009-07-22 | 2018-03-01 |
| LE BLAN, Julia | Director | 2014-01-29 | 2023-03-02 |
| MACKENZIE, Finlay, Dr | Director | 1990-11-19 | 2002-02-26 |
| MARSH, Paul Rodney | Director | 2004-07-16 | 2014-10-17 |
| MILLER, Keith Manson | Director | 1990-11-19 | 2004-02-25 |
| MINTO, Bruce Watson | Director | 1990-07-31 | 1990-11-19 |
| NIMMO, Walter Sneddon, Professor | Director | 2004-07-16 | 2014-02-27 |
| RAE, Richard Anthony | Director | 2012-01-26 | 2021-03-02 |
| ROSS, David Thomas Mcleod | Director | 1990-11-19 | 1994-10-14 |
| SHAW, David Robert | Director | 1994-10-14 | 2010-03-03 |
| TRICKETT, Stephen Paul | Director | 2013-01-30 | 2019-02-28 |
| WHYTE, Alistair James | Director | 1990-11-19 | 1994-10-14 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 538 total filings
Material constitutional events — rename, articles re-file, resolution
- 2026-03-16 RESOLUTIONS Resolution
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-12 | SH06 | capital | Capital cancellation shares | |
| 2026-04-17 | SH06 | capital | Capital cancellation shares | |
| 2026-04-17 | SH06 | capital | Capital cancellation shares | |
| 2026-04-17 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares | |
| 2026-04-17 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares | |
| 2026-03-27 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2026-03-20 | SH06 | capital | Capital cancellation shares | |
| 2026-03-20 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares | |
| 2026-03-18 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares | |
| 2026-03-16 | RESOLUTIONS | resolution | Resolution | |
| 2026-03-12 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares | |
| 2026-03-12 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares | |
| 2026-03-10 | SH06 | capital | Capital cancellation shares | |
| 2026-03-10 | SH06 | capital | Capital cancellation shares | |
| 2026-02-27 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares | |
| 2026-02-27 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares | |
| 2026-02-25 | SH06 | capital | Capital cancellation shares | |
| 2026-02-25 | SH06 | capital | Capital cancellation shares | |
| 2026-01-29 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares | |
| 2026-01-29 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 20
- Capital events
- 18
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.