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Worldwide Healthcare Trust PLC

Fund Information / Factsheet Mar 20, 2020

4740_rns_2020-03-20_c585cc72-0d32-4820-bb06-bfe3b471315f.pdf

Fund Information / Factsheet

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Worldwide Healthcare Trust PLC

Portfolio Manager

Trevor M. Polischuk Sven H. Borho

Information as at 29 February 2020 www.worldwidewh.com @Worldwidewh

Investment Objective

To invest in the global healthcare sector with the objective of achieving a high level of capital growth. In order to achieve its investment objective, the Company invests worldwide in a diversified portfolio of shares in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and related securities in the healthcare sector. It uses gearing, and derivative transactions to enhance returns and mitigate risk. Performance is measured against the MSCI World Health Care Index (net total return, sterling adjusted).

Five Year Performance (%)

Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise and is not guaranteed; an investor may receive back less than the original amount invested.

Benchmark: MSCI World Health Care Index (net total return; sterling adjusted) +56.3% Source: Morningstar, Benchmark - Bloomberg

Commentary

In February, the NAV per share was up 0.4%, the share price was down 4.3% and the MSCI World Health Care Index was down 3.7%.

COVID-19. There is not much more to be said for what happened to the markets in February. The fear, uncertainty, and volatility all increased as the spread of the coronavirus around the world continued. The VIX spiked towards 50 and correlation across global markets approached 1.0. Whilst we are healthcare specialists, our scientific and clinical view on the pandemic is probably not relevant, not as media and public fear overwhelms the reality. One other item that impacted healthcare stocks in February was the ongoing U.S. Democratic primaries in which some candidates soared, yet others fell out of the race altogether. Relative performance in the month was notable with over 400 basis points of excess performance in the month. Our relative positioning – normally a headwind when macro issues trump fundamentals – worked in our favor in February. Specifically, biotech stocks were resilient in the period and performance was aided by our overweight positioning there. Conversely, large cap pharmaceutical stocks fell precipitously, and our underweight positioning there also added to our outperformance. However, the primary contributor to outperformance was our overweight weighting in emerging markets. Finally, stock picking was also noteworthy positive contributor. The largest single contributor in February was the Chinese vaccine maker, CanSino Biologics. Our investment thesis here is totally predicated on the notion that CanSino is the gold standard for vaccine manufacturing and supply for the Chinese market. The stock spiked after investors speculated that the company may be able to produce a coronavirus vaccine in the near term. Whilst the company is in the early stages of producing said vaccine, a commercial product is not imminent. We booked some profits. Another key contributor was Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. The stock spiked after a newly launched competitor, Novartis' Beovu (brolucizumab), unexpectedly announced a rare but serious series of adverse events associated with that drug. This was a boon to Regeneron's market leading, blockbuster blindness drug, Eylea (aflibercept). Top detractors in February were all essentially stocks with large weightings in the portfolio that sold off due the market turbulence. Looking ahead, of course, we will be monitoring the world's ongoing response to COVID-19 and the impact to the global markets.

Any opinions on individual stocks are those of the Company's Portfolio Manager and no reliance should be given on any such views. Any research in this document has been procured and may have been acted upon by OrbiMed Capital LLC for its own purposes. The results are being made available to you only incidentally. The views expressed herein do not constitute investment or any other advice and are subject to change. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Frostrow Capital LLP and no assurances are made as to their accuracy.

Risk Warnings

This document is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer or invitation to purchase shares in the Company and has not been prepared in connection with any such offer or invitation. Before investing in the Company, or any other investment product, you should satisfy yourself as to its suitability and the risks involved, and you may wish to consult a financial adviser.

Any return you receive depends on future market performance and is uncertain. The Company does not seek any protection from future market performance so you could lose some or all of your investment. For information on the principal risks the Company is exposed to please refer to the Company's Annual Report or Investor Disclosure Document available at www.worldwidewh.com.

Shares in the Company are bought and sold on the London Stock Exchange. The price you pay or receive, like other listed shares, is determined by supply and demand and may be at a discount or premium to the underlying net asset value of the Company. Usually, at any given time, the price you pay for a share will be higher than the price you could sell it.

The Company has increased its exposure to investments via the use of an overdraft facility and derivatives, and this could potentially magnify any losses or gains made by the Company. The Annual Report and Investor Disclosure Document, available on the Company's website, include further details on the use of, and exposure to, derivatives.

Biographies

Sven H. Borho, CFA, is a founder and Managing Partner of OrbiMed. Sven heads the public equity team and is the portfolio manager for OrbiMed's public equity and hedge funds. He has been a portfolio manager since 1993 and has played an integral role in the growth of OrbiMed's asset management activities. Sven started his career in 1991 when he joined OrbiMed's predecessor firm as a Senior Analyst covering European pharmaceutical firms and biotechnology companies worldwide. He studied business administration at Bayreuth University in Germany and received a M.Sc. (Econs.), Accounting and Finance, from The London School of Economics; he is a citizen of both Germany and Sweden.

Trevor M. Polischuk, Ph.D., is a Partner at OrbiMed focused on the global pharmaceutical industry. Trevor joined OrbiMed in 2003 and became a Partner in 2011. Previously, he worked at Lehman Brothers as a Senior Research Analyst covering the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. Trevor began his career at Warner Lambert as a member of the Global Marketing Planning team within Parke-Davis. Trevor holds a Doctorate in Neuropharmacology & Gross Human Anatomy and an M.B.A. from Queen's University, Canada.

Portfolio Manager Profile

OrbiMed Capital LLC (OrbiMed) is owned by six principals, including Sven Borho who have between them many years' experience of investing in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and healthcare sectors. The U.S. based company has over 80 investment professionals who carry out extensive research, involving company visits and evaluating the commercial and scientific prospects for individual drugs. OrbiMed is registered as an investment adviser under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). SEC registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training.

Investment Policy

The Company offers a superior UK-listed opportunity for capital appreciation through a diversified portfolio of worldwide pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare equipment, and healthcare services companies. The Portfolio Manager seeks to reduce risk through extensive fundamental research, worldwide exposure, position limits, and balanced market capitalisations. The Company's investment policy allows gearing, through borrowing, of up to 20% of net assets and a net exposure to derivative investments (excluding swaps) of up to 5% of the portfolio. Equity swaps may also be used, counterparty exposure here is limited to 12% of the portfolio at the time of acquisition. Unquoted securities will not exceed 10% of the portfolio at the time of acquisition.

Discount / Premium Control Mechanism

The Directors have adopted an active discount management policy to establish and support an improved rating in the Company's shares through the use of share buybacks, with a view to limiting the discount to the ex income NAV per share at which the shares trade to no more than 6%. Shares bought back may be held in treasury for reissue at later dates at not more than the discount at which they were purchased, and in any event at a discount no greater than 5% to the prevailing cum income net asset value per share. Any shares left in treasury are cancelled around the time of the AGM. In order to stop the share price trading at a significant premium to the NAV per share, the Company has the ability to issue new shares at a 0.7% premium to the cum income NAV per share.

Worldwide Healthcare Trust PLC conducts its affairs so that its shares can be recommended by independent financial advisers ("IFAs") to retail private investors. The shares are excluded from the Financial Conduct Authority's ("FCA's") restrictions which apply to non-mainstream investment products because they are shares in a UK-listed investment trust.

10 Largest Holdings as at 29 February 2020*

Name Region Total
Takeda Pharmaceutical Japan 5.8
Merck & Co North America 4.5
Alexion Pharmaceuticals North America 4.3
Boston Scientific North America 4.1
Novartis Europe 4.0
Vertex Pharmaceuticals North America 2.9
CanSino Biologics Asia 2.7
Bristol-Myers Squibb North America 2.7
Biogen North America 2.6
Mirati Therapeutics North America 2.5
Total 36.1

Sector, Geographical** & Asset Class*** Breakdown at 29 February 2020*

Biotechnology 33.9 North America 64.3 Equities 95.0
Pharmaceutical 31.3 Emerging Markets 15.3 Equity Swaps 3.6
Healthcare Equipment/Supplies 16.4 Europe 13.0 Unquoteds 1.4
Healthcare Providers/Services 12.7 Asia 7.4 Total 100.0
Life Sciences/Tools & Services 5.2 Total 100.0
Fixed & Variable Interest 0.5
Total 100.0

*Calculation based on economic exposure and expressed as a % of the total economic exposure. This includes all derivatives as an economically equivalent position in the underlying holding.

**Geographical analysis based on country of primary listing.

***Unquoted securities will not exceed 10% of the portfolio at the time of acquisition.

Source: All portfolio information sourced from Frostrow Capital LLP.

Discrete Performance – Calendar Years (%)

Percentage Growth 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 YTD
NAV 19.1 5.2 16.5 -3.8 31.9 -2.0
Share Price 13.9 10.1 20.7 -5.0 32.3 -7.2
Benchmark 12.7 11.2 9.4 8.8 18.4 -4.5

Standardised Discrete Performance (%)

Percentage Growth
12 Month Return
Feb 15-
Feb 16
Feb 16-
Feb 17
Feb 17-
Feb 18
Feb 18-
Feb 19
Feb 19-
Feb 20
NAV -2.7 32.3 3.7 8.8 15.2
Share Price -7.3 38.6 5.8 8.4 9.5
Benchmark 0.7 24.1 0.7 13.2 9.7

Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise and is not guaranteed. An investor may receive back less than the original amount invested.

Source: NAV (total return; fully diluted) & share price (total return) – Morningstar. Benchmark - Bloomberg.

Important Information

Worldwide Healthcare Trust PLC (the Company) is a public limited company whose shares are premium listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and is registered with HMRC as an investment trust.

The Company has an indeterminate life, although shareholders consider and vote on the continuation of the Company every five years (the next such vote will be held in 2024).

This financial promotion is issued by Frostrow Capital LLP which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA").

The MSCI information (relating to the Benchmark) may only be used for your internal use, may not be reproduced or redisseminated in any form and may not be used as a basis for or a component of any financial instruments or products or indices. None of the MSCI information is intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation to make (or refrain from making) any kind of investment decision and may not be relied on as such. Historical data and analysis should not be taken as an indication or guarantee of any future performance analysis, forecast or prediction. The MSCI information is provided on an "as is" basis and the user of this information assumes the entire risk of any use made of this information. MSCI, each of its affiliates and each other person involved in or related to compiling, computing or creating any MSCI information (collectively, the "MSCI Parties") expressly disclaims all warranties (including, without limitation, any warranties of originality, accuracy, completeness, timeliness, non-infringement, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose) with respect to this information. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall any MSCI Party have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, punitive, consequential (including, without limitation lost profits) or any other damages. (www.msci.com).

Fast Facts as at 29 February 2020

AIC Sector Biotechnology & Healthcare
Launch Date & appointment of
Portfolio Manager
April 1995
Annual Management Fee (payable by the
Company): 0.65% of net assets plus 0.30% of
market cap. up to £150m; in the range £150m to
£500m 0.2%; in the range £500m to £1bn 0.15%;
in the range £1bn to £1.5bn 0.125%; over £1.5bn
0.075% plus £57,500
Performance Fee details See Annual Report for
Ongoing charges* 0.9%
Continuation Vote th
2024 AGM and every 5
AGM thereafter
Year / Half Year 31 March /
30 September
Capital Structure 53,526,278 shares
*Calculated at the financial year end, includes management fees

and all other operating expenses, and excludes performance fees.

Trust Characteristics

Number of Holdings 73
Net Assets (£m) 1,619.3
Market Capitalisation (£m) 1,554.9
Dividends Provisional payment
dates: January & July
Indicative Yield 0.9%
Gearing 8.2%
Leverage** Gross 112.5%
Commitment 111.8%
Share Price (p) 2905.00
NAV(p) (cum income) 3025.19
(Discount) / Premium (4.0%)
** The Board has set the maximum leverage limit for both the
Gross and the Commitment basis at 140% of the Company's Net
Asset Value.

Codes

Sedol 0338530
ISIN GB0003385308
Legal Entity Identifier (LEI)
5493003YBCY4W1IMJU04
Global Intermediary Identification Number
(GIIN) FIZWRN.99999.SL.826
Bloomberg WWH LN
EPIC WWH

How to Contact Us

Frostrow Capital LLP 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A 1AL Tel.: 0203 0084910 Fax: 0203 0438889 Website: www.frostrow.com Email: [email protected]

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