To mark the 125th anniversary of SIT's founding, we have compiled a short history of SIT.
The beginning
The Scottish Investment Trust Company Limited was incorporated in Edinburgh on 27 July, 1887, with a capital of £250,000, equally divided between preferred and deferred shares. It was the second investment trust company (but not the second investment trust) to be launched in Scotland1. SIT's founder and first chairman was John Dick Peddie, a well-known Edinburgh architect and a Liberal Member of Parliament.
Prospectus
SIT's prospectus stated "the object of the Scottish Investment Trust is to apply the principles of co-operation to the investment of money so that investors may, by uniting their means, spread their investment over a wider field, thus obtaining a higher rate of interest with greater security and exemption from liability than if the amount subscribed by each shareholder were independently invested." and the same principle holds true today.
First shareholders
In the original list of stockholders were, predictably, professional men - mostly lawyers, stockbrokers, accountants, doctors and church ministers. However, there were also a number of ordinary working people - women as well as men - including a baker, a grocer, a house painter, a school mistress and a butler - and SIT continues to attract a diverse range of investors today.
First investments
Like the other early investment trusts, SIT was an outward-facing adventurous investment vehicle, investing in the emerging markets of the time, principally the Americas. SIT's first annual report and accounts list such investments as:
Chicago, Milwaukee and St Paul Railroad
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Company
San Paulo (Brazilian) Railway Company
London and River Plate Bank
Midland Railway of Uruguay
Costa Rica Government Bonds
Havana Railways Company
Monte Video Gas Company Limited
Brazilian Submarine Telegraph Company Limited
Britain was at the height of its days of Empire and this could be seen in other, sometimes rather esoteric sounding, investments:
Indiarubber, Gutta Percha and Telegraph Works Company
Phospho-Guano Company Limited
Luckimpore Tea Company of Assam Limited
Irrawaddy Flotilla Company Limited
Kimberley Waterworks Company Limited
Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China
While closer to home was investment in:
Glasgow Tramway and Omnibus Company
London and Westminster Bank
Birkenhead Brewery Company Limited
And, some familiar names:
Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P & O)
Standard Life Assurance
Rio Tinto Company Limited
Prices Patent Candle Company Limited
SIT currently holds investments in HSBC, Standard Life and Rio Tinto (although not consecutively since 1887!).
Head office
In 1889, SIT bought 6 Albyn Place, a substantial Edinburgh New Town house, which, the directors were pleased to note, it acquired at 'a very moderate price' and the company is still run from this building today.
Second Scottish Investment Trust
From its early days, SIT had a companion trust - the Second Scottish Investment Trust - which was active in the growing US market. The Second Scottish Investment Trust amalgamated with The Scottish Investment Trust in 1976 swelling assets from £32.8 million to £92.4 million.
Investment strategy
SIT's first board members believed investment at home seldom matched the prospects for economic expansion which existed overseas. By the turn of the 20th century, SIT had placed the majority of its investment overseas and, with the exception of the Second World War (when the Treasury requisitioned virtually all overseas investments to help pay for the war effort) and its immediate aftermath, this has been the position ever since with the focus primarily on equity investment. The principal aim, then as now, was to invest in well-managed companies which were likely to achieve a good increase in earnings and dividends.
Research
Technology apart, the biggest change over the years has been in research. In the 1930s, it was a major event when the manager decided to go to America, even though the company was at that time investing fairly heavily in a wide range of American companies. Now, along with regular visits overseas, SIT embraces the latest technologies to aid its investment research.
Personnel
On the personnel side, SIT operated with only directors and a secretary until 1925, when it appointed a member of the board, R G Simpson, to be manager as well. That appointment ran until 1934 when the then secretary, R J Edgar, became manager and secretary combined. Edgar was only the third secretary in fifty years, following Holmes Ivory and W H Ivory and there have been just five secretaries since - D C Reid (1937-43), George Smith (1943-51), Albert Black (1951-79), Iain Harding (1979-2007) and Steven Hay (2007 to present). Currently, the manager is assisted by a dedicated professional investment team along with IT, statistics, company secretarial, investor relations, marketing and administrative staff.
Centenary
In 1987, to mark its centenary year, SIT issued warrants to all its ordinary stockholders on the basis of one warrant for every five ordinary stock units held. Each warrant entitled the holder to purchase one ordinary stock unit at a fixed price of 484p at any time until 15 February 1995.
Secured bonds
In March 2000, SIT issued £150 million of secured bonds (due 2030) which, at the time, was the largest investment trust bond issue and the redemption yield of 5.75% was one of the lowest achieved by any investment trust.
Buyback policy
Since January 2006, SIT has operated an active share buyback policy with the aim of keeping the discount to ex-income net asset value at or below 9% (with borrowings at market value).
Tender Offer
2006 also saw a major tender offer to purchase up to 40 per cent of the Company's issued ordinary stock. 27.75 per cent of shares were repurchased through this offer.
Focus
Unlike many other investment trust companies and managers which over the years developed into fund management houses running a variety of investment trusts and other funds such as unit trusts and OEICs, SIT continues as it began, a single-purpose organisation. It is independently managed by its own employees; its independence providing a clear focus and goal.
1 'Put Not Your Trust In Money', John Newlands
Other investment trusts were launched as legal trusts, whereas SIT was structured as a limited liability company from the outset.