Holding(s) in Company

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARES                                             
                                                                                           
1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer      Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust  
of existing shares to which voting rights are                          plc                 
attached: ii                                                                               
                                                                                           
2 Reason for the notification (please tick the appropriate box or boxes):                  
                                                                                           
An acquisition or disposal of voting rights                                                
                                                                                           
An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may                   
result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are              
attached                                                                                   
                                                                                           
An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to                  
qualifying financial instruments                                                           
                                                                                           
An event changing the breakdown of voting rights                                           
                                                                                           
Other (please specify): Change in our Terms & Conditions restricting the            X      
                        exercise of Voting Rights to Discretionary client                  
                        holdings                                                           
                                                                                           
3. Full name of person(s) subject to the                                                   
notification obligation: iii                    Investec Wealth & Investment Limited       
                                                                                           
4. Full name of shareholder(s)                                                             
 (if different from 3.):iv                                                                 
                                                                 N/A                       
                                                                                           
5. Date of the transaction and date on                      1st June 2015                  
which the threshold is crossed or                                                          
reached: v                                                                                 
                                                                                           
6. Date on which issuer notified:                           2nd June 2015                  
                                                                                           
7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or                           8%                        
reached: vi, vii                                                                           
                                                                                           


 

8. Notified details:                                                                                 
                                                                                                     
A: Voting rights attached to shares viii, ix                                                         
                                                                                                     
Class/type of    Situation previous        Resulting situation after the triggering transaction      
shares           to the triggering                                                                   
                 transaction                                                                         
if possible                                                                                          
using            Number       Number       Number      Number of voting      % of  voting rights x   
the ISIN CODE    of           of           of shares   rights                                        
                 Shares       Voting                                                                 
                              Rights       Direct      Direct xi    Indirect Direct       Indirect   
                                                                    xii                              
                                                                                                     
                 8,639,530    8,639,530    7,887,757   7,887,757             8.28%                   
Ordinary Shares                                                                                      
                                                                                                     
GB0000066554                                                                                         
                                                                                                     
B: Qualifying Financial Instruments                                                                  
                                                                                                     
Resulting situation after the triggering transaction                                                 
                                                                                                     
Type of financial       Expiration Exercise/               Number of voting        % of voting       
instrument              date xiii  Conversion Period xiv   rights that may be      rights            
                                                           acquired if the                           
                                                           instrument is                             
                                                           exercised/ converted.                     
                                                                                                     
C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial                        
Instruments xv, xvi                                                                                  
                                                                                                     
Resulting situation after the triggering transaction                                                 
                                                                                                     
Type of financial  Exercise   Expiration Exercise/     Number of voting rights  % of voting rights   
instrument         price      date xvii  Conversion    instrument refers to     xix, xx              
                                         period xviii                                                
                                                                                                     
                                                                                Nominal      Delta   
                                                                                                     
Total (A+B+C)                                                                                        
                                                                                                     
Number of voting rights                          Percentage of voting rights                         
                                                                                                     
7,887,757                                        8.28%                                               
                                                                                                     


 

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the              
financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable: xxi                              
                                                                                            
                                                                                            
Discretionary client holdings registered in the name of Nominee companies 100%              
owned by Investec Wealth & Investment Limited.                                              
                                                                                            
Proxy Voting:                                                                               
                                                                                            
10. Name of the proxy holder:                                                               
                                                          N/A                               
                                                                                            
11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease                                         
to hold:                                                  N/A                               
                                                                                            
12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold                                           
voting rights:                                            N/A                               
                                                                                            
                                                                                            
13. Additional information:                  N/A                                            
                                                                                            
14. Contact name:                            David Holland, Aberforth Partners LLP,         
                                             Secretaries                                    
                                                                                            
15. Contact telephone number:                0131 220 0733