Half-yearly Financial Report

Summary by AI BETAClose X

Artemis UK Future Leaders plc reported a net asset value (NAV) total return of +1.6% for the six months ended 31 July 2026, outperforming its benchmark index's +0.9% return, while the share price saw a total return of +2.1%. Total shareholders' funds decreased by 3.5% to £124,890,000, with NAV per share falling 1.2% to 429.41p, and the share price slightly decreasing by 0.1% to 385.50p, resulting in a discount to NAV of 10.2%. The company maintained its dividend policy, paying a first interim dividend of 3.85 pence per share, and the investment manager noted positive contributions from companies like Moonpig and Mears, while acknowledging detractors such as LBG Media and Telecom Plus.

Disclaimer*

 LEI: 549300K1D1P23R8U4U50

 

Artemis UK Future Leaders plc

(the “Company”)

 

Half-Yearly Financial Report

 

The following text is extracted from the Half-Yearly Financial Report of the Company for the half year ended 31 July 2026. All page numbers below refer to the Half-Yearly Financial Report which will be made available on the Company's website:

www.artemisfunds.com/futureleaders
 

A copy of the Half-Yearly Financial Report will also be submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection online at:
 

https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism

 

Investment Objective

The investment objective of the Company is to achieve long-term total returns for shareholders primarily by actively investing in a broad cross-section of small to medium sized UK quoted companies. The Company’s shares qualify to be considered as a mainstream investment product suitable for promotion to retail investors and are eligible for investment in an ISA.

Financial Information and Performance Statistics

Total Return Statistics

(with dividends reinvested)

 

For Six

For Year

 

Months to

Ended

 

31 July

31 January

 

2026

2026

Net asset value (NAV) total return (1)(2)

+1.6

0.0

Share price total return(1)(2)

+2.1

+7.1

Benchmark Index(2)(3)

+0.9

+16.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since

Total returns as at 31 July 2026

1 year

3 years

5 years

10 years

appointment

Net asset value per ordinary share

0.5%

2.1%

(24.4)%

58.1%

9.7%

Ordinary share price

5.2%

4.4%

(24.0)%

55.1%

14.4%

Deutsche Numis Smaller Companies

 

 

 

 

 

plus AIM (Excl. Inv-Trust)

9.8%

27.5%

2.2%

74.3%

24.6%

 

Source: Artemis/Lipper.

Capital Statistics

 

At

At

 

Period End Date

31 July 2026

31 January 2026

Change

Total shareholders’ funds (£’000)

 124,890

129,385

(3.5)%

Net asset value (‘NAV’) per share

429.41p

 434.66p

(1.2)%

Share price(2)

385.50p

386.00p

(0.1)%

Discount(1)

(10.2)%

(11.2)%

 

Gearing(1)

 

 

 

– gross gearing

8.0%

8.6%

 

– net gearing

7.3%

8.2%

 

– net cash

nil

nil

 

Maximum authorised gearing

20.0%

19.3%

 

 

Six months ended

Year ended

 

Return and dividend per ordinary share

31 July 2026

31 January 2026

 

Return(1)

 

 

 

– revenue

7.09p

12.37p

 

– capital

(2.50)p

(13.81)p

 

– Total

4.59p

(1.44)p

 

First interim dividend

3.85p

3.85p

 

 

(1) Alternative Performance Measures (‘APM’). See pages 27 to 29 for the explanation and calculation of APMs. Further details are provided in the Glossary of Terms and Alternative Performance Measures in the Company’s 2026 Annual Financial Report.

(2) Source: LSEG Data & Analytics.

(3) The benchmark index of the Company is the Deutsche Numis Smaller Companies plus AIM (Excl. Inv-Trust) Index with dividends reinvested.

 

Chairman’s statement

Dear shareholders,

I am writing to report the results for the six months ended 31 July 2026.

In what was a mixed period for UK smaller companies, Artemis UK Future Leaders plc’s net asset value (NAV), with dividends included, rose 1.6% in the six months ended 31 July 2026, compared with a gain of 0.9% from its Deutsche Numis Smaller Companies plus AIM benchmark(1). The most recent quarter was more encouraging. Over the three months ended 31 July 2026, the NAV grew by 10.1% compared to a return of 5.8% for the benchmark. The share price rose 2.1% in the six months ended 31 July 2026. Over the three months ended 31 July 2026 it rose by 14.8%.

A comprehensive review of Artemis’ strategy, performance and outlook is set out in the Investment Managers’ Report.

Dividends and dividend policy

Our dividend policy remains unchanged: to distribute all available revenue income in the form of quarterly dividends, supplemented, as necessary, by realised capital reserves. The policy target is a 4% dividend yield (based on the year-end share price) for the year ending 31 January 2027, subject to normal circumstances.

A first interim dividend for the year ending 31 January 2027 of 3.85 pence per share was paid in August. A second interim dividend of 3.85 pence per share will be paid in November. The Board remains committed to maintaining alignment with the stated yield target.

Update on Investment Manager

Anna Pugh joined Artemis’ UK smaller companies team as an analyst in May 2026. Anna, who has 11 years’ experience, joined from River Global Investors, where she worked on UK small-cap and micro-cap strategies. The Board welcomes this addition to the team and is encouraged by Artemis’ continued commitment to further strengthening its UK smaller companies capability at what we believe is an important stage in the cycle for the asset class.

Mark Niznik and William Tamworth have been working together since 2015 and continue to manage the portfolio.

Over the past six months Mark, William and Anna have all increased their personal investments in Artemis UK Future Leaders and since their appointment have collectively bought 868,000 shares in the Company. This is a demonstration of their confidence in the outlook and also ensures their interests are aligned with other shareholders.

Outlook

Despite periods of volatility and ongoing political uncertainty, the backdrop for UK smaller companies is positive. Valuations remain very attractive relative to both larger companies and international peers. While the UK economic outlook appears sluggish but stable, resilient corporate fundamentals, increased M&A activity and a growing willingness among company boards to return capital to shareholders provide additional reasons for cautious optimism. After a prolonged period of underperformance, there are early signs that UK smaller companies are beginning to regain ground relative to larger companies. Geopolitical uncertainty, and the potential implications for energy prices, inflation and investor sentiment, remains an important risk for UK small caps.

Against this backdrop, the Board believes these conditions continue to offer an attractive opportunity for long-term investors in the Company.

Conclusion

The Board continues to have confidence in the Investment Manager’s disciplined approach of investing in companies with strong cash generation, robust balance sheets and attractive valuations. We believe these characteristics should provide resilience while allowing shareholders to participate in the long-term potential of UK smaller companies.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank shareholders for their continued support. We remain committed to clear and transparent communication and I look forward to updating you again in the Annual Report.

 

Bridget Guerin

Chairman

12 October 2026

 

Investment Managers’ report

Mark Niznik

Mark has managed Artemis‘ ‘UK smaller companies’ strategy since joining the firm in 2007. He started his investment career in 1985 and has worked at firms including Invesco Perpetual and Standard Life.

William Tamworth

William works alongside Mark in managing Artemis’ ‘UK smaller companies’ strategy. Prior to joining Artemis in 2015, William worked at Liberum and Citigroup where he analysed small and mid-cap companies.

Anna Pugh

Anna joined Artemis in 2026 as an analyst on the ‘UK smaller companies’ strategy. Before joining Artemis, she spent eight years at River Global Investors, working on their small-cap and micro-cap strategies. She has also been a product specialist at Neptune Investment Management.

Strengthening the team

Anna Pugh joined Artemis’ UK smaller companies team as an analyst in May. Anna, who has 11 years’ experience, previously worked at River Global Investors, where she focused on UK small-cap and micro-cap strategies. She has a first-class degree in economics from the University of Bath and is a CFA charterholder.

Mark Niznik and William Tamworth have been working together since 2015 and continue to manage the portfolio.

Performance

Artemis UK Future Leaders plc’s net asset value (NAV), including dividends, rose 1.6% in the six months to the end of July 2026, compared with gains of 0.9% from its Deutsche Numis Smaller Companies plus AIM (Excl. Inv-Trust) benchmark(1). The most recent quarter was more encouraging. Over the past three months, the NAV grew by 10.1% compared to a return of 5.8% for the benchmark.

Our performance over the past year has been poor. Crucially, however, this has been driven by a relative de-rating in the shares of the companies we invest in – their earnings have remained resilient. We believe the trust’s holdings are undervalued relative to the wider UK smaller companies market (which is itself undervalued relative to UK large caps).

 

(1) Artemis/Lipper Limited.



Positives

 

Average

 

 

Top 10 Contributors

Weight %

Return %

Impact %

Moonpig

3.0

29.0

0.7

Young & Co’s Brewery

2.4

28.4

0.5

Mears

3.0

20.4

0.5

Halfords

1.5

61.4

0.5

Vistry

0.0

-56.1

0.5

Keller

1.6

74.0

0.5

PZ Cussons

1.3

40.6

0.4

Severfield

1.2

38.9

0.4

MONY

3.1

13.8

0.4

discoverIE

1.8

23.3

0.4

Source: FactSet

Note: performance period 1 February 2026 to 31 July 2026; bold indicates stocks that were owned in the period.

Online card and gift retailer Moonpig saw increased sales and beat profit expectations in the 12 months to the end of April. Our first meeting with newly appointed chief executive Catherine Faiers was positive.

Pub chain Young & Co’s delivered robust results for the last financial year and reported a strong start to this one, boosted by the warm weather.

Mears has consistently increased its earnings expectations since 2022: this has continued into 2026 with strong underlying trading, new contract wins and a boost from share buybacks.

Halfords saw a 10% earnings upgrade in June on the back of strong sales growth and higher margins.

Second-quarter results at geotechnical contractor Keller were ahead of management expectations, prompting an upgrade to full-year revenue and earnings expectations. The strength was driven by excellent performance in North America (infrastructure projects and data centres) which accounts for more than 70% of group profits.

Consumer goods company PZ Cussons saw growth across each of its four primary markets with upgraded expectations for operating profit (albeit these have not translated through to earnings per share due to a higher tax rate and a higher minority charge). Earnings forecasts look cautiously set.

The new chief executive and chief financial officer at steelwork company Severfield are starting to gain credibility despite challenging end markets. With balance sheet concerns easing, the market is looking forward to the recovery potential of earnings.

Shares in MONY, the owner of price-comparison websites such as MoneySuperMarket, had fallen in February on concerns that AI would disrupt its business model. First-half results – where management reiterated full-year expectations – helped to reassure investors. MONY is expected to end the year with no net debt and we see the shares as being underpinned by continued strength in free cash flow.

Electronic components manufacturer discoverIE announced that full-year adjusted earnings were likely to be ahead of expectations.


Negatives

 

Average

 

 

Top 10 Detractors

Weight %

Return %

Impact %

LBG Media

0.8

–60.0

–0.8

Telecom Plus

2.2

–36.0

–0.8

Future

1.2

–43.5

–0.7

DFS Furniture

1.5

–27.6

–0.5

MJ Gleeson

1.2

–28.7

–0.4

CMC Markets

0.0

108.2

–0.4

Serco

2.0

–18.8

–0.4

AB Dynamics

0.3

–29.1

–0.4

Tate & Lyle

0.0

50.6

–0.3

GlobalData

1.4

–23.8

–0.3

 

Source: FactSet

Note: performance period 1 February 2026 to 31 July 2026; bold indicates stocks that were owned in the period.

While first-half revenues at LBG Media (LADbible) grew strongly, there was a rapid shift away from high-margin Facebook revenues and towards lower-margin direct ones. The speed of change prompted a downgrade to expectations, but reducing its dependence on Facebook should ultimately improve the quality of LBG’s earnings.

In response to growing competition in the energy and broadband markets, the management of Telecom Plus cut prices as it sought to increase the number of customers who use more than one of its services (consumers who use multiple products are more valuable and stay for longer than those who only take one). This led to a 40% cut in earnings expectations.

Specialist media company Future (which owns brands such as TechRadar, Tom’s Guide and GoCompare) is having to rapidly adapt as AI summaries cannibalise traditional search. There is no single solution to this threat, but the company’s publications are already well cited by LLMs (large language models), and we think management’s approach of trialling many different initiatives is sensible. For example, Collab is a product that allows Gen Z social media entrepreneurs to create content on Future’s existing platform, while Signal offers heavily curated recommendations. It is also worth noting magazines remain a very profitable part of its business more than 20 years after widespread internet adoption. Although we acknowledge the risk from AI is high, the valuation implies this is a business near bankruptcy: a p/e ratio of 3x and a free cash flow yield of more than 25%.

Sofa retailer DFS saw weaker footfall in February (potentially weather-related) which deteriorated further in March (likely an early sign of the impact of the Iran conflict on consumer confidence). While the near-term outlook is challenging, the medium-term recovery potential is unchanged and, on this basis, DFS looks cheap.

Housebuilder MJ Gleeson issued a profit warning on the back of an anticipated land sale which failed to complete and continued weakness in the UK housing market.

Government contractor Serco fell despite positive interim results (operating profit up 8%). There is some uncertainty as to how Andy Burnham’s approach will affect UK government outsourcing (although Serco now makes a greater proportion of profit from North America than it does from the UK and Europe combined).

Shares in AB Dynamics, a provider of vehicle testing services, fell shortly after we started a new holding. Although we knew the high second-half weighting posed a risk for full-year profit expectations, it was nevertheless disappointing to see this risk materialise. In the short term, trading is being affected by weakness at European OEM (original equipment manufacturer) customers and disruption from the Middle East conflict. This does not change the medium-term growth potential which is underpinned by increased testing requirements.

Slower revenue growth has prompted further earnings downgrades at GlobalData.

Activity

Our five largest purchases in the period were all also new holdings: PZ Cussons, Tristel, AB Dynamics, Safestore and Keystone Law. We also added to NIOX, Victrex and discoverIE.

PZ Cussons is a branded consumer goods business focused on four main geographic markets (UK, Australia, Nigeria and Indonesia). It has market-leading positions in several of its niches – for example Cussons Baby in baby personal care in Indonesia. The business has a mixed record but we felt a 9% free cash flow yield was attractive given progress in addressing its historic issues, an increasingly strong balance sheet and cautious looking market expectations.

Tristel supplies chlorine dioxide for high-level disinfection of medical devices (for example ultrasound probes) in hospitals. Although the shares are not especially cheap (around a 5% free cash flow yield or 20x p/e), it has attractive financial characteristics. The company is growing revenues at greater than 10% a year (all organically) and makes an 82% gross margin, which drives strong earnings growth. It is in the early stages of entering the US market, which has the potential to transform its business.

AB Dynamics, a provider of vehicle testing services, aims to double revenues and triple profits over the medium term. We see this as credible given increasingly stringent Euro NCAP standards, which tend to be replicated around the world. Although trading has been challenging in the short term, we see the lower valuation as attractive given the longer-term growth prospects.

Safestore, a leading provider of self-storage across the UK and Paris, is a business whose shares Artemis last owned in 2018. Higher interest rates and subdued end markets have hit the business, with the impact compounded by its investment in new sites, which reduce profits for the first three years after opening. As these openings start to mature, and as the cycle turns, there is scope for significant earnings growth. This is not reflected in the valuation: on both a p/e and a p/b (price-to-book) basis it is at a decade low and is currently trading at a 50% discount to NAV. We have little direct property exposure elsewhere in the portfolio, so started a modest holding.

Keystone Law is a UK law firm that operates with a platform model (lawyers are self-employed and retain up to 75% of the revenues they generate with Keystone providing the infrastructure e.g. support, compliance, IT, finance, marketing). The company has generated strong growth by signing up more lawyers and the business model offers a very attractive return on capital (there is minimum capital employed) and cash generation (Keystone Law only pays the lawyers after it has been paid). Few businesses have stronger earnings momentum and trade on a lower valuation.

We sold out of Oxford Instruments with the shares having performed strongly and Morgan Advanced Materials after its share price rose despite persistent earnings downgrades. We took some profits in Secure Trust Bank, Mears, Halfords and Moonpig.

Outlook

We remain positive on the outlook. Recent macroeconomic data has been mostly supportive. Consumer confidence has risen to its highest level in two years. UK economic growth is the highest in the G7 so far this year. Employment remains near an all-time high despite some modest recent weakening. While risks remain from conflict in the Middle East, higher bond yields and a potential AI asset price bubble in the US, we think the low valuations and strong balance sheets of our holdings provide some protection.

Valuations on a different planet

There is currently plenty of talk of a bubble in equity markets, with Panmure Liberum noting the cyclically adjusted p/e (‘CAPE’) ratio for the S&P 500 is at its highest since the turn of the century. Meanwhile, SpaceX’s IPO valuation of approximately $2 trillion was equivalent to 100 times its historic sales.

This is on a different planet to UK small caps. Valuations of smaller companies are low relative to their own history. They are low relative to those of larger companies. And they are only a third of the level of companies in the US. Meanwhile, the dividend yield for the FTSE 250 has climbed above that of the FTSE 100 for the first time in more than 20 years.

Iran remains a risk

A prolonged war between Iran and the US represents the biggest near-term threat to UK small caps as it has the potential to impact inflation, interest (and mortgage) rate expectations and consumer confidence. If (or when) there is a likely resolution we would expect that to be a positive catalyst for UK small caps. Halfords offers a useful example of what can happen when a stock in an unloved area of the market does better (or less badly) than expected: a 10% earnings upgrade in June prompted a 30% increase in its share price. Despite the continuing Middle East conflict and the inflationary consequences of $100 oil, UK consumer confidence has hit a two-year high and our consumer related holdings (where we are overweight) have generally seen resilient trading (e.g. Greggs, Youngs, DFS, Wickes).

Political uncertainty remains, but may be overstated

Andy Burnham and the upcoming budget add another layer of uncertainty, as rising gilt yields globally restrict the headroom for the new Government to deliver growth initiatives within the fiscal rules. However, the planned reintroduction of Help to Buy (or ‘Your First Home’) is early evidence that he is planning on also pursuing policies that stimulate economic growth.

More buybacks, pause in M&A has proven to be only temporary

A record number of the trust’s holdings bought back shares over the first half of 2026. We see this as evidence that their boards are: 1) taking a more positive view on the outlook; 2) believe they have surplus capital; and 3) see their shares as being materially undervalued.

There were no takeover bids for the companies in the portfolio during the first six months of the year but there have been three approaches since the period end: Gamma Communications, Harworth and Ashtead Technology have all received approaches. Given that the trust’s median holding trades on a free cash flow yield of 9%, offers double-digit earnings growth and is forecast to have no net debt, we believe further approaches are just a matter of time.

 

Mark Niznik, William Tamworth & Anna Pugh

Artemis Investment Management LLP

12 October 2026

 

Principal risks and uncertainties

The Directors confirm that they have carried out a robust assessment of the emerging and principal risks facing the Company, including those that would threaten its business model, future performance, solvency or liquidity. Most of these risks are market related and are similar to those of other investment trusts investing primarily in listed markets. The Audit Committee reviews the Company’s risk control summary at each meeting, and as part of this process, gives consideration to identifying emerging risks. Emerging risks, such as evolving cyber threats, geopolitical tensions and climate related risks, have been considered during the period as part of the Directors’ assessment.

Principal Risk Description

Mitigating Procedures and Controls

Market (economic) risk

Factors such as fluctuations in stock markets, interest rates and exchange rates are not under the control of the Board or the Portfolio Managers, but may give rise to high levels of volatility in the share prices of investee companies, as well as affecting the Company’s own share price and the discount to its NAV. The risk could be triggered by unfavourable developments globally and/or in one or more regions, contemporary examples being the market uncertainty in relation to the wider political developments in Ukraine, the Middle East and the worldwide tariffs implemented by the USA.

The Directors have assessed the market impact of the ongoing uncertainty from the unfavourable developments globally through regular discussions with the Portfolio Managers and the Corporate Broker. The Company’s current portfolio consists of companies listed on the main UK equity market and those listed on AIM. To a limited extent, futures can be used to mitigate against market (economic) risk, as can the judicious holding of cash or other very liquid assets. Futures are not currently being used.

Investment risk

The Company invests in small and medium-sized companies traded on the London Stock Exchange or on AIM. By their nature, these are generally considered riskier than their larger counterparts and their share prices can be more volatile, with lower liquidity. In addition, as smaller companies may not generally have the financial strength, diversity and resources of larger companies, they may find it more difficult to overcome periods of economic slowdown or recession.

The Portfolio Managers seek to mitigate risk through holding an economically diversified portfolio without concentrated macroeconomic bets. UK Smaller Companies in aggregate earn approximately 60% of their revenues from the domestic UK economy so the portfolio will be sensitive to both the UK macroeconomic outlook and sentiment towards the UK. The Manager’s preference is to invest in companies with strong balance sheets and strong cash generation which should be relatively better positioned to withstand economic shocks. They like companies with market leading positions which tend to be better able to pass through price increases to mitigate cost inflation.

The portfolio is constructed without reference to the benchmark. The weighting that a stock is given is a function of anticipated share price upside, the level of conviction and the riskiness of an investment. A single holding will typically not exceed 5% of the portfolio. The factor profile of the portfolio is also principally driven by bottom-up stock picking although our investment risk team generates factor analysis for the investment team to review on a regular basis.

Sustainability analysis is a core part of stock analysis in both assessing the opportunities and risks facing companies over the medium to long term. The Manager identifies key ESG metrics for each company and tracks the disclosure and trend of these. Disclosures by companies in the investment universe can often be poor, so this is an area they engage on.

The Portfolio Managers remain cognisant at all times of the potential liquidity of the portfolio. There can be no guarantee that the Company’s strategy and business model will be successful in achieving its investment objective. The Board monitors the performance of the Company, giving due consideration to how the Manager has incorporated ESG considerations including climate change into their investment process. The Board also has guidelines in place to ensure that the Managers adhere to the approved investment policy. The continuation of the Manager’s mandate is reviewed annually.

Shareholders’ risk

The value of an investment in the Company may go down as well as up and an investor may not get back the amount invested. In addition, the Company operates within the UK investment trust sector, which has recently experienced increased levels of shareholder activism and other forms of corporate activity targeting listed investment companies. Such activity could create uncertainty regarding the Company’s future, increased costs and management distraction, and may result in corporate actions that do not align with the long-term interests of all shareholders.

The Board regularly reviews the Company’s investment objective and strategy to ensure they remain appropriate. It also monitors the composition of the shareholder register, peer group performance on both a share price and NAV basis, and the Company’s share price discount to NAV per share. The Board and the Portfolio Managers maintain an active dialogue with shareholders and other stakeholders, seeking to ensure that the market rating of the Company’s shares reflects the underlying NAV and to understand investor concerns at an early stage. Share buyback and issuance authorities are in place to support the management of the discount and premium as appropriate. The Board remains alert to the potential for shareholder activism and is prepared to respond as necessary, with a focus on protecting the long-term interests of all shareholders.

Reliance on the Manager and other third-party service providers

The Company has no employees and the Board comprises non-executive directors only. The Company is therefore reliant upon the performance of third-party service providers for its executive function and service provisions. The Company’s operational structure means that all cyber risk (information and physical security) arises at its third-party service providers, including the risk of fraud, sabotage or crime against the Company. The Company’s operational capability relies upon the ability of its third-party service providers to continue working throughout the disruption caused by a major event such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Failure by any service provider to carry out its obligations to the Company in accordance with the terms of its appointment could have a materially detrimental impact on the operation of the Company and could affect the ability of the Company to successfully pursue its investment policy. The Company’s main service providers, of which the Manager is the principal provider, are listed on page 31.

The Manager may be exposed to reputational risks. In particular, the Manager may be exposed to the risk that litigation, misconduct, operational failures, negative publicity and press speculation, whether or not it is valid, will harm its reputation. Damage to the reputation of the Manager could potentially result in counterparties and third parties being unwilling to deal with the Manager and by extension the Company, which carries the Manager’s name. This could have an adverse impact on the ability of the Company to pursue its investment policy successfully.

Third-party service providers are subject to ongoing monitoring by the Manager and the Board.

The Manager reviews the performance of all third-party providers regularly through formal and informal meetings.

The Audit Committee reviews regularly the performance and internal controls of the Manager and all third-party providers through audited service organisation control reports together with updates on information security, the results of which are reported to the Board.

The Manager’s business continuity plans are reviewed on an ongoing basis and the Directors are satisfied that the Manager has in place robust plans and infrastructure to minimise the impact on its operations so that the Company can continue to trade, meet regulatory obligations, report and meet shareholder requirements. The Board receives regular update reports from the Manager and third-party service providers on business continuity processes and has been provided with assurance from them all insofar as possible that measures are in place for them to continue to provide contracted services to the Company.

Regulatory risk

The Company is subject to various laws and regulations by virtue of its status as an investment trust, its listing on the London Stock Exchange and being an Alternative Investment Fund under the UK AIFMD regime. A loss of investment trust status could lead to the Company being subject to corporation tax on the chargeable capital gains arising on the sale of its investments. Other control failures, either by the Manager or any other of the Company’s service providers, could result in operational or reputational problems, erroneous disclosures or loss of assets through fraud, as well as breaches of regulations.

The Manager reviews the level of compliance with tax and other financial regulatory requirements on a regular basis. The Board regularly considers all risks, the measures in place to control them and the possibility of any other risks that could arise. The Manager’s Risk and Compliance function produces annual reports for review by the Company’s Audit Committee.

Further details of risks and risk management policies as they relate to the financial assets and liabilities of the Company are detailed in note 16 of the last Annual Financial Report for the year ended 31 January 2026.

 



Portfolio of investments

At 31 July 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

Market Value

 

Portfolio^


 Exposure*

Company

Sector

£’000

£’000

%

MONY Group

Software and Computer Services

 3,876

4,197

 3.2

Moonpig Group

Retailers

 3,337

3,505

 2.7

Restoreᴬᴵᴹ

Industrial Support Services

 3,154

3,155

 2.5

Young & Co’s Brewery

 

 

 

 

  – Non-Voting

Travel and Leisure

 3,005

3,006

 2.4

discoverIE Group

Electronic and Electrical Equipment

 2,959

2,959

 2.4

GB Group

Software and Computer Services

 2,939

3,601

 2.4

NIOX Groupᴬᴵᴹ

Medical Equipment and Services

 2,820

2,820

 2.3

Mears Group

Industrial Support Services

 2,780

2,780

 2.2

4imprint Group

Media

 2,671

2,900

 2.1

Victorian Plumbing Groupᴬᴵᴹ

Retailers

 2,642

2,642

 2.1

IntegraFin Holdings

Investment Banking and Brokerage Services

 2,585

3,664

 2.1

Coats Group

General Industrials

 2,582

2,582

 2.1

PZ Cussons

Personal Goods

 2,531

2,531

 2.0

Hollywood Bowl Group

Travel and Leisure

 2,493

2,493

 2.0

Secure Trust Bank

Banks

 2,346

2,346

 1.9

Gamma Communications

Telecommunications Service Providers

 2,319

2,918

 1.9

Kainos Group

Software and Computer Services

 2,299

2,299

 1.8

Morgan Sindall Group

Construction and Materials

 2,297

2,297

 1.8

NCC Group

Software and Computer Services

 2,287

3,297

 1.8

Next 15 Groupᴬᴵᴹ

Media

 2,278

2,278

 1.8

Top twenty investments

 

54,200

58,270

43.5

Wilmington

Media

 2,250

2,970

 1.8

Tatton Asset Managementᴬᴵᴹ

Investment Banking and Brokerage Services

 2,220

2,220

 1.8

RWSᴬᴵᴹ

Industrial Support Services

 2,217

2,217

 1.8

YouGovᴬᴵᴹ

Media

 2,157

2,157

 1.7

Victrex

Chemicals

 2,138

2,404

 1.7

Science Groupᴬᴵᴹ

Industrial Support Services

 2,135

2,135

 1.7

Brooks Macdonald Group

Investment Banking and Brokerage Services

 2,125

2,125

 1.7

On the Beach Group

Travel and Leisure

 2,083

2,083

 1.7

Avon Technologies

Aerospace and Defence

 2,068

2,068

 1.7

Hilton Food Group

Food Producers

 2,045

2,045

 1.6

TT Electronics

Technology Hardware and Equipment

 2,029

2,029

 1.6

Serco Group

Industrial Support Services

 1,963

2,131

 1.6

Halfords Group

Retailers

 1,932

1,932

 1.6

Severfield

Construction and Materials

 1,922

1,922

 1.5

Dunelm Group

Retailers

 1,920

1,920

 1.5

Netcallᴬᴵᴹ

Software and Computer Services

 1,913

1,913

 1.5

Keller Group

Construction and Materials

 1,895

1,895

 1.5

Energean

Oil, Gas and Coal

 1,845

1,845

 1.5

Tristelᴬᴵᴹ

Health Care Equipment and Supplies

 1,840

1,840

 1.5

Ashtead Technology

Oil, Gas and Coal

 1,820

1,820

 1.5

Top forty investments

 

94,717

99,941

76.0

Workspace Group

Real Estate Investment Trusts

 1,789

1,789

 1.4

DFS Furniture

Retailers

 1,742

1,742

1.4

Chemring Group

Aerospace and Defence

 1,712

1,712

 1.4

Jadestone Energyᴬᴵᴹ

Oil, Gas and Coal

 1,629

1,629

 1.3

Wickes Group

Retailers

 1,565

1,565

 1.3

GlobalData

Industrial Support Services

 1,519

1,519

 1.2

MJ Gleeson

Household Goods and Home Construction

 1,423

1,423

 1.1

Greggs

Personal Care, Drug and Grocery Stores

 1,392

1,392

 1.1

Johnson Service Group

Industrial Support Services

 1,357

1,357

 1.1

Norcros

Construction and Materials

 1,277

2,352

 1.0

Keystone Lawᴬᴵᴹ

Commercial & Professional Services

 1,206

1,206

 1.0

J D Wetherspoon

Travel and Leisure

 1,199

1,199

 1.0

Telecom Plus

Electricity

 1,150

1,174

 0.9

AB Dynamicsᴬᴵᴹ

Automobiles and Components

 1,085

1,085

 0.9

M&C Saatchiᴬᴵᴹ

Media

 1,056

1,056

 0.8

Henry Boot

Real Estate Investment and Services

 978

1,438

 0.8

Accesso Technology Groupᴬᴵᴹ

Software and Computer Services

 948

 948

 0.8

Beeks Financial Cloud

 

 

 

 

  Groupᴬᴵᴹ

Software and Computer Services

 923

 923

 0.7

Safestore Holdings

Real Estate Investment and Services

 859

1,485

 0.7

Bloomsbury Publishing

Media

 832

1,970

 0.7

Top sixty investments

 

120,358

128,905

96.6

Warpaint Londonᴬᴵᴹ

Personal Goods

 784

 784

 0.6

LBG Mediaᴬᴵᴹ

Media

 711

 711

 0.6

CLS

Real Estate Investment and Services

 709

 709

 0.6

SIG

Industrial Support Services

 630

 630

 0.5

Future

Media

 621

1,258

 0.5

FDM Group

Industrial Support Services

 514

 514

 0.4

Harworth Group

Real Estate Investment and Services

 303

1,292

 0.2

Total Investments: 67 (31 January 2026: 65)

124,630

134,803

100.0

 

Ordinary shares unless stated otherwise.

* The Portfolio Exposure indicates the impact on market price movements resulting from the ownership of shares and derivative instruments. The Market Value represents the fair value of the portfolio, which is reflected on the Condensed Balance Sheet. In the case of holding a Contract for Difference (CFD), the Market Value reflects the profit or loss generated by the contract since its inception, based on the movement of the underlying share price. CFDs provide investors with the benefits and risks of owning a security without actually owning it. There is no delivery of physical goods or securities, which means that CFDs are generally regarded as an easier method of settlement because losses and gains are paid in cash. CFDs are disclosed in Derivative assets/liabilities at market value in the Condensed Balance Sheet on page 21. However, when the Company solely holds shares, both the Market Value and the Portfolio Exposure align.

AIM  Investments quoted on AIM.

^  Includes CFD position.

 

Governance

Going Concern

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. The Directors, having considered the nature and liquidity of the portfolio, the Company’s investment objective and the Company’s projected income and expenditure, are satisfied that the Company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for a period of at least 12 months from the date of approval of the financial statements.

The Board is therefore satisfied that it is appropriate to continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements. The Company has a portfolio of investments which are considered to be readily realisable and is able to meet all of its liabilities from its assets and income generated from them.

Related Party Transactions and Transactions with the Manager

Note 20 of the Company’s 2026 Annual Financial Report gives details of related party transactions and transactions with the Manager. This report is available on the Company’s section of the Manager’s website at www.artemisfunds.com/futureleaders.

Directors’ Responsibility Statement in respect of the preparation of the Half-Yearly Financial Report

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Half-Yearly Financial Report using accounting policies consistent with applicable law and International Financial Reporting Standards.

The Directors confirm that to the best of their knowledge:

– the condensed set of financial statements contained within the Half-Yearly Financial Report has been prepared in accordance with the UK-adopted International Accounting Standard 34 ‘Interim Financial Reporting’;

– the interim management report, together with the Chairman’s Statement and Investment Managers’ Report, includes a fair review of the information required by 4.2.7R and 4.2.8R of the FCA’s Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules; and

– the interim management report includes a fair review of the information required on related party transactions.

The Half-Yearly Financial Report has not been audited or reviewed by the Company’s auditor.

Signed on behalf of the Board of Directors.

 

Bridget Guerin

Chairman

12 October 2026

 

Condensed statement of comprehensive income

 

Six months ended

Six months ended

 

31 July 2026

31 July 2025

 

(unaudited)

(unaudited)

 

 

Revenue

Capital

Total

Revenue

Capital

Total

 

Notes

£’000

£’000

£’000

£’000

£’000

£’000

Profit/(loss) on investments held at fair value

 

–

352

352

–

(498)

(498)

Income

2

2,486

–

2,486

2,381

–

2,381

Net (losses)/gains on derivatives

 

–

(610)

(610)

–

255

255

Investment management fee

3

(53)

(299)

(352)

(15)

(359)

(374)

Other expenses

 

(315)

–

(315)

(263)

(1)

(264)

Profit/(loss) before finance costs and taxation

 

2,118

(557)

1,561

2,103

(603)

1,500

Finance costs

3

(32)

(178)

(210)

(7)

(44)

(51)

Profit/(loss) before taxation

 

2,086

(735)

1,351

2,096

(647)

1,449

Taxation

4

–

–

–

–

–

–

Profit/(loss) after taxation

 

2,086

(735)

1,351

2,096

(647)

1,449

Return/(loss) per ordinary share

 

7.09p

(2.50)p

4.59p

6.90p

(2.13)p

4.77p

Weighted average number of ordinary shares in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

issue during the period

 

 

 

29,433,910

 

 

30,373,362

 

The total columns of this statement represent the Company’s statement of comprehensive income, prepared in accordance with UK-adopted international accounting standards. The profit/(loss) after taxation is the total comprehensive income/(loss). The supplementary revenue and capital columns are both prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice issued by the Association of Investment Companies. All items in the above statement derive from continuing operations of the Company. No operations were acquired or discontinued in the period.

 

Condensed statement of changes in equity

 

Six months ended 31 July 2026 (unaudited)

 

 

 

Capital

 

 

 

 

Share

Share

redemption

Capital

Revenue

 

 

capital

premium

reserve

reserve

reserve

Total

 

£’000

£’000

£’000

£’000

£’000

£’000

At 31 January 2026

9,965

22,366

4,063

91,578

1,413

129,385

Total comprehensive (loss)/income for the period

–

–

–

(735)

2,086

1,351

Shares bought back and held in treasury

–

–

–

(2,437)

–

(2,437)

Dividends declared and paid

–

–

–

(875)

(2,534)

(3,409)

At 31 July 2026

 9,965

 22,366

 4,063

 87,531

 965

 124,890

Six months ended 31 July 2025 (unaudited)

 

 

 

Capital

 

 

 

 

Share

Share

redemption

Capital

Revenue

 

 

capital

premium

reserve

reserve

reserve

Total

 

£’000

£’000

£’000

£’000

£’000

£’000

At 31 January 2025

9,965

22,366

 4,063

98,470

 1,780

136,644

Total comprehensive (loss)/income for the period

–

–

–

(647)

2,096

1,449

Dividends declared and paid

–

–

–

(1,607)

(1,780)

(3,387)

At 31 July 2025

9,965

22,366

4,063

96,216

2,096

134,706

 

Condensed balance sheet

 

 

31 July

31 January

 

 

2026

2026

 

Notes

£’000

£’000

Non-current assets

 

 

 

Investments held at fair value through profit or loss

 

124,804

128,586

Current assets

 

 

 

Amounts due from brokers

 

198

135

Prepayments and accrued income

 

484

553

Cash and cash equivalents

 

888

497

Variation margin receivable

 

817

90

Derivative assets

 

10

39

 

 

2,397

1,314

Total assets

 

127,201

129,900

Current liabilities

 

 

 

Accruals

 

(235)

(322)

Dividends payable

 

(1,121)

–

Payable for purchase of treasury shares

 

(17)

–

Collateral pledged

 

(710)

–

Variation margin payable

 

(44)

–

Derivative liabilities

 

(184)

(193)

 

 

(2,311)

(515)

Total assets less current liabilities

 

124,890

129,385

Net assets

 

124,890

129,385

Capital and reserves

 

 

 

Share capital

 

9,965

9,965

Share premium

 

22,366

22,366

Capital redemption reserve

 

4,063

4,063

Capital reserve

 

87,531

91,578

Revenue reserve

 

965

1,413

Total shareholders’ funds

 

124,890

129,385

Net asset value per ordinary share

 

429.41p

434.66p

Number of ordinary shares in issue at the period/year end

6

29,084,015

29,766,693

 

Bridget Guerin

Chairman

12 October 2026



Condensed statement of cash flows

 

 

Six months

Six months

 

 

ended

ended

 

 

31 July

31 July

 

 

2026

2025

 

Notes

£’000

£’000

Cash flow from operating activities

 

 

 

Profit before taxation

 

1,351

1,449

Finance costs

 

210

51

Adjustments for:

 

 

 

Purchases of investments

 

(12,855)

(72,708)

Sales of investments

 

16,927

83,169

Net loss on derivative transactions

 

610

–

Settlement of derivative transactions

 

(590)

(43)

Collateral pledged

 

710

–

 

 

4,802

10,418

(Profit)/loss on investments held at fair value

 

(352)

498

Increase in receivables

 

(659)

(77)

Decrease in payables

 

(26)

(98)

Net cash inflow from operating activities

 

5,326

12,241

Cash flow from financing activities

 

 

 

Finance cost paid

 

(210)

(51)

Bank facility repayment

 

–

(12,350)

Shares bought back and held in treasury

 

(2,437)

–

Dividends paid

5

(2,288)

(2,218)

Net cash outflow from financing activities

 

(4,935)

(14,619)

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

 

391

(2,378)

Cash and cash equivalents at start of the period

 

497

2,472

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period

 

888

94

Reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents to the

 

 

 

Balance Sheet is as follows:

 

 

 

Cash held at custodian

 

100

94

Northern Trust Global Funds plc – Sterling, money market fund

 

788

–

Cash and cash equivalents

 

888

94

Cash flow from operating activities includes:

 

 

 

Dividends received

 

2,383

2,242

Interest received

 

3

2

As the Company did not have any long term debt at both the current and prior period ends, no reconciliation of the financial liabilities is presented.

The accompanying accounting policies and notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 


Notes to the condensed financial statements

1. Basis of preparation

The condensed financial statements have been prepared using the same accounting policies as those adopted in the Company’s 2026 Annual Financial Report. They have been prepared on a historical cost basis, in accordance with the applicable UK-adopted international accounting standards and, where consistent with the requirements of UK-adopted international accounting standards, in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice for Financial Statements of Investment Trust Companies and Venture Capital Trusts, updated by the Association of Investment Companies in December 2025 (‘AIC SORP’).

2. Income

 

Six months

Six months

 

ended

ended

 

31 July

31 July

 

2026

2025

 

£’000

£’000

Income from investments:

 

 

UK dividends

 

 

– ordinary

2,117

2,023

– special

55

183

– property income distribution

126

110

Overseas dividends

–

17

 

2,298

2,333

Other income:

 

 

Deposit interest

3

2

Derivative income

164

21

Liquidity fund income

21

25

 

2,486

2,381

 

No special dividends have been recognised in capital during the period (31 July 2025: £nil).

Overseas dividends include dividends received on UK listed investments where the investee company is domiciled outside of the UK.

3. Management fee and finance costs

The investment management fee and finance costs are allocated 15% to revenue and 85% to capital.

A base management fee is payable monthly in arrears under the agreement with Artemis. The fee is calculated at a rate of 0.65% per annum on the first £50 million of the Company’s net assets, and 0.55% per annum on net assets above £50 million.

4. Taxation and Investment Trust Status

No tax liability arises on capital gains because the Company has been accepted by HMRC as an approved investment trust and it is the intention of the Directors to conduct the affairs of the Company so that it continues to satisfy the conditions for this approval.

5. Dividends on ordinary shares

 

Six months ended

Six months ended

 

31 July 2026

31 July 2025

 

Rate

£’000

Rate

£’000

Dividends paid during the period:

 

 

 

 

  Third interim (prior year)

3.85p

1,144

3.85p

1,170

  Final (prior year)

3.89p

1,144

3.45p

1,048

Total dividends paid

7.74p

2,288

7.30p

2,218

Dividends payable in respect of the year:

 

 

 

 

  First interim

3.85p

1,121

3.85p

1,169

Total dividends declared and paid

11.59p

3,409

11.15p

3,387

 

The first interim dividend of 3.85p per ordinary share (31 July 2025: 3.85p) was paid on 21 August 2026 to shareholders on the register on 24 July 2026.

6. Share capital, including movements

Share capital represents the total number of shares in issue, including treasury shares.

 

31 July

31 January

 

2026

2026

Share capital:

 

 

Ordinary shares of 20p each (£’000)

5,817

 5,953

Treasury shares of 20p each (£’000)

4,148

4,012

 

9,965

 9,965

Number of ordinary shares in issue:

29,084,015

 29,766,693

Number of shares held in treasury:

20,742,421

 20,059,743

Total

49,826,436

 49,826,436

 

 

7. Classification under fair value hierarchy

The Company is required to disclose the fair value hierarchy that classifies its financial instruments measured at fair value at one of three levels, according to the relative reliability of the inputs used to estimate the fair values.

Level 1 – investments with quoted prices in an active market;

Level 2 – investments whose fair value are based directly on observable current market prices or are indirectly derived from market prices; and

Level 3 – investments whose fair value are determined using a valuation technique based on assumptions that are not supported by observable current market prices or are not based on observable market data.

Categorisation within the hierarchy has been determined on the basis of the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement of each relevant asset/liability.

 

31 July 2026

31 January 2026

 

Asset

Liabilities

Asset

Liabilities

 

£’000

£’000

£’000

£’000

Level 1

 124,804

–

128,586

–

Level 2

 10

(184)

39

(193)

 

124,814

(184)

128,625

(193)

 

8. Status of Half-Yearly Financial Report

The financial information contained in this Half-Yearly Financial Report, which has not been reviewed or audited by an independent auditor, does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of section 434 of the Companies Act 2006. The financial information for the half years ended 31 July 2025 and 31 July 2026 has not been audited. The figures and financial information for the year ended 31 January 2026 are extracted and abridged from the latest audited accounts and do not constitute the statutory accounts for that year. Those accounts have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies and included the Independent Auditor’s Report, which was unqualified.

 

By order of the Board

Northern Trust Secretarial Services (UK) Limited

Company Secretary

12 October 2026

 

Information for shareholders

Company history

The investment trust was launched in March 1988 (formerly known as Berry Starquest plc). Perpetual took over the management of the investment trust on 1 March 1994. On 13 June 2002, the investment trust’s name changed to Invesco Perpetual UK Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc. Artemis assumed management of the trust on 10 March 2025, whereby the Company’s name was changed, on 12 March 2025, to Artemis UK Future Leaders plc.

Net Asset Value (‘NAV’) publication

The NAV of the Company is calculated by the Manager on a daily basis and is notified to the Stock Exchange on the following business day. An estimated NAV is also published daily in the newspapers detailed under Share Price Listings.

How to invest in the Company

The Company’s shares are listed and traded on the London Stock Exchange and can be bought or sold through a stockbroker.

You can also buy and sell shares yourself through a wide variety of ‘execution-only’ investment platforms – where you make the investment decisions and your shares are held electronically in an account on your behalf. These tend to be cheaper than holding paper share certificates and also mean you don’t need to worry about losing your certificate.

Most investment platforms allow you to manage your investment trust holdings online, as well as access to a wide range of investment options, however, platforms generally charge fees for holding and trading shares. Platforms featuring Artemis UK Future Leaders include:

– AJ Bell:

www.ajbell.co.uk/markets/investment-trusts

– Barclays Smart Investor:

www.barclays.co.uk/smart-investor

– Charles Stanley Direct:

www.charles-stanley-direct.co.uk

– Fidelity: www.fidelity.co.uk

– Halifax: www.halifax.co.uk/investing

– Hargreaves Lansdown:

www.hl.co.uk/shares/investment-trusts

– interactive investor:

www.ii.co.uk/investment-trusts

The companies above are shown for illustrative purposes only. Other platform providers are available. The links above direct you to external websites operated by each platform provider. Artemis and the Company take no responsibility for the content and information on these third-party sites.

Investor warning

The Company, Artemis and the Registrar would never contact members of the public to offer services or require any type of upfront payment. If you suspect you have been approached by fraudsters, please contact the FCA consumer helpline on 0800 111 6768 and Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

Further details for reporting frauds, or attempted frauds, can be found below.

Website

Information relating to the Company can be found on the Company’s section of the Manager’s website, which can be located at https://www.artemisfunds.com/futureleaders.

The contents of websites referred to in this document, or accessible from links within those websites, are not incorporated into, nor do they form part of this half-yearly report.

Financial calendar

The Company publishes information according to the following calendar:

Announcements

Annual Financial Report

April

Half-Yearly Financial Report

October

Year End

31 January

Dividends Payable

 

1st interim

August

2nd interim

November

3rd interim

March

Final

June

Annual General Meeting

June

General Data Protection Regulation (‘GDPR’)

The Company has a privacy notice which sets out what personal data is collected and how and why it is used. The privacy notice can be found at https://www.artemisfunds.com/futureleaders or a copy can be obtained from the Company Secretary whose correspondence address is found on page 31.


Glossary of terms and alternative performance measures

Alternative Performance Measure (‘APM’)

An APM is a measure of performance or financial position that is not defined in applicable accounting standards and cannot be directly derived from the financial statements. The APMs listed here are widely used in reporting within the investment company sector and consequently aid comparability.

Benchmark (or Benchmark Index)

A market index, which averages the performance of companies in any sector, giving a good indication of any rises or falls in the market. The benchmark used in these accounts is the Deutsche Numis Smaller Companies plus AIM (Excl. Inv-Trust) Index, with dividends reinvested.

(Discount)/Premium (APM)

Discount is a measure of the amount by which the mid-market price of an investment company share is lower than the underlying net asset value (‘NAV’) of that share. Conversely, premium is a measure of the amount by which the mid-market price of an investment company share is higher than the underlying net asset value of that share. The discount is expressed as a percentage of the net asset value per share and is calculated according to the formula set out below. If the shares are trading at a premium the result of the below calculation will be positive and if they are trading at a discount it will be negative.

 

 

31 July

31 January

 

 

2026

2026

Share price

a

385.50p

386.00p

Net asset value

 

 

 

per share

b

429.41p

434.66p

Discount

c = (a-b)/b

(10.2)%

(11.2)%

 

Dividend yield (APM)

The annual dividend payable expressed as a percentage of the year end share price.

 

 

2026

2025

Dividends per share

a

15.44p

15.00p

Share price

b

386.00p

375.00p

Dividend Yield

c = a/b

4.0%

4.0%

 

The dividend is presented on a historical basis and represents the amount paid in respect of the year ended 31 January 2026 and 31 January 2025 respectively. The share price presented is at 31 January.

Gearing (APM)

The gearing percentage reflects the amount of borrowings that a company has invested. This figure indicates the extra amount by which net assets, or shareholders’ funds, would move if the value of a company’s investments were to rise or fall. A positive percentage indicates the extent to which net assets are geared; a nil gearing percentage, or ‘nil’, shows a company is ungeared. A negative percentage indicates that a company is not fully invested and is holding net cash as described below.

There are several methods of calculating gearing and the following has been used in this report:

Gross gearing (APM)

This reflects the amount of exposure of CFDs in use by the Company and takes no account of any cash balances. It is based on gross exposure of CFDs as a percentage of net assets.

As at 31 July 2026 the Company’s leverage was obtained through CFD exposure of £9,999,000 (31 January 2026: £11,128,000).

 

 

31 July

31 January

 

 

2026

2026

 

 

£’000

£’000

Gross exposure

 

 

 

  of CFDs

a

9,999

11,128

Net asset value

b

124,890

129,385

Gross gearing

c = a/b

8.0%

8.6%

 

Net gearing or net cash (APM)

Net gearing reflects the amount of net exposure invested, i.e. CFD exposure less cash and cash equivalents (including investments in money market funds). It is expressed as a percentage of net assets. Net cash reflects the net exposure to cash and cash equivalents, after any offset against total exposure.

 

 

31 July

31 January

 

 

2026

2026

 

 

£’000

£’000

Gross exposure of CFDs

 

9,999

11,128

Less: cash and cash

 

 

 

  equivalents

 

(888)

(497)

Net exposure

a

9,111

10,631

Net asset value

b

124,890

129,385

Net gearing

c = a/b

7.3%

8.2%

 

Maximum authorised gearing

This reflects the maximum authorised borrowings of a company taking into account both any gearing limits laid down in the investment policy and the maximum borrowings laid down in covenants under any borrowing facility and is calculated as follows:

 

 

31 July

31 January

 

 

2026

2026

 

 

£’000

£’000

Maximum authorised borrowings as laid down in the Investment policy:

 

 

 

– lower of 30%

 

 

 

of net asset

 

 

 

value and

a = 30% x d

37,467

38,816

– £25m

b

 25,000

 25,000

Maximum authorised

 

 

 

  borrowings (c = lower

 

 

 

  of a and b)

c

25,000

25,000

Net asset value

d

 124,890

 129,385

Maximum authorised gearing

e = c/d

20.0%

19.3%

 

Leverage

Leverage, for the purposes of the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (‘AIFMD’), is not synonymous with gearing as defined above. In addition to borrowings, it encompasses anything that increases the Company’s exposure, including foreign currency and exposure gained through derivatives. The AIFMD requires the Manager to make available to investors certain information around leverage and risk policies prior to such investors’ investment in the Company. This information is contained in the Pre-Investor Disclosure Document (PIDD) which may be viewed on the Company’s website at: https://www.artemisfunds.com/futureleaders.

Market capitalisation

Is calculated by multiplying the stock market price of an ordinary share by the number of ordinary shares in issue.

Net Asset Value (‘NAV’)

Also described as shareholders’ funds, the NAV is the value of total assets less liabilities. Liabilities for this purpose include current and long-term liabilities. The NAV per share is calculated by dividing the net asset value by the number of ordinary shares in issue (excluding shares held in treasury). For accounting purposes assets are valued at fair (usually market) value and liabilities are valued at amortised cost (their repayment – often nominal – value).

Ongoing charges ratio (APM)

The ongoing administrative costs of operating the Company are encapsulated in the ongoing charges ratio, which is calculated in accordance with guidance issued by the AIC. The calculation incorporates charges allocated to capital in the financial statements as well as those allocated to revenue, but excludes non-recurring costs, transaction costs of investments, finance costs, taxation, and the costs of buying back or issuing shares. The ongoing charges ratio is the aggregate of these costs expressed as a percentage of the daily average net asset value reported in the period.

 

 

31 July

31 January

 

 

2026

2026

 

 

£’000

£’000

Investment management fee(1)

704

488

 

Other expenses(1)

 

599

529

Impact of the management

 

 

 

  fee waiver(2)

 

–

285

Total recurring expenses

a

1,303

 1,302

Average daily net assets

b

 118,911

 129,662

Ongoing charges ratio %

c = a/b

1.10%

1.00%

 

(1) 31 July 2026 represents the annualised forecast to 31 January 2027.

(2) As part of the transition, Artemis agreed to a nine-month fee waiver covering the period from 7 March to 7 December 2025. The waiver fully offset the termination fee paid to Invesco, and in addition meant that the Company benefited from paying no management fee for the period 21 June to 7 December 2025.

Return

The return generated in a period from the investments including the increase and decrease in the value of investments over time and the income received.

Total return

Total return is the theoretical return to shareholders that measures the combined effect of any dividends paid together with the rise or fall in the share price or NAV. In this Half-Yearly Financial Report these return figures have been sourced from LSEG Data & Analytics who calculate returns on an industry comparative basis.

Net Asset Value total return (APM)

Total return on net asset value per share, assuming dividends paid by the Company were reinvested into the shares of the Company at the NAV per share at the time the shares were quoted ex-dividend.

Share price total return (APM)

Total return to shareholders, on a mid-market price basis, assuming all dividends received were reinvested, without transaction costs, into the shares of the Company at the time the shares were quoted ex-dividend.

 

 

Net Asset

Share

As at

 

Value

Price

31 July 2026

 

429.41p

385.50p

31 January 2026

 

434.66p

386.00p

Change in period

a

(1.2)%

(0.1)%

Impact of dividend

 

 

 

reinvestments(1)

b

2.8%

2.2%

Total return for the period

 c = a+b

1.6%

2.1%

 

 

Net Asset

Share

As at

 

Value

Price

31 January 2026

 

434.66p

386.00p

31 January 2025

 

449.88p

375.00p

Change in year

a

(3.4)%

2.9%

Impact of dividend

 

 

 

reinvestments(1)

b

3.4%

4.2%

Total return for the year

 c = a+b

0.0%

7.1%

 

(1) Total dividends paid during the six months to 31 July 2026 of 7.74p (31 January 2026: 15.00p) reinvested at the NAV or share price on the ex-dividend date. NAV or share price falls subsequent to the reinvestment date consequently further reduce the returns, vice versa if the NAV or share price rises.

Benchmark

Total return on the benchmark is on a mid-market value basis, assuming all dividends received were reinvested, without transaction costs, into the shares of the underlying companies at the time the shares were quoted ex-dividend.

Volatility

Volatility refers to the amount of uncertainty or risk about the size of changes in a security’s value. It is a statistical measure of the dispersion of returns for a given security or market index measured by using the standard deviation or variance of returns from that same security or market index. Commonly, the higher the volatility, the riskier the security.

 

Principal service providers

Registered Office and Company Number

50 Bank Street

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5NT

Website: https://www.artemisfunds.com/futureleaders

Email: artemisukfutureleaders@ntrs.com

Registered in England and Wales

Number 02129187

 

Alternative Investment Fund Manager

Artemis Fund Managers Limited

Cassini House

57 St. James’s Street

London SW1A 1LD

Email: afl@artemisfunds.com

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, 12 Endeavour Square, London E20 1JN.

 

Investment Manager

Artemis Investment Management LLP

Cassini House

57 St. James’s Street

London

SW1A 1LD

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

 

Company Secretary

Northern Trust Secretarial Services (UK) Limited

Company Secretarial Contact:

AFL mailbox: artemisukfutureleaders@ntrs.com

 

Independent Auditor

Ernst & Young LLP

3rd Floor

144 Morrison Street

Edinburgh EH3 8EX

 

Administrator

The Northern Trust Company, London Branch

50 Bank Street

Canary Wharf

London E14 5NT

 

Banker & Custodian

The Northern Trust Company, London Branch

50 Bank Street

Canary Wharf

London E14 5NT

 

Depositary

Northern Trust Investor Services Limited

50 Bank Street

Canary Wharf

London E14 5NT

 

Corporate Broker

JPMorgan Cazenove

25 Bank Street

London E14 5JP

 

Registrar

MUFG Corporate Markets

Central Square

29 Wellington Street

Leeds LS1 4DL

☎ 0371 664 0300

 

If you hold your shares directly in certificated form and not through an investment platform or savings scheme and have queries relating to your shareholding you should contact the Company’s Registrar, MUFG Corporate Markets, via email on shareholderenquiries@cm.mpms.mufg.com or on: ☎ 0371 664 0300. Calls are charged at the standard geographic rate and will vary by provider.

MUFG Corporate Markets provides an online and telephone share dealing service for paper share certificates to existing shareholders who are not seeking advice on buying or selling. This service is available at dealing.cm.mpms.mufg.com or ☎ 0371 664 0445. Calls are charged at the standard geographic rate and will vary by provider. Calls from outside the UK will be charged at the applicable international rate. Lines are open 9.00am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays in England and Wales).

Shareholders holding paper share certificates can also access their holding details via the Investor Centre app or the website at uk.investorcentre.mpms.mufg.com. MUFG Corporate Markets is the business name of MUFG Corporate Markets (UK) Limited.

 

Manager’s website

Information relating to the Company can be found on the Company’s section of the Manager’s website, which can be located at https://www.artemisfunds.com/futureleaders.

 

The contents of websites referred to in this document, or accessible from links within those websites, are not incorporated into, nor do they form part of, this financial report.

 




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