19 Mar 2020 14:40
HENDERSON ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES TRUST PLC
HENDERSON INVESTMENT FUNDS LTD
LEGAL ENTITY IDENTIFIER: 213800J6LLOCA3CUDF69
19 March 2020
Adjournment of General Meeting to be held on Wednesday 25 March 2020
Further to the announcement on 16 March 2020 regarding the General Meeting of the Company to be held on Wednesday 25 March 2020 at 10.30 a.m., the Chairman, with the full support of the Board, has decided to adjourn the meeting to a future date, details of which will be posted to shareholders in due course.
The Board, together with its advisers, has been monitoring the impact of the COVID-19 virus and the unprecedented market conditions that are currently being experienced.
The Board remains committed to putting before shareholders the resolution set out in the notice of General Meeting of the Company dated 24 February 2020. However, given the rapid onset of current market conditions and the likely outlook for pricing spreads, liquidity, and valuations across many asset classes, the Board has concluded that a change to an active realisation investment policy now would not be in the best interests of shareholders. The prices of many of the Company's investments are trading at much wider discounts than has recently been the case and it is likely that to achieve realisation in current market conditions even wider discounts may be required.
The investment managers will remain mindful of the Board's commitment to shareholders in the management of the portfolio through this current difficult period, recognising that this should be a short-term investment horizon. Active management should not reduce the liquidity of the portfolio and, indeed, where possible the investment managers would seek to improve the liquidity profile such that a future return of capital is more effectively facilitated.
Further details of the adjourned General Meeting will be posted to shareholders in due course which the Board anticipates will be when the current COVID-19 pandemic and the consequential turbulent market conditions have passed.
For further information please contact:
Richard Gubbins James de Sausmarez
Chairman Director and Head of Investment Trusts Henderson Alternative Strategies Trust plc Henderson Investment Funds Limited
Telephone: 020 7818 2025 Telephone: 020 7818 3349
Alex Barr Laura Thomas
Senior Portfolio Manager Investment Trust PR Manager
Henderson Alternative Strategies Trust plc Janus Henderson Investors
Alex.Barr@henderson.com Telephone: 020 7818 2636
Telephone: 020 7818 2824