East 72 Dynasty Trust Q4 2025 Quarterly Report

Core Insights - The investment landscape for 2026 is perceived as offering deeper and wider opportunities despite high market valuations and indices [2] - Current equity markets are characterized by greed and impatience, leading to a focus on short-term performance rather than long-term value [3] - Investor psychology is shifting towards perceived risk aversion, which may actually be driving them away from areas with genuine mispricing [4] Performance and Net Asset Value - Dynasty Trust reported a quarterly return of -2.29% and a net asset value per unit of $1.3030 as of December 31, 2025 [5] - Over the rolling 12 months, the return was 8.19%, and over two years, it was 12.93% [5] - The inception return of Dynasty Trust stands at 36.74% [5] Market Dynamics - The S&P 500 index saw a significant concentration of performance in its top 10 stocks, which now account for 39.2% of the index [6] - Smaller companies and controlled entities have recently fallen out of favor, impacting the performance of Dynasty Trust [6] Currency Impact - The Australian dollar's fluctuations against the euro and US dollar affected returns, with a 5.5% decline against the euro and a 6% rise against the US dollar in 2025 [7] - The overall impact of currency changes on performance was minimal, costing only 11 basis points [7] Positive Contributors to Performance - Seven securities contributed positively to Dynasty Trust, with Sportradar (SRAD) showing a 68% gain and Catapult International a 54% gain [8] - Other notable contributors included Viel et Cie (48% gain) and Avolta (30% gain) [8] Negative Contributors to Performance - Six securities detracted from returns, with Novo Nordisk (NVO) down 28% due to drug pricing uncertainties [9] - Other significant detractors included Bolloré (19% decline) and EuroEyes International (24% decline) [9] Investment Strategy - The company emphasizes investing in controlled public companies, which historically have shown long-term benefits [11] - The focus is on avoiding dilution of investment skills by steering clear of extraneous factors like stock or currency hedging [11] Market Trends - The technology sector has seen a significant rerating, while other sectors have experienced derating from already pessimistic valuations [13] - A bifurcation in the market is evident, with technology stocks performing well while other sectors lag behind [17] Valuation Insights - Many European holding companies are trading at significant discounts to NAV, with an average discount increasing from 30% to 30.6% over three years [14] - The high pricing of privately held technology companies has widened discounts for European firms, leading to investor skepticism [19] Specific Company Analysis: Hansa Investment Company - Hansa trades at a 44% discount to NAV, with a pro-forma cash exposure of approximately 35% of NAV [32] - The company has initiated share repurchases post-merger with Ocean Wilson, which is expected to enhance NAV [38] Specific Company Analysis: D'leteren - D'leteren is facing challenges due to increased leverage and cyclical pressures, impacting reported profits [41] - The company has initiated a €100 million stock buyback program to manage its capital structure [44] - The valuation of D'leteren's stake in Belron is under scrutiny, with significant skepticism regarding private equity valuations [60]