Henderson Smaller Investment Trust (LSE:HSL) Piotroski F-Score: 6 (As of Jun. 26, 2026) — Near Median


LSE:HSL Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust PLC LSE:HSL
29 GF Score
Price £8.88
! 3 Warning Signs
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What is Henderson Smaller Investment Trust Piotroski F-Score?

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust LSE:HSL +0.11% 29 Piotroski F-Score is 6 as of Jun. 26, 2026, which is at its 10-year median of 6.00. GuruFocus rates LSE:HSL with a GF Score™ of 29/100. The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,597 Asset Management companies, Henderson Smaller Investment Trust ranks better than 82.72% on this metric.

The zones of discrimination were as such:

Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust has an F-score of 6 indicating the company's financial situation is typical for a stable company.

The historical rank and industry rank for Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's Piotroski F-Score or its related term are showing as below:

LSE:HSL' s Piotroski F-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 3   Med: 6   Max: 7
Current: 6

During the past 13 years, the highest Piotroski F-Score of Henderson Smaller Investment Trust was 7. The lowest was 3. And the median was 6.

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust  (LSE:HSL) Piotroski F-Score Explanation

The developer of the system is Joseph D. Piotroski is relatively unknown accounting professor who shuns publicity and rarely gives interviews.

He graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in accounting in 1989, received an M.B.A. from Indiana University in 1994. Five years later, in 1999, after earning a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Michigan, he became an associate professor of accounting at the University of Chicago.

In 2000, he wrote a research paper called "Value Investing: The Use of Historical Financial Statement Information to Separate Winners from Losers" (pdf).

He wanted to see if he can develop a system (using a simple nine-point scoring system) that can increase the returns of a strategy of investing in low price to book (referred to in the paper as high book to market) value companies.

What he found was something that exceeded his most optimistic expectations.

Buying only those companies that scored highest (8 or 9) on his nine-point scale, or F-Score as he called it, over the 20 year period from 1976 to 1996 led to an average out-performance over the market of 13.4%.

Even more impressive were the results of a strategy of investing in the highest F-Score companies (8 or 9) and shorting companies with the lowest F-Score (0 or 1).

Over the same period from 1976 to 1996 (20 years) this strategy led to an average yearly return of 23%, substantially outperforming the average S&P 500 index return of 15.83% over the same period.


Henderson Smaller Investment Trust Piotroski F-Score Related Terms


Henderson Smaller Investment Trust Piotroski F-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's Piotroski F-Score can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust Piotroski F-Score Chart

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust Annual Data
Trend May16 May17 May18 May19 May20 May21 May22 May23 May24 May25
Piotroski F-Score
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 7.00 4.00 6.00 6.00 6.00

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust Semi-Annual Data
May16 Nov16 May17 Nov17 May18 Nov18 May19 Nov19 May20 Nov20 May21 Nov21 May22 Nov22 May23 Nov23 May24 Nov24 May25 Nov25
Piotroski F-Score Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 0.00 6.00 0.00 6.00 0.00

LSE:HSL vs BLK, BX, KKR: Piotroski F-Score Comparison

For the Asset Management subindustry, Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's Piotroski F-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Piotroski F-Score data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Henderson Smaller Investment Trust Piotroski F-Score vs Asset Management Industry

For the Asset Management industry and Financial Services sector, Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's Piotroski F-Score distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's Piotroski F-Score falls into.


LSE:HSL
29GF Score
Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust PLC LSE:HSL
Piotroski F-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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How is the Piotroski F-Score calculated?

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

This Year (May25) TTM:Last Year (May24) TTM:
Net Income was £-44.99 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was £95.17 Mil.
Revenue was £-44.23 Mil.
Average Total Assets from the begining of this year (May24)
to the end of this year (May25) was (854.38 + 706.086) / 2 = £780.233 Mil.
Total Assets at the begining of this year (May24) was £854.38 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was £69.92 Mil.
Total Assets was £706.09 Mil.
Total Liabilities was £71.76 Mil.
Net Income was £93.35 Mil.

Revenue was £93.99 Mil.
Average Total Assets from the begining of last year (May23)
to the end of last year (May24) was (776.681 + 854.38) / 2 = £815.5305 Mil.
Total Assets at the begining of last year (May23) was £776.68 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was £105.52 Mil.
Total Assets was £854.38 Mil.
Total Liabilities was £107.04 Mil.

*Note: If the latest quarterly/semi-annual/annual total assets data is 0, then we will use previous quarterly/semi-annual/annual data for all the items in the balance sheet.

Profitability

Question 1. Return on Assets (ROA)

Net income before extraordinary items for the year divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.

Score 1 if positive, 0 if negative.

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's current Net Income (TTM) was -44.99. ==> Negative ==> Score 0.

Question 2. Cash Flow Return on Assets (CFROA)

Net cash flow from operating activities (operating cash flow) divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.

Score 1 if positive, 0 if negative.

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's current Cash Flow from Operations (TTM) was 95.17. ==> Positive ==> Score 1.

Question 3. Change in Return on Assets

Compare this year's return on assets (1) to last year's return on assets.

Score 1 if it's higher, 0 if it's lower.

ROA (This Year)=Net Income/Total Assets (May24)
=-44.994/854.38
=-0.05266275

ROA (Last Year)=Net Income/Total Assets (May23)
=93.345/776.681
=0.12018448

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's return on assets of this year was -0.05266275. Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's return on assets of last year was 0.12018448. ==> Last year is higher ==> Score 0.

Question 4. Quality of Earnings (Accrual)

Compare Cash flow return on assets (2) to return on assets (1)

Score 1 if CFROA > ROA, 0 if CFROA <= ROA.

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's current Net Income (TTM) was -44.99. Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's current Cash Flow from Operations (TTM) was 95.17. ==> 95.17 > -44.99 ==> CFROA > ROA ==> Score 1.

Funding

Question 5. Change in Gearing or Leverage

Compare this year's gearing (long-term debt divided by average total assets) to last year's gearing.

Score 0 if this year's gearing is higher, 1 otherwise.

Gearing (This Year: May25)=Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation/Average Total Assets from May24 to May25
=69.924/780.233
=0.08961938

Gearing (Last Year: May24)=Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation/Average Total Assets from May23 to May24
=105.522/815.5305
=0.12939062

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's gearing of this year was 0.08961938. Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's gearing of last year was 0.12939062. ==> This year is lower or equal to last year. ==> Score 1.

Question 6. Change in Working Capital (Liquidity)

Compare this year's current ratio (current assets divided by current liabilities) to last year's current ratio.

Score 1 if this year's current ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower

* Note that for banks and insurance companies, there's no Total Current Assets and Total Current Liabilities reported. Thus, we use Total Assets and Total Liabilities to calculate current ratio for banks and insurance companies.

Current Ratio (This Year: May25)=Total Assets/Total Liabilities
=706.086/71.762
=9.83927427

Current Ratio (Last Year: May24)=Total Assets/Total Liabilities
=854.38/107.04
=7.98187593

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's current ratio of this year was 9.83927427. Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's current ratio of last year was 7.98187593. ==> This year's current ratio is higher. ==> Score 1.

Question 7. Change in Shares in Issue

Compare the number of shares in issue this year, to the number in issue last year.

Score 0 if there is larger number of shares in issue this year, 1 otherwise.

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's number of shares in issue this year was 73.47. Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's number of shares in issue last year was 74.684. ==> There is smaller number of shares in issue this year, or the same. ==> Score 1.

Efficiency

Question 8. Change in Gross Margin

Compare this year's gross margin (Gross Profit divided by sales) to last year's.

Score 1 if this year's gross margin is higher, 0 if it's lower.

* Note that for banks and insurance companies, there's no Gross Profit reported. Thus, we use net income instead of gross profit and calculate Net Margin for this score.

Net Margin (This Year: TTM)=Net Income/Revenue
=-44.994/-44.231
=1.01725034

Net Margin (Last Year: TTM)=Net Income/Revenue
=93.345/93.987
=0.99316927

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's net margin of this year was 1.01725034. Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's net margin of last year was 0.99316927. ==> This year's net margin is higher. ==> Score 1.

Question 9. Change in asset turnover

Compare this year's asset turnover (total sales for the year divided by total assets at the beginning of the year) to last year's asset turnover ratio.

Score 1 if this year's asset turnover ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower

Asset Turnover (This Year)=Revenue/Total Assets at the Beginning of This Year (May24)
=-44.231/854.38
=-0.0517697

Asset Turnover (Last Year)=Revenue/Total Assets at the Beginning of Last Year (May23)
=93.987/776.681
=0.12101107

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's asset turnover of this year was -0.0517697. Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's asset turnover of last year was 0.12101107. ==> Last year's asset turnover is higher ==> Score 0.

Evaluation

Piotroski F-Score= Que. 1+ Que. 2+ Que. 3+Que. 4+Que. 5+Que. 6+Que. 7+Que. 8+Que. 9
=0+1+0+1+1+1+1+1+0
=6

Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust has an F-score of 6 indicating the company's financial situation is typical for a stable company.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Piotroski F-Score →
What does a Piotroski F-Score of 6 mean?
Henderson Smaller Investment Trust (LSE:HSL) has a Piotroski F-Score of 6 as of Jun. 26, 2026. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on Henderson Smaller Investment Trust and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 6.00. Over the past decade, Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 3.00 to 7.00. According to the industry distribution chart, Henderson Smaller Investment Trust ranks #276 out of 1597 companies in the Asset Management industry, placing it in the top 17.3%.
Is Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's Piotroski F-Score too high?
Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's current Piotroski F-Score of 6 is near median its 10-year median of 6.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.00 to a high of 7.00. The Asset Management industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's value of 6 is 20% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Henderson Smaller Investment Trust ranks #276 out of 1597 companies in the Asset Management industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Henderson Smaller Investment Trust has a GF Score™ of 29/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's Piotroski F-Score compare to BLK and BX?
According to the Asset Management industry distribution chart, Henderson Smaller Investment Trust ranks #276 out of 1597 companies for Piotroski F-Score. This places Henderson Smaller Investment Trust in the top 17% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's value of 6 is 20% above this benchmark. Historically, Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's own Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 3.00 to 7.00 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 6.00 vs. the industry median of 5.00, Henderson Smaller Investment Trust has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Piotroski F-Score for an Asset Management company?
The median Piotroski F-Score among Asset Management companies is 5.00, based on 1,597 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Piotroski F-Score significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Piotroski F-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's current Piotroski F-Score of 6 is 20% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Piotroski F-Score mean?
A high Piotroski F-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on Henderson Smaller Investment Trust and its competitors. For the Asset Management industry, the median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's current Piotroski F-Score is 6, which is near median its own 10-year median of 6.00. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Henderson Smaller Investment Trust stock overvalued right now?
Henderson Smaller Investment Trust (LSE:HSL) has a current Piotroski F-Score of 6. The current Piotroski F-Score is 6, which is near median its 10-year median of 6.00 and 20% above the Asset Management industry median of 5.00. Henderson Smaller Investment Trust's overall GF Score™ is 29/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Piotroski F-Score calculated?
Piotroski F-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Henderson Smaller Investment Trust (LSE:HSL), the current Piotroski F-Score is 6 as of Jun. 26, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Henderson Smaller Investment Trust Business Description

Address 201 Bishopsgate, London, GBR, EC2M 3AE
Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust PLC is a closed-ended equity mutual fund. Its investment objective is to maximize shareholder's total returns by investing in smaller companies quoted in the United Kingdom. The company's only segment being the activity of investing in shares and securities for capital appreciation. Geographically, it operates only in the United Kingdom.
29GF Score

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