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REG-M&G Credit Income Investment Trust plc 2025 Interim Results

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M&G Credit Income Investment Trust plc (MGCI)
2025 Interim Results

17-Sep-2025 / 07:00 GMT/BST

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LEI: 549300E9W63X1E5A3N24

                                                                    

                                                 M&G Credit Income Investment Trust plc

                                     Half Year Report and unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

                                                 for the six months ended 30 June 2025

 

The full version  of the Half  Year Report and  unaudited Condensed  Financial Statements can  be obtained from  the following  website:
 1 www.mandg.co.uk/creditincomeinvestmenttrust

 

Chairman’s statement

Performance

Your Company delivered a NAV  total return of +2.97%  for the six months to  30 June 2025, underperforming  the benchmark of SONIA  +4%,
which returned +4.26%. Comparable investment grade fixed income indices such as the ICE BofA Sterling Corporate and Collateralized Index
and the ICE BofA 1-3 Year BBB Sterling Corporate & Collateralized Index returned +3.48% and +3.54% respectively. The Company’s NAV total
return compared favourably to high yield indices  such as the ICE BofA European  Currency Non-Financial High Yield 2% Constrained  Index
(+2.84%).

The Investment Manager kept the portfolio defensively positioned throughout the half year because it believed, and continues to believe,
that credit spreads (which are  close to historic lows) are  not compensating investors for longer  term corporate risk. Credit  spreads
began and ended the period at roughly the same level although there was a brief period in March and early April which saw spreads widen,
as financial  markets digested  tariff implications  and braced  for a  global trade  war. Shortly  thereafter, markets  rallied on  the
announcement of tariff suspensions, and credit spreads narrowed again.

At times of  tight credit spreads,  the defensive positioning  of the portfolio  can be expected  to result in  a shortfall against  the
benchmark unless and until there is sufficient market volatility to enable our Investment Manager to create compensating capital  gains.
The brief period of  credit spread widening  in the middle of  the period under  review was helpful but  was not long  enough to make  a
material difference. In addition, there was  underperformance from negative developments in two  private credits which are described  in
more detail in the Investment Manager’s Report.

Share issuance and discount management

During the half  year, your Company  increased its market  capitalisation by  over £31 million  as sustained demand  for share  issuance
continued to support its growth. This helps to improve liquidity in your Company’s shares as well as reducing the ongoing charges ratio.
Share issuance at an  appropriate premium to NAV  underpins the Zero Discount  Policy which seeks to  ensure that Ordinary Shares  trade
close to NAV in normal market conditions.

In March, the Company issued 6,647,969 new Ordinary Shares via a placing and retail offer, whilst an additional 26,950,000 new  Ordinary
Shares were sold through regular tap issues over the period to 30 June 2025.

This was facilitated  by the  renewal of the  relevant shareholder  issuance authorities  at a General  Meeting held  in February  2025.
However, the continued pace of investor demand for shares meant that  by May it had become evident that the Company’s capacity to  issue
Ordinary Shares to meet market demand and to maintain the  Zero Discount Policy under the existing authorities would soon be  exhausted.
The Company therefore published a new Prospectus in order for share issuance to continue. Authority was approved by shareholder vote  at
a General Meeting held on 28 July 2025, for the capacity to issue up to 150 million Ordinary Shares for a period of 12 months.

Issues of Ordinary Shares are made at a price not less than the latest published NAV together with a premium intended to cover the costs
of the relevant issue and to contribute to the costs of publishing the Prospectus mentioned above.

The Company’s Ordinary Share price traded at an average premium to NAV of 1.8% during the period ended 30 June 2025. On 30 June 2025 the
Ordinary Share price was 95.9p, representing a 2.2% premium to NAV as at that date. Since the period end, a further 10,750,000  Ordinary
Shares have been issued.

Dividends

Your Company is  currently paying four,  quarterly interim dividends  at an annual  rate of SONIA  +4%, calculated by  reference to  the
adjusted opening NAV  as at 1  January 2025.  The Company paid  dividends of 1.96p  and 1.92p  per Ordinary Share  respectively for  the
quarters to 31 March 2025 and 30 June 2025.

Your Company’s Investment Manager continues to believe that an annual  total return, and thus ultimately a dividend yield, of SONIA  +4%
will continue to be achievable although there can be no guarantee that this will occur in any individual year.

Outlook

Financial markets have calmed since the turmoil  of early April, but tariff uncertainty  remains. In spite of this, investors  currently
seem to be shrugging off the associated chaos and headlines. US and UK equity markets have recently reached record highs whilst sterling
investment-grade credit spreads hover around multi-decade lows, reflecting  investors’ strong appetite for risk. Widespread fears  about
an inflation surge driven by tariffs have yet to materialise, although it will take some time for the effects to work through what is  a
highly complex and interconnected global trade system. Many commentators  believe that current levels of market exuberance are  unlikely
to last.

Elevated levels of uncertainty create challenge but also opportunity. The Investment Manager feels it is now more important than ever to
remain patient and disciplined in  its investment approach, and  at current valuations will continue  to keep the portfolio  defensively
positioned, prioritising credit quality over yield. It has constructed a portfolio that it expects to be able to withstand wider  market
volatility but one which can  be rapidly reshaped to take  advantage of any such volatility  when the opportunity presents itself.  This
forms one of the core pillars  of the Company’s investment strategy,  which is for the Investment Manager  to seek to trade the  liquid,
public portion of the portfolio in order to generate gains which  should contribute to the return target of SONIA +4%. Your Company  has
access to an undrawn £25 million credit facility and has a further £39 million invested in high credit quality, daily dealing ABS funds,
ready to be reallocated when the market conditions for adding risk materialise.

 

David Simpson

Chairman

16 September 2025

 

Financial highlights

 

Key data

 

                                                As at            As at

                                         30 June 2025 31 December 2024

                                          (unaudited)        (audited)
Net assets (£’000)                            169,636          139,995
Net asset value (NAV) per Ordinary Share       93.83p           95.11p
Ordinary Share price (mid-market)               95.9p            96.6p
Premium to NAVa                                  2.2%             1.6%
Ongoing charges figurea                         1.20%            1.28%

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return and dividends per Ordinary Share

 

                          Six months ended       Year ended

                              30 June 2025 31 December 2024

                               (unaudited)        (audited)
Capital return                        0.2p             1.5p
Revenue return                        2.6p             6.0p
NAV total returna                     3.0%             8.1%
Share price total returna             3.5%            14.6%
Total dividends declaredb            3.88p            8.53p

 

a Alternative performance measure. Please see pages 33 to 34 in the full Half Year Report for further information.

 

b The total dividends declared in respect of each period equated to a dividend yield of SONIA +4% on the adjusted opening NAV.

 

Investment manager’s report

Going into 2025, the global economic outlook was initially positive, but proposals for broad trade tariffs by the new US  administration
brought about significant economic uncertainty.  Despite moderating, inflation in major  economies remained above central bank  targets,
whilst economic  growth slowed  considerably which  reflected the  impact  of uncertain  global trade  policies and  fluctuating  market
conditions. Tariff related volatility peaked in April as global markets were roiled by harsher than anticipated reciprocal tariffs which
led to fears  of a global  recession. This sparked  significant volatility  resulting in a  widening in credit  spreads which,  although
short-lived, presented us with an opportunity to re-engage more meaningfully  with the public bond market. We focussed our attention  on
purchasing investment-grade UK names with little to no direct exposure to tariff risk, deploying £3 million during what was ultimately a
very brief window of opportunity. Characterising the unpredictability of  policymaking under the new Trump administration, a week  later
the announcement of a 90-day suspension of the reciprocal tariffs catalysed a pronounced recovery which saw credit spreads round-trip to
return to pre-April levels, ending the half-year approximately in line with where they started it.

Despite the temporary,  tariff-induced spread  weakness, the  technical backdrop in  fixed income  remained robust.  The combination  of
relatively high bond yields, a benign outlook for inflation, and the likelihood of lower interest rates ahead, remains appealing to both
income and total return investors, which  continues to attract capital to  the asset class. As a  result, demand for corporate bonds  is
significantly exceeding supply which is keeping volatility contained and credit spreads well-anchored with a bias to becoming tighter.

Having come into the year defensively positioned (as we have been for some time on relative value concerns), our primary focus  remained
on deploying capital into private assets, investing £19 million across 13 new and existing facilities during the period. We continued to
find attractive relative value  in Regulatory Capital transactions.  Additionally, as the  Company raised capital via  the issue of  new
Ordinary Shares  (as detailed  in the  Chairman’s Statement),  we invested  some of  the proceeds  into the  M&G European  Loan Fund,  a
cornerstone investment of the portfolio since launch,  to prevent dilution of our existing exposure.  We were also pleased to close  two
investment grade transactions  in parts of  the private market  where we are  often less active  due to tighter  pricing; the first,  an
infrastructure transaction providing senior debt in  an Italian road PPP (Public-Private Partnership)  project and the second, a  senior
secured Private Placement  transaction backed by  future payments  from wireless spectrum  licenses. Other private  transactions saw  us
allocate additional capital to existing securitisations in the portfolio.

During the period there were notable valuation  adjustments to loans from two different private  issuers as a result of internal  credit
rating downgrades,  which have  been  reflected in  the Company’s  latest  published NAV.  The first  credit  is undergoing  a  business
restructuring in response to  significant (and unforeseen)  changes in its  target market/operating environment.  The second credit  has
encountered a short term cash flow  problem, which is expected to  rectify over the medium term, but  which has seen the sponsor  commit
additional equity to the business. We actively monitor the portfolio for signs of distress and currently have exposure to three issuers,
amounting to 0.69% of the latest published NAV, which are either in technical default or at some stage of a restructuring process. These
assets are already marked-to-market or, in respect of non-public market instruments, reserved against in your Company’s latest published
NAV.

The funded private asset portion  of the portfolio decreased  over the period to  49.66% (versus 52.38% at  31 December 2024) which  was
largely due to  cash received  from share  issuance outpacing  private pipeline deal  execution. We  continued to  deploy proceeds  into
AA-rated M&G Investment Grade ABS Fund whilst waiting for a number of private transactions to progress to funding later in the year. The
portfolio also still has approximately 8% invested  in illiquid publicly-listed assets, which are  intended to be held to maturity.  The
portfolio’s investment grade holdings increased during the period (78%  from 76% previously) relative to sub-investment grade (22%  from
24% previously) reflecting our preference for going up in credit quality rather than adding risk.

Outlook

The biggest cost of the tariff war on the global economy may well be the impact of the uncertainty created rather than the direct impact
of the tariffs themselves. A confluence of additional risks also weighs on the outlook for the remainder of the year, including (but not
limited to) upward pressure on inflation, high geopolitical and conflict risk, rising bond yield term premia, the impacts of fiscal  and
broader policy dynamics, and the sustainability of  the Artificial Intelligence boom, all of  which are serving to create a  challenging
and unpredictable investment backdrop. Despite the considerable downside risks, a paradox exists between credit spreads and the economic
outlook, with investors  not being  sufficiently compensated  for the  magnitude of  these risks.  Current levels  of market  exuberance
certainly feel overdone and  in our opinion  investor aversion to bad  news is leading  to complacency. At the  time of writing,  credit
spreads are at almost 20-year lows, with  BBB credit (the lowest rung of investment  grade) offering barely 100 basis points  additional
return over sovereign benchmark yields.

 

Under these market conditions, where credit valuations are stretched, we believe that our flexibility in being able to invest across the
breadth of  both public  and private  markets can  be a  powerful differentiator  in generating  what we  feel are  the most  attractive
risk-adjusted returns for our  shareholders. It remains as  important as ever  that we maintain our  patient and disciplined  investment
approach and at  current valuations we  will continue to  keep the portfolio  defensively positioned, prioritising  credit quality  over
yield. This positioning is  intended to shape  the portfolio to be  a net beneficiary  of any future credit  spread widening and  market
volatility, and whilst this may mean foregoing portfolio returns in the  short term, in our opinion it is fundamental to driving  strong
performance over a longer term investment horizon. When further market volatility gives rise to attractive opportunities, we have access
to a  £25 million  credit facility  and a  further £39  million invested  in two  AAA/AA-rated, daily  dealing ABS  funds, ready  to  be
reallocated.

 

 

M&G Alternatives Investment Management Limited

16 September 2025

 

Portfolio analysis

 

Portfolio overview

 

                        30 June 2025 31 December 2024
As at
                                   %                %
Cash on deposit                 3.03             0.97
Public                         47.42            46.57
Asset-backed securities        13.98            24.62
Bonds                          13.48            14.50
Investment funds               19.96             7.45
Private                        49.66            52.38
Asset-backed securities         4.16             4.57
Bonds                           3.22             2.06
Investment funds               13.66            11.40
Loans                          16.36            23.06
Private placements              1.38             1.25
Other                          10.88            10.04
Derivatives                   (0.11)             0.08
Debt derivatives              (0.03)             0.05
Forwards                      (0.08)             0.03
Total                         100.00           100.00

Source: State Street

 

 

Geographical exposure

 

Percentage of portfolio of investments 
                                                                                                               
as at 30 June 2025 (31 December 2024)*
                                                                                                               
 
Europe                                                                                          48.84% (41.80%)
United Kingdom                                                                                  44.44% (50.90%)
United States                                                                                     5.22% (4.24%)
Australia                                                                                         0.97% (1.97%)
Global                                                                                            0.53% (1.09%)

 

* Excluding cash on deposit and derivatives.

 

Source: M&G and State Street as at 30 June 2025

 

Credit rating breakdown

 

                                        30 June 2025 31 December 2024
As at
                                                   %                %
Unrated                                       (0.11)             0.08
Derivatives                                   (0.11)             0.08
Cash and investment grade                      78.06            76.40
Cash on deposit                                 3.03             0.97
AAA                                             6.19             7.45
AA                                             16.50            11.16
AA-                                             0.75             0.60
A+                                              1.98             1.21
A                                               3.36             3.28
A-                                              2.06             2.77
BBB+                                            7.82            10.99
BBB                                            13.76            13.97
BBB-                                           11.96            15.11
M&G European Loan Fund (ELF) (see note)        10.65             8.89
Sub-investment grade                           22.05            23.52
BB+                                             2.19             2.73
BB                                              4.48             5.32
BB-                                             3.26             2.26
B+                                              2.53             2.17
B                                               4.57             6.65
B-                                              0.93             0.83
CCC+                                            0.53                -
CCC                                             0.24                -
CC                                              0.25             0.32
D                                               0.06             0.73
M&G European Loan Fund (ELF) (see note)         3.01             2.51
Total                                         100.00           100.00

 

Source: State Street

 

Note: ELF is an  open-ended fund managed  by M&G that  invests in leveraged  loans issued by,  generally, substantial private  companies
located in the  UK and  Continental Europe.  ELF is not  rated and  the Investment  Manager has determined  an implied  rating for  this
investment, utilising  rating methodologies  typically  attributable to  collateralised loan  obligations.  On this  basis, 78%  of  the
Company’s investment in ELF has been ascribed  as being investment grade, and 22% has  been ascribed as being sub-investment grade.  The
board actively monitors the implied rating to ensure that the original rating remains appropriate.

 

 

Top 20 holdings

Percentage of portfolio of investmentsa

As at 30 June 2025 (31 December 2024)       Company description

 
                                            Open-ended fund managed by M&G  which invests primarily in high  grade European ABS with  on
M&G Investment Grade ABS Fund               average AA risk. The fund seeks to find value in credits which offer an attractive structure
                                            or price for their risk profile. (Public)
13.77% (8.50%)
                                             
                                            Open-ended fund  managed by  M&G which  invests  in leveraged  loans issued  by,  generally,
M&G European Loan Fund                      substantial private companies located in the UK and Continental Europe. The fund’s objective
                                            is to create attractive levels of current income for investors while maintaining  relatively
13.66% (11.40%)                             low volatility of NAV. (Private)

                                             
                                            Open-ended fund managed by M&G investing in  a diversified pool of investment grade ABS.  In
                                            usual market conditions, the fund will invest predominantly in senior tranches of ABS,  with
M&G Senior Asset Backed Credit Fund         80% expected to be of a credit rating of  at least AA– or higher. The latest average  credit
                                            rating of the underlying portfolio is AAA. The daily dealing fund is used by the  Investment
6.19% (7.45%)                               Manager as an alternative to holding cash. (Public)

                                             
Delamare Finance FRN 1.279% 19/02/2029      Floating-rate, senior  tranche of  a CMBS  secured by  the sale  and leaseback  of 33  Tesco
                                            superstores and 2 distribution centres. (Public)
1.88% (1.77%)
                                             
 
Income Contingent Student Loans 14.95%
                                            Floating-rate, junior  mezzanine  tranche of  a  portfolio comprised  of  income  contingent
24/07/2058                                  repayment student loans  originally advanced  by the UK  Secretary of  State for  Education.
                                            (Public)
1.74% (2.00%)
                                             
 
Serenissima SPV 5.625% 30/06/2036           Fixed coupon, senior debt in an  infrastructure securitisation backed by future  receivables
                                            payable to the  O&M (Operations &  Maintenance) contractor  for an Italian  road project  in
1.53% (n/a)                                 North-East Italy. (Private)

                                             
Aria International Var. Rate 23/06/2025     Floating-rate, senior tranche  of a securitisation  of invoice receivables  originated by  a
                                            specialist digital recruitment platform. (Private)
1.53% (1.38%)
                                             
 
Project Energy from Waste UK Var. Rate
29/11/2041                                  Floating-rate, senior  secured  infrastructure loan  funding  the design,  build,  maintain,
                                            operate and finance contract of a residual waste treatment facility. (Private)
1.21% (1.54%)
                                             
 
Hammond Var. Rate 28/10/2025                Secured, bilateral real estate development loan backed  by a combined portfolio of 2  office
                                            assets leased to an underlying roster of global corporate tenants. (Private)
1.15% (1.39%)
                                             
 
Millshaw SAMS No. 1 Var. Rate 15/06/2054    Floating-rate, single tranche of an RMBS backed by shared-appreciation mortgages. (Public)

1.15% (1.43%)                                
Income Contingent Student Loans 1 2002-2006
FRN 2.76% 24/07/2056                        Floating-rate, mezzanine tranche  of a  portfolio comprised  of income-contingent  repayment
                                            student loans originally advanced by the UK Secretary of State for Education. (Public)
1.12% (1.22%)
                                             
 
Signet Excipients Var. Rate 20/10/2025      Fixed-rate loan secured against 2 large commercial premises in London, currently leased to 2
                                            FTSE listed UK corporations. (Public)
1.06% (1.27%)
                                             
 
Atlas 2020 1 Trust Var. Rate 30/09/2050     Floating-rate, senior tranche of a bilateral RMBS transaction backed by a pool of Australian
                                            equity release mortgages. (Private)
0.94% (1.19%)
                                             
 
Whistler Finco 1% 30/11/2028                Floating-rate, senior secured  term loan lending  to an outdoor  media infrastructure  owner
                                            which invests and manages a large billboard portfolio in the UK, Netherlands, Spain, Ireland
0.91% (1.10%)                               and Germany. (Private)

                                             
STCHB 7 A Var. Rate 25/04/2031              Floating-rate, mezzanine tranche in a  regulated capital securitisation where the  portfolio
                                            consists of  36  loans,  secured  on  the undrawn  Limited  Partner  (LP)  investor  capital
0.90% (1.15%)                               commitments. (Private)

                                             
Global Gender Smart Fund 1% 31/12/2028      Floating rate,  senior tranche  in a  microfinance  debt fund  backed by  DFIs  (Development
                                            Finance Institutions). (Private)
0.88% (n/a)
                                             
 
NewRiver REIT 3.5% 07/03/2028               NewRiver REIT PLC operates as a real estate investment trust investing in retail  properties
                                            throughout the United Kingdom. Fixed, callable bond. Senior Unsecured. (Public)
0.87% (1.03%)
                                             
 
The School Board Of Miami Dade County 1%
                                            Fixed coupon, senior secured Private  Placement note issued by  a regional US school  board,
15/10/2038                                  supported by future payments  relating to wireless spectrum  licenses leased to a  blue-chip
                                            tenant. (Private)
0.87% (n/a)
                                             
 
Fontwell II Securities 2020 9.2208%
18/12/2028                                  Floating-rate, mezzanine tranche in a regulated capital securitisation where the  underlying
                                            portfolio is long-term mortgages for farms and rural businesses across the UK. (Private)
0.83% (1.01%)
                                             
 
Finance for Residential Social Housing PLC
8.569% 04/10/2058                           High grade (AA/Aa3), fixed-rate  bond backed by cash  flows from housing association  loans.
                                            (Public)
0.83% (1.02%)
                                             
 

 

a Including cash on deposit and derivatives.

 

Further Information

The  full  Half  Year  Report  and   unaudited  Condensed  Financial  Statements  can  be   obtained  from  the  Company's  website   at
 2 www.mandg.co.uk/creditincomeinvestmenttrust or by contacting the Company Secretary at  3 mandgcredit@cm.mpms.mufg.com.

 

It has also been submitted in full  unedited text to the Financial Conduct Authority's  National Storage Mechanism and is available  for
inspection at  4 data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism in accordance with  DTR 6.3.5(1A) of  the Financial Conduct  Authority's
Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

 

For        further         information         in         relation         to         the         Company         please         visit: 
 5 https://www.mandg.com/investments/private-investor/en-gb/investing-with-mandg/investment-options/mandg-credit-income-investment-trust

 

 

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Dissemination of a Regulatory Announcement, transmitted by EQS Group.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

   ISIN:           GB00BFYYL325, GB00BFYYT831
   Category Code:  IR
   TIDM:           MGCI
   LEI Code:       549300E9W63X1E5A3N24
   OAM Categories: 1.2. Half yearly financial reports and audit
                   reports/limited reviews
   Sequence No.:   401994
   EQS News ID:    2198354


    
   End of Announcement EQS News Service

   ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

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