
The Calm Seems to Be Returning, but Markets Remain Alert
Global equity markets continue to hit new record highs. We are seeing calm gradually return, but the market remains alert. That is hardly surprising. Rising inflation, elevated bond yields, and an increasingly hawkish tone from central banks are making investors more selective. In Europe in particular, expectations are growing that the ECB will raise interest rates again in June, while the US Federal Reserve also appears to have little room to cut rates quickly for the time being. As a result, attention is shifting more and more toward companies with strong balance sheets, healthy cash flows, and limited debt. That aligns well with the way we look at stocks. The focus is once again returning to quality. At the same time, an important source of uncertainty seems to be slowly fading. In recent weeks, much of the attention was focused on tensions between the United States and Iran. There now appears to be cautious progress toward a diplomatic solution. Discussions are underway about extending the ceasefire and continuing negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. Although the situation remains fragile and new incidents cannot be ruled out, the market increasingly seems to believe that both sides want to avoid further escalation. This is also reflected in the oil price, which has fallen back noticeably over the past week. For the week ahead, we are mainly watching the United Kingdom. On Tuesday, the Manufacturing PMI will be released, followed by several speeches from Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey. Then, on Friday, the most important UK figure of the week is on the agenda: labour market data. These numbers are especially important at the moment because UK interest rates have remained elevated for quite some time, and investors are looking for clues about the Bank of England’s next policy moves. A cooling labour market could reduce pressure for further rate hikes, while strong data could once again fuel fears of higher rates. In addition, investors will of course also be watching the US labour market figures on Friday. Still, we expect that the main focus this week will be on the United Kingdom, where economic developments are becoming increasingly important for several stocks in our portfolio. Sunny Optical During last week’s annual general meeting and extraordinary general meeting of Sunny Optical Technology, all proposed resolutions were approved. Shareholders gave near-unanimous support to the 2025 annual accounts and the final dividend. All directors were also re-elected. In addition, the board was authorised to issue up to 10% new shares and to repurchase up to 10% of the shares outstanding. At the extraordinary general meeting, the main focus was on remuneration policy. Shareholders approved the introduction of a new 2026 Share Award Scheme, an equity incentive programme for employees and management, as well as a related cap on awards to external service providers. Taken together, the voting results paint a clear picture of shareholder sentiment. There is broad support for the current board, the dividend policy, and especially share buyback programmes. At the same time, shareholders are noticeably more critical when proposals could lead to dilution of their stake, such as share issuances and new equity-based compensation schemes. The stock finally seems to be gaining some momentum. That is why we are keeping Sunny Optical Technology in the portfolio. Rolls-Royce Sometimes there comes a moment when you have to say goodbye to a winner. For us, that moment has now arrived with Rolls-Royce. More than four years ago, we added the stock to the portfolio at a time when many investors had written the company off. Since then, we have enjoyed an impressive ride, delivering a return of 1,500%. Although we remain positive about the long-term opportunities of, among other things, small modular reactors and the role Rolls-Royce could play in the market for mobile nuclear power plants, we believe the stock now reflects a large part of that optimism. We also believe it is important to stay disciplined and occasionally take profits when an investment has largely fulfilled its potential. Rolls-Royce helped us through difficult market years with an impressive share price performance and eventually also resumed paying dividends. Under its current management, the company has undergone an impressive transformation, and we as shareholders have benefited greatly from that. However, every success story eventually comes to an end. Rolls-Royce’s valuation has risen sharply in recent times. Because the expected price/earnings ratio for 2028 is now around 25, we believe it is wise to lock in part of the gains achieved. The market is currently very optimistic. That is why we are taking a balanced approach: if the stock rises further, we will still benefit through our remaining position. If the share price falls, we will already have secured part of our profits and may be able to buy back at a more attractive level. That is why SharesUnderTen has decided to sell 65% of its position in Rolls-Royce. We look back very positively on the returns achieved so far and will continue to follow the stock with close interest. Brunel Brunel came under pressure last week because the stock traded ex-dividend on 25 May. As a result, the share price usually falls on the ex-dividend date by roughly the amount of the dividend. For 2025, Brunel is paying a total dividend of €0.35 per share. This consists of a regular dividend of €0.06 per share and a special dividend of €0.29 per share. The unusually high special dividend in particular explains why the price reaction was relatively large. The dividend will be paid on 18 June 2026. We are happy to put that dividend in our pocket. In addition, we still expect a lot from Brunel. Management has indicated that it sees opportunities to further improve results, and investors appear to have confidence in those plans. That is why we are maintaining the position. Envipco We are now up more than 10% on our position in Envipco. Other parties are also beginning to show enthusiasm. For example, Sweden’s Handelsbanken Fonder has built a




