ASL.L vs. SMT.L

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

ASL.L (Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust plc) is a stock, while SMT.L (Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust plc) is Global Equities fund actively managed by Baillie Gifford Funds. Over the past 10 years, ASL.L returned 7.61%/yr vs 20.07%/yr for SMT.L. At a 0.49 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

ASL.L vs. SMT.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust plc (ASL.L) and Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust plc (SMT.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ASL.L achieves a 5.03% return, which is significantly lower than SMT.L's 29.30% return. Over the past 10 years, ASL.L has underperformed SMT.L with an annualized return of 7.61%, while SMT.L has yielded a comparatively higher 20.07% annualized return.

ASL.L

• 1D: -0.98%
• 1M: 4.55%
• YTD: 5.03%
• 6M: 7.07%
• 1Y: 11.97%
• 3Y*: 12.04%
• 5Y*: 4.10%
• 10Y*: 7.61%

SMT.L

• 1D: -0.74%
• 1M: 7.61%
• YTD: 29.30%
• 6M: 44.33%
• 1Y: 56.00%
• 3Y*: 30.51%
• 5Y*: 4.99%
• 10Y*: 20.07%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ASL.L vs. SMT.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ASL.L Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust plc	5.03%	10.86%	10.70%	8.01%	-7.29%	20.31%	-16.46%	39.70%	-11.76%	22.64%
SMT.L Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust plc	29.30%	24.72%	18.75%	12.46%	-45.71%	10.46%	110.49%	24.76%	4.64%	41.09%

Correlation

The correlation between ASL.L and SMT.L is 0.44, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.44
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.47
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.48
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.41
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 2, 1993	0.49

Return for Risk

ASL.L vs. SMT.L — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ASL.L

ASL.L Risk / Return Rank: 60
ASL.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
ASL.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 58
ASL.L Omega Ratio Rank: 57
ASL.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 57
ASL.L Martin Ratio Rank: 62

SMT.L

SMT.L Risk / Return Rank: 83
SMT.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
SMT.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
SMT.L Omega Ratio Rank: 81
SMT.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 84
SMT.L Martin Ratio Rank: 79

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ASL.L vs. SMT.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust plc (ASL.L) and Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust plc (SMT.L). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	ASL.L	SMT.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.77	2.78	-2.01
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.18	3.94	-2.77
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	1.50	-0.35
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.70	4.55	-3.85
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	2.17	15.42	-13.25
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ASL.L vs. SMT.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ASL.L Sharpe Ratio is 0.77, which is lower than the SMT.L Sharpe Ratio of 2.78. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ASL.L and SMT.L, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ASL.L	SMT.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.77	2.78	-2.01
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.24	0.17	+0.07
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.35	0.70	-0.34
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.60	0.56	+0.03

Drawdowns

ASL.L vs. SMT.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ASL.L drawdown since its inception was -60.11%, roughly equal to the maximum SMT.L drawdown of -62.61%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ASL.L and SMT.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	ASL.L	SMT.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-60.11%	-62.61%	+2.50%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-17.08%	-12.26%	-4.82%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-25.35%	-28.05%	+2.70%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-31.98%	-60.11%	+28.13%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-59.56%	-60.11%	+0.55%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.85%	-0.74%	-5.11%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.24%	-16.03%	+4.79%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.50%	3.62%	+1.88%

Volatility

ASL.L vs. SMT.L - Volatility Comparison

Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust plc (ASL.L) has a higher volatility of 4.66% compared to Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust plc (SMT.L) at 4.09%. This indicates that ASL.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SMT.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ASL.L	SMT.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.66%	4.09%	+0.57%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.59%	15.92%	-4.33%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	15.55%	20.05%	-4.50%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.99%	29.68%	-12.69%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.40%	28.76%	-7.36%

Dividends

ASL.L vs. SMT.L - Dividend Comparison

ASL.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.65%, more than SMT.L's 0.29% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ASL.L Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust plc	3.65%	3.20%	3.48%	3.50%	2.75%	2.31%	2.92%	2.50%	3.16%	2.30%	2.63%	2.11%
SMT.L Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust plc	0.29%	0.37%	0.44%	0.51%	0.51%	0.26%	0.27%	0.54%	0.66%	0.67%	0.93%	1.05%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ASL.L and SMT.L in my portfolio?

ASL.L and SMT.L have a correlation of 0.44, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.