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British Smaller Companies VCT 2

BSC.L
39
Asset Management · Financial Services
Price
50.00 GBp
+0.00 (+0.00%)
Market Cap
£191.1M
Exchange
London Stock Exchange
Winston Score
39
Winston is serious
Below-average fundamentals — multiple weak pillars.
Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Dec 31, 2025
How the score breaks down
Quality
Good
Growth
Good
Cash Flow
Weak
Stability
Good
Valuation
Weak
Dividends
Good

Share count rising — dilution

+131.7% over 4y

The company has issued more shares over this period, which dilutes each existing shareholder’s stake.

Diluted shares outstanding: 138.6M (2021) → 321.1M (2025)

Winston Score History

The full picture

British Smaller Companies VCT 2 is a Venture Capital Trust based in the United Kingdom. It pools money from individual investors and uses it to buy stakes in small, early-stage British companies that need funding to grow. It is managed by YFM Equity Partners and focuses on businesses across a range of industries, from technology to manufacturing.

The company makes money by earning investment income and capital gains when the small companies it backs grow in value or are sold. It operates entirely within the UK, which is a legal requirement for VCTs under British tax law. Investors are attracted partly because VCTs offer tax reliefs on their investments, which gives the fund a built-in advantage in raising money. The main risk is that small, early-stage companies often fail, meaning the value of the portfolio can fall sharply during economic downturns, and the fund's low ROIC of 2.8% suggests returns on invested capital have been modest in recent periods.

Growth Profile

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

+37.6% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Strong revenue growth

EPS Growth

-25.5% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Earnings declining

R&D Spend

£0/ year

Declining (-100% vs prior year)

0.0% of revenue

Below sector average (7%)

R&D spend declining — could signal cost-cutting or efficiency

Insider Activity

0.0%ownership

Flat

Insider ownership roughly steady over the past year

Cash Runway

5+ years

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

£176M cash & investments at current burn rate

Strong grower

British Smaller Companies VCT 2 is growing revenue at 38% year-over-year. The Winston Score penalises unprofitable companies, but revenue at this pace tells a different story — this is a company still in "build mode."

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

Each metric is explained in plain language so you know exactly what you're looking at. Start your free trial now.

Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
47.8%
Healthy — 47.8% gross margin
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
78.1%
Excellent — 78.1% operating margin
Return on the money invested
ROCE
2.8%
Weak — 2.8% return on capital

ROIC between 0% and 5%. They earn a few cents back per dollar invested in the business.

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Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
+66.6%
Fast-growing sales (+66.6% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
+48.9%
Earnings growing fast (+48.9% YoY)

Earnings growing 25%+ a year. The compounder zone.

How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
1/8 quarters
Earnings rarely grow — volatile business

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
-31%
Weak — only -31% of profit becomes cash
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
-18.8%
Burning cash (-18.8%)

Free cash flow is negative. They are burning cash, not generating it.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
N/A
Data not available
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
100.00x
Comfortably covers interest (100.0x)

Interest coverage above 8. Profits cover interest many times over.

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Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
36.5x
Pricey — P/E 36.5

P/E over 35. The market is pricing in heavy, sustained growth.

Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
N/A
not available
Data not available

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Dividends

Dividend
Dividend Yield
6.00%
Healthy income — 6.00% yield

Yield above 6% — often a flag the market is pricing in a cut.

Dividend record
Dividend Growth
-8.3%
Dividend cut (-8.3% YoY) — warning sign

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