Interest Rates Drop, Small Caps Rise: Is It Time to Buy This 7.3% Yielder?

Normally when interest rates fall, we closed-end fund (CEF) investors are tempted to pick up a fund like the 7.3%-paying Royce Small-Cap Trust (RVT) . It seems like a particularly savvy move today, with this small cap–focused CEF trading at a 10.3% discount to net asset value (NAV, or the value of its underlying portfolio). Cheap! But is that really a good value, or could RVT get cheaper still? Let’s take a look, starting with small caps generally. Like large caps, they benefit as lower rates boost consumer spending. But there are two other factors that make falling-rate periods particularly advantageous for smaller firms: They mean lower borrowing costs for investors, allowing them to invest on margin more than they would otherwise. … Read more